Hairs To You Podcast: The Origins Of International Hair Authority

The third episode of the Superhairpieces podcast Hairs To You is here! In this episode, Superhairpieces store manager and podcast host Tara is joined by Chris Webb, CEO and publisher of International Hair Authority. Webb is a leading figure in the hair replacement and restoration industry who went on to publish International Hair Authority, an online resource and magazine for men and women’s hair loss.

We will be recapping many of the topics discussed in the podcast including hair loss, how International Hair Authority came to be, the non-surgical hair replacement industry and how it’s changed and much more! In this first recap, Chris gives us an introduction to himself and explains the origins behind International Hair Authority. He also reveals what led to him getting into and eventually remaining in the hair loss industry in particular.

If you prefer, you can also listen to the full episode below:

Can you introduce yourself?

Chris Webb: My name is Chris Webb. I've been publishing the International Hair Authority for about 25 years now. We created it many years ago because the industry needed to communicate with information that the public could use to make better decisions, and the professionals themselves needed to know about new technologies that would help them better serve their clients.

What led you to start the Hair Authority magazine?

Chris Webb: It was like so many other things. It was a good accident. All my background is in classic marketing. So I had marketing training, I have a business degree. I worked on Madison Avenue for many years. I did international consulting work in Europe. And then as I say on Madison Avenue, and it was while I was in New York that I met Sy Sperling and he in those days was working with his wife and I think just one chair with a new hair loss solution. And I met him and listened to him and out of a whole series of conversations, learned that he really needed a marketing support plan. And the more I learned about this new hair business, the more I realized that there was a need for serious information. At that time, the marketplace was really a world of wigs and toupees, and a lot of people didn't view it with the respect that I thought the industry deserved.

In fact, I'd say it was the opposite with late night shows like Letterman laughing at wigs and people with thinning hair. So I figured the time had come to create some serious information and talk about hair loss for the serious problem it really is for a lot of people. There's certainly cosmetic needs. A lot of people want to bulk up their hair, whether it's for entertainment or to create a special look for a special occasion. But I would say 90 percent of the people looking for hair loss solutions are suffering from some form of alopecia, whether it's hereditary hair loss, traction alopecia, particularly among our African-American friends who tightly braid their hair, or even people who style their hair when it's wet. And then as that hair dries, the hair contracts and creates tension, which can result in traction alopecia. So for all of those reasons, I wanted to join the information dots and provide serious information and move the industry forward.

Chris Webb: Not really. Most people started the industry because of hair loss in the family. In my case, it was really an intellectual challenge at first. And the more I got into the industry, and the more I understood it, the more I realized what a life changer this could be. So I became viscerally involved, emotionally involved, but it all started from just kind of the intellectual basis. I looked at the numbers and things that struck me were, it only takes four seconds to create a first impression. And that first impression is with you forever. So if you are not looking good or looking the way you want in that first impression, you're handicapped. Then I looked at more statistics and I saw the people who look good, earned more money in their careers than people who didn't. Then I looked at some of the devastating statistics, like people committing suicide when their hair began to thin, or a study that was done by one of the major cosmetic companies that showed that thinning hair was rated as serious as a death in the family or the loss of a job.

So to repeat myself, what started off as just an intellectual gathering of facts quickly became emotional. And once that happened, of course there was no looking back. And I've been gathering information, sharing information, and trying to introduce professionals to each other again, just to move the industry forward and deal with what's a very emotional problem.

Stick around as the next blog recap will see Chris Webb talk specifically about the hair replacement industry, how it’s changed, what’s currently lacking, and a whole lot more!

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