It’s a little-known fact that your hair contains both positive and negative ions.
Simple day-to-day activities can strip your hair of these negative ions, causing a static charge and making your hair appear frizzy and dry.
It may be that your hair is actually perfectly healthy and that you just need to restore those missing ions to give your hair that sleek, shiny look that you’re after.
In this article, I’ve put together a list of the best ionic hair brushes that can restore the ions and smooth your hair cuticle.
It was a very long time before I realized the benefits of ionic hair brushes (I tend to build up a lot of static, as I have dry skin) and I wish I’d done it sooner!
From paddle brushes, to hair straightening brushes – there’s bound to be something that suits your hair type. Just take a read below!
Covered in this Article:
Best Ionic Hair Brush for Curly Hair
Majestik Ionic Paddle Brush
This ionic paddle brush is great for all hair types and works to smooth out frizz and flyaways due to its flat shape.
Rather than adding volume, the nylon bristles will work to detangle any knots you may have in your hair or reduce any static with the ionic technology, which means it’s great for wintertime as hats and scarves are known for causing static and wreaking havoc on your hair!
It’s especially great for thick hair that tangles easily, as the shape means that it covers a large area of the hair which can reduce the amount of time you spend brushing it.
The floating air cushion contains the technology to reduce static within the hair, the ions work to close the hair cuticle and give you a smoother look.
The brush also has a retractable sectioning pick at the end of the handle that’ll come in handy when it comes to blow drying your hair.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Ergonomic design
- Reduces static
- Smooths and detangles
- Makes brushing easier due to its shape
- Retractable sectioning pick
- Snag free ring to prevent the hair from hooking when brushing
Cons:
- Brush is said to be very hard, so may not be suitable for children
Best Anti-Frizz Ionic Brush in the UK
Fixbody Barrel Brush
If you’re looking for a brush to add volume and style as you blow dry, then this ionic brush by Fixbody is a good choice.
The ceramic barrel heats up quickly and is vented to allow even heat distribution to make sure your hair dries thoroughly and as quickly as possible, which is great if you’re in a rush for work in the morning.
The brush comes in a variety of barrel widths, so if you like to curl your hair with a blow dryer you can choose one to give you the curls you’re after, from tight curls to loose waves.
It can also be used to straighten your hair too reducing the amount of heat you use as you don’t need to use additional hair styling tools.
The negative ions in the brush are activated by heat and are then attracted to the positive ions within your hair, which closes the hair cuticle and smooths any frizz which can occur after blow drying.
The brush bristles are made from natural boar bristles which helps to disperse the natural oils that your scalp produces through your hair lengths, which also helps to reduce frizz and keep your hair healthy and prevent any breakage caused by dryness.
Pros:
- Anti-slip handle
- 3 barrel widths
- Vented barrel for even heat distribution
- Heat resistant brush
- Natural boar bristle
- Adds volume
- Comes with 4 clip accessories to help with sectioning during drying
Cons:
- People have said that the clips break easily and don’t hold hair in place well
Best Straightening Ionic Brush
Nisperos Straightening Brush
This ionic straightening brush by Nisperos plugs into the wall and heats up to the set temperature in just a few seconds!
Once the temperature is reached, it plateaus and doesn’t get any hotter so you know the exact temperature being used on your hair – preventing unnecessary heat damage.
If for whatever reason you can’t, or don’t like, blow drying your hair, but still think it needs a style – leave your hair to dry naturally and brush through with this.
As you brush your hair, it straightens, smooths and closes the hair cuticle for frizz free and damage free styling! It works especially well with thick, long hair that can take hours to straighten properly as it saves so much time.
One of the things I love about this hair brush is that it can be used on long, unruly beards too! For a beard that’s wiry and out of control, the ionic technology in this hair straightening brush may be able to help to smooth it out and give it some shape.
The area that heats up is surrounded by plastic bristles which will prevent your burning your face! For your safety, make sure this appliance never gets wet.
Pros:
- Can be used to straighten your hair or beard
- Heats up in 60 seconds
- Protects you from burning your skin
- Automatically turns off after 30 minutes
- Sunken power button to prevent accidentally turning on
- 360° swivel cord to prevent tangling
- Saves time
Cons:
- Cannot be used on wet hair!
Best Drying Ionic Hair Brush
Aibesser Hot Air Dryer Brush
This hot air dryer brush by Aibesser is the best in the list when it comes to an anti-frizz brush.
