 Christina
M. Jenkins was born as Christina Mae Thomas on December 25, 1920 in Zillplatt, Louisiana.
She was one of eight children and the only one to attend college. She attended Leland
college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 1943, she graduated with a bachelor's Degree in
Science. Later that year she married a musician by the name of Herman Jenkins.In 1949, while in Chicago, Mrs. Jenkins was employed by a wig manufacturer
and during her employment she noticed several common complaints from customers. The common
complaint however was that the wigs would fall off of the clients head. She started
researching the problem in hopes of finding a solution that would allow for the permanent
attachment of commercial hair to the client's head permanently.
Her research continued even after she left Chicago and
moved back to Cleveland, Ohio. While in Cleveland, she came up with a revolutionary
process that would weave commercial hair to human hair. She called the process
"Hairweeve" and obtained a patent for it in 1951. The United States Patent and
Trademark office has the patent listed on their official website and in their official
publications as Patent Number 2,621,663 - Permanently Attaching Commercial Hair to Live
Hair; Christina M. Jenkins, Malvern, Ohio. Application May 4, 1951.
In short, Hairweev is the process of permanently attaching
commercial hair onto existing hair with an apparatus pole, by forming a natural weft, for
the purpose of adding hair, for thickness, length, baldness, and medical reasons.
Christina's technique created an interest from the public from potential clients to
potential cosmetologists to potential businesses.
Ms. Jenkins opened up a Hairweev Academy for training
licensed cosmetologists. Trainees came from all over the country and left armed the new
technique and with a franchising program. Many of the students did not fulfill their
financial obligations to the Academy for their franchises and their default left Mrs.
Jenkins without control of her invention. Several court cases were filed, but by this
time, Ms. Jenkins did not have the financial ability to successfully champion her cause.
Ms. Jenkins has traveled all over the world teaching her
technique. Her travels extend well beyond North America and Europe. Today Hairweev is a
billion dollar industry. The profits that arise as a result of her ingenious invention are
astronomical. Her invention is in the same league as the contributions made by inventors
such as Madame C.J. Walker and Garret Morgan.
The Inventors and Scientists of America in Washington, DC,
recognized her for her contributions. Christina M. Jenkins is synonymous with Hairweev.
The Hairweev process is currently being used around the world.
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