PRESS
When This 17-Year-Old Didn't See Himself in the Natural Hair Brands
Out There, He Created His Own
Khalil Battle dreamed up the idea of launching his own natural hair-care brand for men with textured hair when he was a freshman in high school. Now, at 17 years old, he's utilized social media to build a community of nearly one million followers on TikTok and successfully launched KingCurls. For our column UNTOLD, we've asked him to share, in his own words, why a natural hair brand like his is important. This story was told to Jessica Harrington and edited for length and clarity.
THE TEASE
KINGCURLS FOUNDER KHALIL BATTLE ON BREAKING BARRIERS ON TIKTOK AND IN HAIRCARE
If you’ve ever wondered why boys and men are often left out of the conversation when talking about Black-owned natural hair brands, you’re not alone. Despite the fact that most textured hair products are gender-neutral, very few actually target young men with their marketing and advertising.
Khalil Battle
Launches KingCurls For Men
17-year-old Tik Tok sensation Khalil Battle has become an expert in hair care for Gen-Z after sharing his views and hair journey with his followers which prompted a combined 10M views. Along his hair journey, he realized that there’s a lack of products dedicated to men with curly hair textures.
HAIR.COM BY L'OREAL
THIS TEENAGER IS CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT MEN’S CURLY HAIR NEEDS
Since joining TikTok in 2019, Khalil has influenced millions of viewers to break beauty barriers and reimagine how men care for their hair.
The 17-year-old influencer for curly hair men—better known to his 973K followers as @Khalilgotthejuice—has garnered over one million views thanks to his hair care videos on Tik Tok. In conjunction with his ongoing mission to see more hair-care products for men, he has successfully catapulted himself to top-tier status on the popular gen-z social media platform.