From VB to Maya Jama, Basically Every Celeb Swears By This Cult Hair Tool

Can you remember life without GHD hair tools? I can. And let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. I used to set my alarm every morning for 5:45 a.m., fill up my Remington straighteners and wait 30 minutes for them to heat up. Then I'd clamp down on my hair over and over to try and smooth out any hint of a kink or curl. The end result? Frazzled hair.

Then there was the brief period where I'd make my sister iron my hair (on an actual ironing board) to try and re-create that poker-straight Jennifer Aniston look, but let's not talk about that. Essentially, trying to style your own hair at home pre-2001 was no easy feat.

But then came the launch of the humble GHD styler. From that point on, my hair changed forever—and the brand has steadily been acquiring a dedicated fanbase of celebrities, beauty editors and hairstylists ever since.

Keep scrolling to discover just what makes GHD stylers so special and to find out exactly which hair tools the A-list swear by.

2001 and the Launch of GHD

Founded in Yorkshire by three men back in 2001 (praise be for that trio), GHD—which stands for "good hair day"—changed the way we style hair. Carried initially by salons and expanding solely by word of mouth, GHD had no advertising for the first two years of its launch. The launch of GHD was like the launch of the iPhone or the birth of the internet. You completely take it for granted now and can't really fathom how life was before it. How did anyone try to style their hair at home without the brand's tools? Ah, that's right—with an iron and a lot of time.

Interestingly, whilst the trend was to wear hair poker-straight (think Jennifer Aniston at the 2000s Oscars above), the stylers came with instructions on how to straighten your hair as well as add curls and waves—à la Victoria Beckham.

Heat Styler = Hair Damage?

Whilst hair stylers, in general, can get a bit of a bad rep when it comes to the health of your hair, thanks to last year's launch of the GHD Platinum+ Styler (£189), heat styling your hair no longer has to damage your strands. The newest addition of the GHD family uses clever predictive technology within the ceramic plates to allow the styler to completely tailor how much heat to give out—depending on your own hair's natural texture. This clever heat-controlled technology means that your hair will never become overheated.

GHD Today

A whole 18 years have passed since the iconic black-and-gold stylers hit hairdressers (and then stores) nationwide, yet GHD continues to be the global leader in hair tools and the UK's number one recommended styling brand. Despite the fact that poker-straight hair might not be everyone's go-to hair look anymore, profits continue to soar, with over 2 million GHD stylers now sold every year. And did we mention that countless stylers are used backstage at fashion week and before awards season too?

They're More Than Straighteners

Whether you're particularly into hair styling or not, GHDs are not just straighteners, as they can be used to seamlessly create any look. Poker straight? Done. Beachy texture? Sure. Scandi waves? Easy. All whilst giving you sleek, flyaway-free hair. Whether you're a total novice or styling pro, there are tonnes of styling tutorials on the GHD YouTube channel to inspire you too.

The Celebrity Fan Base

The brand counts the likes of Victoria Beckham and Jessica Alba as celebrity fans, although we'd challenge you to find a celebrity (or hairdresser) who doesn't use a GHD tool. In fact, celebrity hairdresser Patrick Wilson uses the brand to style everyone from Jodie Comer to Maya Jama while pro hair stylist Christian Wood swears by the tool for creating some of Sophie Turner's most glam red carpet looks.

Keep scrolling to see which celebrities love GHD as much as I do.

"My go-to is the Soft Curl Tong by GHD; it’s so easy. I have given more curling tong lessons than anything else," Jama told GHD. "I use it straighten my fringe and wave the rest—the secret is to leave the ends out and curl in different directions."

"I love to use the GHD air hairdryer with diffuser attachment, Rochelle told GHD. "It’s perfect for adding bounce and texture to my natural hair."

Celebrity hair stylist Ursula Stephen shared a behind-the-scenes snap of the GHD tools that she used to create Zendaya's beautifully retro Emmys style. She used both the Air Hairdryer and Soft Curl Curve Tong to create the glam waves before brushing them out with the GHD Paddle Brush.

In a tutorial video for InStyle, Jessica Alba uses the GHD Classic Curl Tong to get her beachy waves. "I go in and I wrap my hair in sections—totally uneven—then I go in and do the opposite direction," explained Alba. "The more kind of chunky and uneven, I think, the better the results. You get that nice, little imperfect wave." Her tip for using the tool? "Even though this curling iron has a clip, I use it clipless. It doesn't snag my hair when I use it this way, which is nice."

Stylist Chris Appleton swears by GHD hair tools for creating Kim K's trademark red carpet look: bouncy waves. She stepped out in a similar style at this year's Emmys, and the tousled texture can be easily re-created using the GHD Classic Wave Wand.

So this is a love letter to the humble GHD. Thank you not frazzling my hair whilst making good hair days accessible every single day.

Now, shop the GHD styling products to keep your hard work in place:

Next up, the top-rated shampoos and conditioners that make me forget I have fine hair.