It’s a combination of a hair dryer, hair brush, hair curler and hair straightener, this tool really does it all and will save you heaps of time in the morning!
Similar to the other brushes, the ionic technology smooths and nourishes the hair, enhances shine and reduces any frizz, but this brush does all this as well as drying your hair too.
It has 3 heat settings, a hot/medium to dry, and a cool setting to set your style for the day ahead.
It has a 360° rotating power cord so it can be used at any angle as well as an anti-scalding top, making those hard to reach places easier to style.
It also has ceramic coating around the brush, which prevents over-drying and further damage to your hair that will cause more frizz.
Pros:
- Multifunctional tool – dryer, brush, straightener, curler
- Lightweight
- 3 heat settings
- 360° rotating power cord and anti-scalding top
- Ceramic coating to prevent further damage
- Ergonomic handle design makes it easy to hold
- Bottom airflow vents for reduced noise
Cons:
- Non-detachable brush head
- Not the easiest to use on shorter hair due to the large barrel width
Best Ionic Brush for Fine Hair
H&S Round Hair Brush
This round hair brush by H&S is said by reviewers to be great for taming fine, flyaway hair, but also works well for other variety of hair types too – both long and short.
This one is also made from natural boar hair bristles and uses ions to smooth the hair cuticle.
When used alongside a blow dryer this brush heats up quickly and evenly to significantly reduce the amount of time you spend drying your hair, and leaves you with a salon-style hair look from the comfort of your own home.
The bristles distribute oils through the lengths of your hair to keep it naturally healthy and shiny, but it also helps to protect your hair against further dryness and breakage.
The brush is durable, lightweight and heat-resistant and the handle is easy to hold and anti-slip, so it won’t slip out of your hand during blow drying.
Pros:
- Suitable for all hair types, but works especially well on fine hair
- Natural boar bristles
- Reduces the amount of time needed to dry your hair as the brush is ventilated to ensure even air flow
- Distributes your natural oils
- Durable
- Lightweight
- Heat resistant
- Anti-slip handle that’s easy to hold
Cons:
- Not suitable for afro hair as it may cause breakage
- Bristles are hard, may not be suitable for children
How Do You Use An Ionic Hair Brush?
Your hair contains both positive and negative ions and simple things such as brushing your hair, towel drying it, the wind blowing it and wearing hats can strip your hair of the negative ions, causing a frizzy and dry appearance (source: Physics Teacher Journal).
Ionic hair brushes are a great addition to your hair routine as they replace the negative ions lost which restores your hair’s charge, they seal and smooth the hair cuticle.
This reduces the appearance of split ends, make your hair shinier and softer, stop it looking so frizzy and reduce the time it takes to blow dry your hair.
There are many types of ionic hair brushes, from paddle brushes that can be used as a normal hair brush, barrel brushes to use alongside a hair dryer.
As you will have seen in this article, there are even ionic brushes that heat up and dry or straighten your hair without the need for a blow dry!
Depending on which one you go for, there may be different ways to use it, but the basic steps on how to use an ionic hair brush are:
- Blow dry or leave your hair until it’s about 80% dry.
- Section your hair and brush through your hair.
- Working on one section at a time, put the brush at the base of your roots and roll it down to your ends, following its movement with a blow dryer set to a medium heat, keeping the nozzle angled down so the air isn’t blowing up the cuticle and the heat is evenly dispersed.
- The heat from the dryer will activate the negative ions within your brush, giving your hair a smooth and frizz free look.
- Set your hair with a cold blast at the end of each section.
Do Ionic Hair Brushes Really Work?
Ionic hair brushes work by restoring the negative ions in your hair which can make your hair shiny and more manageable.
The addition of negative ions also lock-in moisture and reduce hair damage as ionic brushes tend to be kinder to your hair.
Of course, whether an ionic hair brush will definitely work for you is difficult to say.
Ionic hairbrushes work for most hair types, but if your hair is extremely damaged from excessive colouring or heat then this may be the cause of your frizziness, rather than the loss of ions.
If this is the case, then it is unlikely that an ionic hair brush will solve your frizz problems and you may be best to talk to your hairdresser to see what they recommend.
I’ve also put together another article on which hairdryers help reduce frizz if this is something you suffer from a lot.
I hope that this article has given you all the information that you were looking for and has helped you find an ionic hairbrush that suits your needs.
Enjoy your frizz free life!