Hair is made up of dead cells without the ability to self-repair. This means it is in need of protection against heat damage, one of the problems caused by hair dryers blasting hot air on tresses. Moreover, conventional blowers tend to be bulky and difficult to manoeuvre when drying and styling hair.
Hair-science fast-drying test.
The compact and lightweight Dyson Supersonic was engineered for fast drying while keeping strands healthy and strong.
The hefty price tag of almost 15,000 baht is justified by problem-solving technologies featured in the innovative hair dryer, said Graeme McPherson, head of haircare product development at Dyson Singapore Technology Centre, located in the Lion City's Science Park.
Twelve years ago, McPherson joined Dyson as a design engineer who first worked in developing cylinder vacuum and ball technology, at its headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, in the UK.
"Dyson bagless vacuum cleaners were designed to solve the problems of using a conventional vacuum cleaner, such as the dust and mess, having to empty a bag and picking debris from different types of surfaces," said the Scottish engineer. "Though the beauty business and haircare is something completely new to us, we use the same problem-solving approach, in the development of the Dyson Supersonic."
It took 600 prototypes, four years and more than £50 million (2.2 billion baht) in development before being launched in 2016. More than 100 engineers, scientists and trichologists -- among other specialists -- comprised the multidisciplinary research team.
"Like a beachball has different colours -- such as on one side red, white and blue; the other side, green, yellow and purple -- we looked from different perspectives to comprehensively develop the Dyson Supersonic," he said.
Dyson's investment in hair-science research includes laboratories equipped with advanced scanning electron microscopes, thermal cameras and other equipment to conduct hair tests.
At the Dyson Singapore Technology Centre, facilities include acoustic, fluid dynamic, performance and high-voltage labs to evaluate a hair dryer's efficacy.
Covered with absorptive wedges to eliminate reflection, the acoustic chamber measures and develops the sound of the Dyson Supersonic to be one of the quietest blowers, while the total airflow lab measures exactly what the user feels when using the powerful tool.
In everyday life, hair-drying is important after washing hair. When wet, hair is actually weakened as strands absorb water, and swells while the outer cuticle layer becomes slightly rougher and the inner layer of the hair shafts coarsens, making the hair brittle and vulnerable to damage.
When hair is exposed to extreme temperatures, the structure of its proteins undergoes irreversible changes, causing hair to break and split.
To minimise damage, hair should be dried quickly through a proper combination of heat and airflow, restoring its dry strength and the shape of the cuticle.
Dyson Supersonic features so-called Intelligent Heat Control, with a glass bead thermistor measuring the temperature 20 times a second and a microprocessor controlling the patented double-stacked heating element.
Simultaneously, air-multiplier technology produces a high-pressure and high-velocity jet of air, with the fast and effective airflow stripping water off the hair surface quickly.
To efficiently dry and style hair without leading to frizz and flyaways, Dyson engineers also developed three different nozzles to provide controlled air flow.
The airflow development was carried out at the Dyson Singapore Technology Centre, where engineers were tasked with controlling the power of the V9 motor -- Dyson's smallest and lightest digital motor, which spins at up to 110,000rpm for a high-velocity jet of air.
The V9 motor with 13 blades like a jet engine provides more stability; hence, the motor runs more efficiently, with better acoustics.
The motors are produced at Dyson Singapore Advanced Manufacturing Centre, and transported to manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, where they are placed into the hair drier. The size of the motor allows it to be positioned in the handle rather than the head of the hair dryer.
"In the first prototype, the motor was positioned at the bottom, and we never thought that it would end up being in the handle," McPherson said of the technological feat, which gives a more balanced feeling while reducing strain on the wrist.
The Dyson Singapore Technology Centre is a part of the British company's £2.5 billion investment in developing future technologies for various other products besides super hair dryers.
"Like the evolution of our vacuum cleaners -- such as improving weight, performance and manoeuvrability -- we will keep evolving the Dyson Supersonic," he said, "not only technically but always looking at how people use the hair dryer and getting their feedback for developing the next model."
