GHD History

The information bit

Its hard to believe that the millennium was seven years ago – it seems only yesterday that celebrations everywhere were bringing in the new year like a new world was beginning. Little did anyone know that a revolution was quietly happening, an uprising in the beauty world that was to banish bad hair days for good. It was of course, the GHD ceramic straightenrs. When the GHD hair straightening iron appeared in the UK, nobody had known anything like it. Being an ex-hairdresser for one of the world’s leading salons, the lucky man who happened up this prize possession when travelling certainly knew a lot when it came to hair. Convinced he was onto a winner, he and two friends imported the technology and began trading from his home in Yorkshire.

To begin with, hairdressers thought they were having a laugh selling these strange-looking stylers for almost £100! But soon GHDceramic straighteners was being praised in every interview by beauty editors and stars of the silver screen and as word spread, so did demand. Legend has it that anxious customers were banging on the warehouse doors, trying to bribe the staff and even breaking in – just to get their hands on some GHD hair straighteners. With no advertising spend whatsoever, GHDceramic straighteners had achieved iconic status. People who owned a set worshipped them and those who didn’t believed they were capable of miracles.

The journey to becoming the global leader in heat styling may be a quick one for GHD, but it’s certainly not uneventful. There have been plenty of defining moments in the brand’s life that have made it stand out alone in the world of hair beauty. First there was the launch of the GHD Mini Professional Hair Straighteners and GHD Wide Professional Hair Straighteners three years ago, which completed the good hair day family and were an instant success. The GHD Iron Exchange then brightened up the summer of 2005 for thousands of styling addicts who wanted GHDceramic straighteners but were reluctant to buy any because they already had straighteners. The answer was to let people trade in their old straighteners at salons for £20 off new GHDceramic straighteners and as you can imagine, it was massive. The legendary GHDceramic straighteners, Limited Edition Pink Irons followed for the October Breast Cancer months in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and they helped raise the £1,600,000 ghd has donated to Breast Cancer Charity. Another unforgettable chapter in the GHDceramic straightener story was the GHD Limited Edition Christmas Roll Bag, which was sold out even before shops had time to put their Christmas tunes on. March 2006 saw GHDceramic straighteners launched a new hair beauty range – Thermodynamics - and both the professional and homecare markets have been revolutionised by its new approach to styling with hair dryers and straightening irons. The latest breakthrough from GHDceramic straighteners has been the ghd MK4. With its new sleek design and advanced performance, the GHDMK4 Styler represents the next generation in heat styling. This has been followed by the new GHD IV Salon Styler - a replacement for the very popular GHD Mk3 Wide Salon Styler.

Today GHD is the world leader in heat styling with no close competitor to speak of. It is loved by celebrity circles and the fashion elite and has styled a thousand catwalks. GHD has risen to become one of the most striking and well known brands in hair care. With over 3 million irons sold, GHD is the nation’s favourite.

***The new religion is upon us***