head 114 makes contact with magnetic recording media 104 or burnishing pad 116 a tribocurrent is generated which flows through recording head 114 the initial value of the tribocurrent identifies the initial layer of material being burnished e g overcoat layer structure 402 see fig4 for example overcoat layer structure 402 may comprise a carbon material when overcoat layer structure 402 is worn away on portions of recording head 114 another layer of material e g insulation material 404 will be exposed to magnetic recording media 104 for example insulation material 404 may comprise alumina because insulation material 404 is a different material than overcoat layer structure 402 insulation material 404 will generate a different tribocurrent while in contact with magnetic recording media 116 and thus the transition between burnishing of overcoat layer structure 402 and insulation material 404 can be identified overcoat layer structure 402 may also comprise multiple layers such as a carbon overcoat layer and a silicon adhesion layer wearing of the silicon adhesion layer generates a different tribocurrent than wearing of the carbon layer thus the transition between wearing of the silicon and wearing of the carbon can be identified based on the generated tribocurrent overcoat layer structure 402 may additionally comprise other layers such as an overcoat material that has a very characteristic tribocurrent e g very high with respect to the carbon overcoat layer that is much easier to detect than the typical overcoat layers e g silicon and carbon on exemplary overcoat material with this characteristic includes glass in step 306 burnishing control module 118 see fig1 monitors the.