How this high-end hair tools brand blows away the competition

If the aughts are remembered for any single runway trend, it will arguably be long, stick-straight hair. Locks that look as if they’ve been pressed at the laundry and shaped by a razor’s edge adorn magazine covers year after year, and the style shows few signs of slowing down in 2017.

ghd, a high-end hair tools retailer, isn’t the brand solely responsible for iconic hair styles. It is, however, one of the most notable names in hair care — specifically, high-end straighteners and hair tools — and a market leader in the UK. Though the company is primarily renowned for its straightening irons, it also makes dryers, curlers, brushes and combs, and styling products.

Hair tool tech 

One of the reasons ghd tools tend to be on the pricier side is because of their patented technology. The Eclipse straightener, for instance, uses "tri-zone technology" and a series of six sensors to maintain constant temperature, minimising damage to hair while taming even the unruliest of tresses with a single stroke.

"When GHD was launched back in 2001, it revolutionised the way hair was styled – from the way in which hairdressers could work, to giving women the power to easily achieve a professional-looking style at home," GHD CEO Paul Stoneham told Marketing Week in a 2013 case study. "Our ongoing quest is to launch products with groundbreaking technology of professional stylist salon quality that make life easier for our clients."

Strength of brand

Since the company’s inception in 2001 in Leeds (by three entrepreneurs and just £15,000, mind you), the brand has seen great success. It’s estimated that ghd hair tools are used and sold in more than 50,000 salons worldwide. In 2016, the company was acquired by the U.S.-based company Coty, the world’s third-largest beauty firm, for £420 million.

ghd’s products have also been endorsed by a litany of A-list celebrities and fashion icons; the company partnered with the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2013, and has been called "The Rolls-Royce of irons." The comparison to a luxury automobile is accurate, down to the price point —ghd hair tools cost enough for fashion-focused social media influencers to refer to them as "investments."

As with any brand that has an eye to the future, ghd is well equipped for the fashion world of tomorrow: Its ecommerce business is booming; its state-of-the-art technology promises to stay on the cutting-edge of hair care, no matter what fashion trends may come and go.

Another reason why ghd is relatively future-proof lies in the company’s strength of brand: On top of exquisite branding and edgy, effective advertising campaigns, ghd’s network of big-name brand ambassadors keeps ghd front and centre in beauty blogs and fashionista circles around the globe.

Even the businesses’ name evokes power and emotion: After all, who hasn’t experienced the confidence-boosting power of a truly good hair day?

Here’s a Jobs Fix That Both Democrats and Republicans Like

There’s a dubious and ridiculous form of regulation holding back the U.S. economy, some would-be reformers say, and it’s lurking in your local hair salon.

Occupational licenses have proliferated in recent years. Back in the 1950s, fewer than 5% of jobs required a license; but today, economists say, that figure is closer to 25%. And we’re not talking about licenses that are unambiguously necessary to protect public health and safety, like those for medical doctors and nurses, or commercial airline pilots. Rather, these are licenses for jobs ranging from auctioneers and make-up artists, to hair-braiders and even fortune tellers.

Economists, including some of former President Obama’s top advisors, have argued over the years that these regulations are often inconsistent from state to state, and create an unnecessary burden on jobseekers. President Trump's administration, which has been broadcasting its commitment to job creation, clearly agrees.

In a speech Thursday, the new acting chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, Maureen Ohlhausen, announced the launching of a task force to tackle the issue. The "Economic Liberty Task Force" will start by launching a web site devoted to the topic. “I challenge anyone to explain why the state has a legitimate interest in protecting the public from rogue interior designers carpet-bombing living rooms with ugly throw pillows,” Ohlhausen said.

Her speech didn't offer many specifics about how exactly the FTC will crack down on overburdensome licensing requirements, but Ohlhausen did say the agency seeks "to partner with stakeholders, including state elected leaders and other officials, to eliminate and narrow overbroad" restrictions that do little in achieving health and safety goals.

