It’s 6:15 in the morning, and you’re just now hopping in the shower. You have to be out the door in 15 minutes, and you’re really regretting hitting the snooze button those last three times. Thankfully, you have your trusty blow dryer to rely on, so at least your hair will look fabulous, even if the rest of you doesn’t.

You jump out of the shower, get dressed, and pick up your dryer, ready for 1875 watts of super styling power to come blasting at you.

You pop the reset button, flip the switch a few more times, maybe even bang it on the counter, but the end result is the same.

It sounds like such a simple task – walking into your local salon, big box store or beauty supplier and buying a blow dryer. Yet, when you do arrive, fully confident this will be a quick, easy task, your mind is overwhelmed with all the choices laid out in front of you. As if the plethora of shiny new styling appliances all lined up in their colorful packaging isn’t enough to send your brain into meltdown mode, all these big words like “ionic” and “ceramic” start popping up before your eyes. What the heck is an ion? What do you do with it? Sounds more like something out of a science fiction movie than something you’d want to put on your hair.

The truth is, there are a lot of choices when it comes to hairstyling appliances and it’s only complicated by all the new technology on the market. So, what is all this techno-babble and what can it possibly do for you?

The big advancement in the last few years is definitely ionic technology. You’ve probably heard about it on television, online or in a magazine. Ceramic styling appliances paved the way for ionic technology, but it doesn’t end there. Materials like titanium (a super light-weight, yet super strong metal) and tourmaline (a gemstone from Sri Lanka) also produce negative ions when exposed to heat, and more often than not, in even greater quantities than ceramic.

Negative ions neutralize positive ions in your hair, providing a whole host of benefits as they do so.

Besides reducing your drying time by up to 30% when using an appliance like a blow dryer by breaking down the molecules of water at a faster rate, ions also help to close the hair’s cuticle. The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair, which protects the inner structure of the hair in layers, like shingles on a roof. When the cuticle is closed, the overlapping cells (or the shingles, if you will) all lay down flat, so hair is soft, smooth and shiny. Also, by having all those cells laying down flat, you’re protecting the cortex (the inner structure), which means you can use more heat with less damage, and you’re locking in more moisture – so that five or ten minutes you left your conditioner on while you were in the shower, isn’t ten minutes of your life you’ll never get back.

Another term you may see on all that fancy packaging is Far Infrared Heat.

Far infrared heat penetrates the cuticle to dry or style the hair from the inside out, so you spend less time exposing the cuticle to damaging heat which can make all those little cells stand up on end. When the cuticle is raised, not only are you losing moisture and exposing the cortex to damage from heat and the environment, but hair is generally frizzy, dull and can feel like straw. Far infrared will help to lock in your style at the very core level, cutting down on styling time and making hair more resistant against styling saboteurs like humidity, hats and hair elastics.

Nanotechnology is one more daunting term being plastered all over styling appliances.

Most people think of nanotechnology as being tiny little robots, which is only partially true. Nanotechnology actually breaks down molecules into itty, bitty particles which is really good news for negative ions. By making those ions even smaller, you can get even more of them working to condition and protect your hair. Nanotechnology results in a more stable and higher functioning particle, more far infrared heat production, and can be applied to any material. Think of ions like a football team and nanotechnology is the cheerleading squad; providing support and encouragement, inspiring the team to work harder, faster and more efficiently.

You may also see nano silver, which is antibacterial (more suited for salons who use the same appliances on several heads of hair in the course of a day), nano gold (which conducts heat more efficiently so you’re less likely to burn your hair--perfect for hair that’s hard to style) and even nano zirconia (which puts out lots of those negative ions, similar to tourmaline).

Rheostat is definitely a word you want to look for on flat irons and curling irons.

A rheostat allows you to control the temperature on your appliance. This way, you get enough heat to get the job done but not so much heat that you’re doing unnecessary damage. Thin, fine hair generally needs less heat to take, and hold, a style, while thick, coarse hair will usually need a higher temperature to get the job done.

It may seem like an awful lot of science to absorb and an awful lot of big words to try and remember. However, the next time you find yourself staring down a long aisle of styling appliances, a little bit of knowledge can go a long way towards narrowing down what may feel like a million choices. If that’s not enough, your knowledge will definitely be rewarded every day you use your appliance and see your smooth, shiny strands or crisp, bouncy curls in the mirror. This is one science experiment you can really be buzzed about!

*Photos from http://www.sleekhair.com and http://www.learningtechnologies.ac.uk