IF YOU’RE AN Irish woman who entered your teen years any time before 2002, you’ll know what it’s like to battle – really battle – with frizzy, curly or wavy hair.
You’ll recall spending upsetting amounts of time trying to tame the fuzzy strands with mousse, gel, water or your mam’s dodgy iron (the smell of burnt hair will still bring back flashbacks).
If you were blessed with naturally straight locks, they weren’t ever Jennifer Aniston straight, even if you slept with wet hair wrapped in a scarf or patiently brushed half a bottle of conditioner through the strands.
Glossy, swingy A-lister hair simply wasn’t an option for the Irish teen of that era. Until the ghd came along.
When it was launched in 2002, everything changed. Straight hair was attainable! It was a haircare miracle.
These days, the ghd is available at Peter Mark salons, and it’s still a household name in hair styling. If you have a ghd in your house (sure how could you part with it? It’s the David Gray’s White Ladder of stylers) there are a few things you no doubt know to be true…
1. There’s nothing more satisfying than straightening that first strand
Feeling the gentle heat and watching as the hair turns glossy and straight before your eyes. ‘You’ve got this,’ the ghd whispers. ‘You are winning at life.’ It’s as relaxing as a full-body massage.
2. Yes, it CAN be used as a curler too
What started as a classroom rumour from the girl whose older sister was a hairdresser was later confirmed to be the truth. From there, all ghd owners fell into one of two categories: those who were good at ghd curls, and those who were terrible at them but luckily had really kind friends in category #1.
3. That little ‘bleep’ when the irons are ready is balm to your soul
With the newer versions, it happens in 25 seconds (literally), so it’s instant gratification. Come at me, straight hair.
4. Once you got a ghd, you could never go back to other brands
You probably thought you knew what a good straightening iron was like. But then you tried your mate’s ghd and you were hooked. No flyaway hairs getting caught in the irons? No endless wait time? No sort-of-straight-but-not-really hair? HOOKED.
5. Using it on damp hair is not advised, but you’ve definitely done it before
The tutorials say no. The instructions inside the box say no. Your hair stylist definitely says no. But whether it was a mistake or on purpose, you’ve probably heard that ominous hair-sizzle sound once or twice in your life.
6. Whenever a limited edition colour comes out, you’re all over it
Glacial blue? Glittery gold? Pure white? Suddenly you’re dreaming up reasons why your trusty black styler needs replacing. ‘It’s just looking a little… dusty, y’know?’
7. Dashing back home to switch the ghd off is a rite of passage
These days, all ghds enter sleep mode after 30 minutes, so as long as you’ve left your styler on a heat resistant surface, you can rest easy. But not so back in 2003, when you rang your mum in a panic at small break, demanding that she leave work to go home and fix your mistake.
8. You could fill bathtubs with the amount of heat protection spray you’ve gone through
Like mince pies and Christmas, ghd stylers and heat protection spray go hand in hand. And in the long term, not using one can undo all of the silkiness a ghd creates. Especially if you use your styler daily, a quick spritz is a godsend.
9. Mild humidity is the enemy of freshly straightened locks
You’ve just spent 30 minutes straightening your hair, and you’re not about to let that light drizzle turn it into a mass of frizz again. Nope. Postpone the plans. It’s not worth the stress.
10. You felt *quite* smug when poker straight hair came back on trend last year
Thank you Bella Hadid. Thank you, Saoirse Ronan’s bob. Thank you, Ariana Grande. Straight hair has been having a moment for the last 18 months or so, and long may it continue.
11. And when you’re in a rush, your ghd is still the only thing that makes your hair look half decent
The only fix when you’ve slept in and are meant to be at your desk three minutes ago? Just run the ghd through your locks, and make a dash. No-one will be any the wiser.
Put great hair at the top of your Santa list with the ghd styling range, available at Peter Mark. With bestselling stylers, dryers and curl wands plus a limited edition Christmas range, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Shop the ghd range at Peter Mark now.
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