The move comes as Republican governors in Nebraska, Arizona, Missouri, and Wisconsin are also seeking to remove licensing restrictions. In his State of the State address last month, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens pointed to a Missouri law that requires hair braiders to undergo 1,500 hours of training for a license. “That’s 30 hours per week of training for almost a full year…to braid hair,” he said. “We need to end frivolous regulations like these so that our people can start their own businesses and create jobs.”

Licensing requirements vary widely from state to state, according to research presented to the Senate last year by President Obama’s former top economic advisor, Jason Furman. In Iowa, Washington and Nevada, over 30% of the workforce carries a license.

It takes three years of training to become a licensed security guard in Michigan, but only 11 days in other states. Cosmetologists are required to train for 16 months before they can get a license in South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska, while New York and Massachusetts require less than 8 months, Furman said.

So why do these requirements exist in the first place? Advocates of the regulations argue that they add a needed layer of consumer protection, and that they can boost an overall agenda of vocational training for workers who don't quality to go to college. But critics note that licensing regulations are often pushed by industry groups as a way for incumbents to protect themselves from new competitors.
These restrictions are also worrisome because they hold back worker productivity and the job market in several key ways.

First, the more stringent requirements reduce mobility of workers from state to state. Military spouses, who frequently have to move across state lines, are often impacted. So too are immigrants, who may be unnecessarily prevented from applying their past work experience to similar jobs in the U.S.

More importantly, overly burdensome training requirements often impose expensive upfront costs that low-income workers, in particular, can struggle to shoulder. As a result, these people can become excluded from the job market or perpetually stuck in low-wage jobs.

How to Make Your Hair Soft: 5 Natural Ways

Dry, frizzy hair can be one of your worst nightmares. We know how hard it can be to battle brittle hair or even think about stepping out on a bad hair day but not anymore.

Regular hair-drying, pollution or over exposure to the sun, these are just some of the reasons that can make your hair dry. Besides this, some people may have naturally dry hair. The first step to bring back your hair’s shine and moisture
is to identify the cause and then work to repair the damage.The hair gets moisture from the roots. Therefore, avoid doing anything that makes your scalp dry especially during winters.

The good thing is that you don’t always have to depend on expensive salon treatments. Fortunately, there are few natural ways to bring your locks back to life. Here are some great ingredients you will find right in your kitchen and how to use them as suggested by Ragini Mehra, Founder, Beauty Source.

1. Egg and Yogurt Mask
If you have dull and lifeless hair in winters then yogurt and egg white is the perfect solution for you. Eggs can be a great source of protein for your hair
while soothing yogurt can help reverse hair damage caused by product build up and air pollution.

2. Coconut Milk, Avocado and Jojoba Oil Hair Mask
Coconut milk is rich in protein, very high in fats, making it great for moisturizing and strengthening. Avocado is rich in fatty acids making it very moisturizing for your hair. Jojoba oil promotes hair growth. Mix the three for shiny tresses.


3. Milk and Honey
Use a half to a full cup of milk (at room temperature) and add either one or 2 big tablespoons of honey. Allow it about an hour to work and then rinse it off using my regular shampoo. This wonderful pack won’t weigh your hair down or make it greasy but give it wonderful shine and softness instead.

4. Papaya Mask
Dandruff is a common problem in winters because of a dry scalp. Papaya prevents balding as helps boost hair growth by strengthening the roots as well as controls dandruff. Mix together 1 skinned papaya with 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. Let it sit for 45 minutes before you rinse it out.

5. Apple cider Vinegar, Honey and Almond Oil
Apple cider vinegar acts as a great conditioner. Mix two tablespoons of honey with one tablespoon of almond oil and one tablespoon apple cider vinega
r. Rub this mix all over your tresses gently focusing on the dry, damaged bit and ends. Leave it on for at least half an hour and then rinse off.

Oiling your hair regularly is a secret that all girls with great hair know. Massage oil into your hair, section by section starting from the scalp to the ends and then pack in a warm towel for 15-20 minutes. Oil locks in extra moisturizer, hydrates hair in the cold weather and gives you soft and shiny locks. Natural oils are such as coconut, olive, castor and almond oil are great for restoring shine and moisture to the hair.