By Ana Martinez-Ortiz
SuperDope Q, a Milwaukee native, has been interested in hair since he was young; now he has his own hair color line. (Photo by Hair Dope)
Hair plays a big role when it comes to achieving a certain look. For many people, achieving the right hair style is as important as picking the right outfit. While everyone’s styles vary, one hair stylist is hoping to make it easier for everyone to style up their hair how they choose and when they choose to.
Earlier this month, Quinton Maurice better known as SuperDope Q launched his hair line, Hair Dope. The line features products for coloring hair as well as a pre-shampoo and hair brightener. Hair Dope was created in partnership with Cre8or Global, a digital technology company that works with talent to create and build brands and products with a focus in the beauty and wellness space, according to its website.
Q, who is originally from Milwaukee, first achieved fame when he appeared on VH1’s Black Ink Crew. Since then, he’s gone on to style the hair of celebrities including Keke Palmer, Migos and more.
“I got interested in hair because I have always been into changing my hair style,” he said. “Since I was young, I had like tattoo designs, things like that. It was just an arts thing. Growing up I was artsy.”
Now, he’s making his unique take on style available to the masses.
Hair Dope’s two main products are Hair Juice and Hair Sauce. The juice, which comes in three different colors, is a semi-permanent hair dye that stays on for five to eight rinses.
Hair Sauce is meant to be more temporary and lasts ups to 48 hours. It comes in two colors.
In addition to being vegan, the products are water-based, Q said, and include ingredients such as shea butters and olive oils.
“Life is short, you might as well have dope hair,” SuperDope Q says. (Photo by Hair Dope)
When it came to developing and producing these products, Q faced several challenges. The pandemic caused a delay in shipments. He also had to ensure that the color names were original to the Hair Dope brand.
It was a lot of research and trials, before the product could be put on the market, he said. But the hard work paid off. Q is the first Black man to own a hair dye company. His products are also designed with everyone in mind no matter their race or gender.
His family and friends back home in Milwaukee have been waiting for this day alongside him.
“Without God, without my parents, this wouldn’t be possible,” Q said.
It’s been going on for three years and it’s finally getting off the ground, he said.
“I wanted to start my own hair line because I wanted everyone to look at their hair style as an accessory,” Q said, adding that changing one’s hair style should be as easy as changing one’s clothes.
In the Black community, hair is a way to express one’s attitude, he said.
“With hair it’s always an era, just like clothes,” he said. “We use it to express our attitudes, our styles. We’re really in tune to those types of things.”
People want to match their hair to their outfit, to their car, whatever, he said on the significance of hair and style. Take Milwaukee for instance, everyone has their own style, but everyone likes fashion.
“Everyone likes getting dressed, everyone likes being different, everyone wants to wear colors,” he said. “I describe Milwaukee as a city that’s their own. And they want to be known for their own thing. We like to stand out.”
Although Hair Dope just arrived on the scene, Q is already looking ahead. He plans to release more colors next spring and summer, as well as release the product in select stores.
His golden piece of advice when it comes to hair and style is as follows: “Life is short, you might as well have dope hair.”
Hair Dope offers temporary and semi-permanent hair dye. (Photo by Hair Dope)