Sy Sperling, Hair Club for Men Founder, Passes Away at 78

Sy Sperling, the founder of Hair Club for Men, one of the best hair regrowth products from the last forty years, has passed away at 78. Sperling is best remembered for an 80s TV campaign for Hair Club. The tagline, including before and after photos of the founder, was “I’m not only the Hair Club president, but I’m also a client.”

Sy Sperling
New York Times

Hair Club for Men

In 1976, Sperling founded Hair Club after suffering with male pattern baldness for his adult life. As such, he wanted to see a higher quality solution for men like himself to help their condition. According to Hair Club for Men, Sperling “experienced hair loss himself and was unhappy with the poor quality of available solutions” before founding the company.

In 2000, Sperling sold the company and retired from the public eye. For the past 20 years, the now very wealthy former CEO split his time between his homes in Vancouver, Canada and Hillsboro Beach, Florida.

Hair Club for Men, one of the more respected names in hair loss, remains a major player in the industry. Those suffering from hair loss often use the Hair Club’s products to address their appearance and boost their confidence and image.

Sy Sperling Passes Away

Sperling, a mainstay on cable television ads of the 1980s, passed away on Thursday at age 78 after a battle with an illness in Boca Raton, Florida. A statement from the company on Thursday confirmed Sperling’s passing.

According to the company, Sperling’s TV ads were so successful that they led to over 10,000 calls to the company in the week following the ad campaign’s start. Sperling’s image was all but synonymous with the brand throughout the 80s, so his passing is notable for the company, even forty years after the campaign began.

“Colleagues, friends, and family recall Mr. Sperling as a visionary with an immense passion for business, innovation and helping others,” the company stated on its website. “We continue to live by his words, ‘Live life to the fullest, take chances and risks, and believe in yourself.'”