Profile: Christina M. Jenkins

Who is Christina M. Jenkins?

Christina M. Jenkins is our headliner for 2014's Black History Month Profiles. Born in Louisiana, she graduated with a B. S. from Leland College. In 1949, while working for a Chicago-based wig manufacturer, she started to tackle the problem of wigs not staying securely on the customer's head. Her thought process eventually led her to a new method for permanently attaching commercial hair to live hair dubbed Hairweev.

She received U.S. Patent 2,621,633 for Hair-weev on December 16, 1952. She moved to Ohio and began teaching Hair-weev to licensed cosmetologists at Christina's Hair-weev Academy. The process involves 3 cords and a weaving device called a weeving frame. This results in a natural weft for attaching the commercial hair.

Her invention of the hair weave resulted in a billion dollar industry, but she struggled with financial hardship trying to maintain her growing business. While she never became a Madame C. J. Walker or a Annie Malone, let's remember her as one of the greatest contributors to the cosmetology industry.

Have a blessed weekend!