Getty Christina Haack got an education after a recent Instagram post.
Sometimes we think we’ve found something new, but in reality, it’s only new to us.
HGTV star Christina Haack took to Instagram to share a video of her new hairdo. With thick, luscious locks cascading down her back, she gushed over the hair extensions’ method and comfort.
I definitely have an obsession with long thick hair! After years of wearing tape ins I tired the newest method of hair extensions, Invisible bead hand tied extensions …. and I am IN LOVE ♥️! They are extremely comfortable and I can wear my hair anyway I like and you cant see them!
Fans had plenty to say about Haack’s post. Some used this as an opportunity to educate.
Commenters Respond to Haack’s Post
As many black women can attest, this method is anything but new. Several commenters took the time to politely correct Haack.
“Yes, black women have been using that method since the 1950s with and without the braid lol.” one commentator wrote, “There is a bead method, but that isn’t it. The bead method isn’t new either. Her hair looks nice though.”
While another added, “Black hairstylists have been doing sew-ins for the last 20 years. This isn’t new. Looks nice but not new.”
A Little History on the Sew-In Method
I have over 30 years of experience styling hair and have used this method more times than I can count. The technique used in Haack’s video is called a sew-in. A stylist can install hair extensions in a few different ways. The process we see in the video uses the hair’s root as the base, and wefts of hair are gently sewn in. This technique creates a more natural look for the wearer.
As the first commenter mentioned, the sew-in method has been around for more than 70 years. Christina Jenkins patented this technique in 1951. The method that Jenkins created is still very much in use, according to her original patent documents. Jenkins’ original concept has been evolved by hair designers over time, as is the case with most inventions.
Here is an excerpt from Jenkins’ time-tested, multi-cultural and ingenious invention.
interweaving strands of live hair and strands of commercial hair, with cord like material to permanently join the strands thereto…interweaving strands of live hair with filamentous material to permanently secure the filamentous material as a base on the head; and attaching a switch or like accessory of commercial hair to the base, by thread.
Give Credit, Where Credit is Due
Jenkins is credited with perfecting a hair technique that gave women, in particular, African-American women more versatility when it came to styling their hair.
According to Black America Web, Jenkins was working for a wig manufacturing company in 1949 when she started to develop a process to secure pieces firmly to the head. When women were attaching patches of weaves to their scalp with hairpins, creating a bulky unnatural look, Jenkins’ process would set a trend that has withstood the test of time.
The inventor is celebrated for her technique. In one Instagram post, the writer says:
There are soo many great black entrepreneurs and creators; who have influenced the black community. We appreciate, and salute them! Ladies, what would we do without our sew-ins?, top protective style. Thank you Miss Jenkins, your influence, and intelligence still guides us till this day.
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