Curly hair girls/guys tell all: Kevin Murphy

KEVIN MURPHY
Stylist, texture expert and founder of Kevin Murphy products

Describe your hair.
“I have salt and pepper curly hair.”

How did you feel about your hair growing up and how has that changed since you became involved in the beauty industry?

Kevin Murphy's curly hair as a kid

"My hair was always really big, and I always felt like a boof head. I was never able to get the style I wanted without a lot of maintenance until I began to make my own hair products, which began in my kitchen at home. I could never get the right texture for my hair and once I made what I needed, a light went on in my head and I thought, 'hmmmm,' there could be something in this.”

What do you think are the most interesting developments in hair texture today?
“When I was young, people just had to go with their texture, and there really were no products or tools that helped you get what you needed. You just had to suffer looking really goofy. Now there are so many products and great styling tools, if you aren’t happy with your texture you can just go and get a product or a tool and get the hair you want (with a little work that is).”

What type of products/tools and what amount of time do you spend on your hair on “curly” days and on “straight” days?
“I don’t really have straight days, but I do spend a bit of time with a ‘do rag. I apply a moisture cream first and have to flatten my hair with the doo rag and wait. If I try to blow my hair dry, I look like a Bee Gee. From start to finish my hair can take up to 30 minutes, but it’s more of a waiting game.”

Any other comments/observations on curly/textured hair?
“My thing with my curly hair is it has a little temper tantrum every couple of day. You have to get the right thing in at the right time otherwise it's all over. Straight hair really looks the same every day. Even after being a hairdresser for over 30 years, I just can't roll out of bed, if I didn’t have my own range of products dedicated to texture I'd be screwed.”


More curly profiles:

Faatemah Ampey	Nick Arrojo	Ouidad	Diane de Costa
Lorraine Massey	Kevin Murphy	Alison Shipley

*This article is related to the Texture! Guide. Click here to return to Texture!