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Hi Alice,
I have a question about static electricity. I constantly get shocked when I'm getting out of my car, touching people or even certain objects. The worst thing is I can't brush my hair because of static electricity. I actually have to rub a fabric softener sheet on my head and hair brushes. Please help me with this issue if you can.
—Susan
Dear Susan,
Static electricity may seem like a minor nuisance to some, but if you've ever shuffled across the bedroom carpet half-asleep in a bathrobe and slippers only to touch the bathroom door and get zapped so hard that your whole arm ached and your hand stood on end, then you know it can be a rude wake-up call.
Static electricity is a natural phenomenon that happens because of electrons (tiny negatively charged particles orbiting around the atoms of which all matter is comprised). When two objects are brought in close proximity to each other (such as a brush and your hair), electrons can be "stolen" from one object by the other. The object that loses electrons now has a positive charge and the object that takes the electrons will have a negative charge. The difference in charges not only allows a zap of static electricity to jump from one object to the other, it also tends to hold them close together like oppositely charged magnets. This is why sometimes (particularly if you have long, straight, dry hair) when you pull a sweater over your head, strands of your hair will cling to the sweater and even stand up straight over your head.
Some objects (such as dry skin, fur, vinyl, and Teflon) are more likely to give or take electrons from nearby objects. Static electricity is also more of a problem in the winter and/or in more arid climates, since dry air and dry materials help facilitate the transfer of electrons. So a simple way to reduce your chances of getting zapped is to use a humidifier, skin moisturizers, and/or hair conditioners. Since certain fabrics (usually artificial fibers) also have a greater tendency to build up small electric charges, you may want to change your choices in clothing — cotton seems less likely to cause static electricity.
Finally, if the static is causing you enough grief (or pain), you can discharge static electricity that might have built up on objects around you by grounding yourself before you touch them. Try touching metal objects with another metal object, such as a key, rather than your hand. The key acts as a mini-lightning rod, allowing the charge of static electricity to go into it rather than into your finger. Engineers or technicians who spend lots of time working inside computers (whose inner electronics systems could be damaged by a wayward spark of electricity) typically wear grounding straps on their wrists to serve the same purpose, making sure that they're not frying the computer they're supposed to be fixing. Grounding strips are usually sold in computer supply stores and, while they may not land someone on the pages of Vogue, they'll definitely help beat the shocks to one's system.
