static bars

“I can’t get the static out of my hair!”

Ladies, you know what we’re talking about. Those of you with long hair (and gentlemen, too) are probably all too familiar with static electricity styling your hair. Combining the dry winter months that have relatively low humidity with blow dryer use is the main reason for flyaway hair that looks like it comes from a science experiment.

You’ve heard of the home remedies; leave your hair damp, add some high quality conditioner or take more Omega Fatty Acids such as fish oil.  While these solutions are not too far off base, let’s look at the root cause of the problem first.

Where does static electricity come from?

Everything is made up of atoms. Most atoms are neutral because the positive charges cancel out of the negative charges. When the outer layer of atoms is rubbed off, it will produce atoms that have a slightly positive charge while the object that did the rubbing will have a slightly negative charge. Static electricity is caused by two materials, one that charges positively and one that charges negatively.

Static electricity in your hair or on your clothing is no different than the static that is generated during many manufacturing processes. Brushing your hair with plastic bristles creates the same problem as plastic material rubbing against machine parts: unwanted static. While controlling static can mean the difference between a good or bad hair day for you, plastic manufacturers have a whole other set of problems. Controlling static makes a difference in how fast a machine can run, how to prevent shocks and how to improve yields, which translates into higher profits for the company.

So what’s the static solution?

You might have thought that raising the humidity could fix your hair problem. True, the static might go away, but your hair will be a frizzy mess instead. In the manufacturing world, it can cause extreme problems such as rust on metal machine parts. In the hair care world, some of the major hair dryer manufacturers have added ionic blow dryers to their product lines. These ionic dryers create positive and negative ions to help fight out static electricity.

The best way to ensure that equipment runs smoothly and static-free in any manufacturing process is to use the right ionizer in the form of blowers, static bars, air knives or nozzles. Serving industrial, medical and electronic markets, we have the solution to your static problem…contact us today!