In 2001, Hairline founder Richard Biggs found himself facing August in Edinburgh with a Fringe press pass and lots of spare time. With a quick scrabbling together of funds, a bit of blagging and a high dose of self-confidence Richard set off to try his hand at producing the first Hairline. The first weekly issues included old-fashioned pasting up of master copies, photocopying, folding and distributing every copy. August 2001 was a long month for Richard but it was clear that this quickly conceived project had made a small impact and it was not long before plans to expand were being formed.

2002 saw another year of self-funding but the addition of extra hands to carry the burden and, with three other keen reviewers in tow, Hairline increased its circulation and, more importantly, the number of shows reviewed. The 2003 run was funded by a Millennium People award and saw the addition of more copies, several more writers and the launch of a simple website. The latest addition would soon shape the way of Hairline in the future.

Three years later Richard decided that he could no longer spend huge amounts of time seeking funding for Hairline and producing the hard copy versions of the magazine, so it migrated fully to the World Wide Web. Later that same year, he handed control to fellow reviewers Adrian G. Velazquez and Martin Miller who took full ownership of Hairline in 2006.

Under the new management, Hairline has grown bigger and stronger with each passing festival, incorporating new features and interviews. Despite the size our goal has always been the same, to give a fair, honest and balanced view of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In the upcoming years, Hairline intends to expand its new website design and incorporate new multimedia sections, ultimately intending to maintain its household name.