A History of Virgin Hair Weaves
Hair weaving has existed for centuries, although not in its current modern form. The earliest hair extensions date all the way back to Ancient Egypt in 5000 B.C in Ancient Egypt. At the time, weaves were for the privileged — they were an indicator of status, as well as a fashion icon.
Men would shave their heads bald and then use the hair to make elaborate wigs. Women would add volume and thickness to their hair through hair weaving. The pharaohs and aristocrats would also wear extensions, it would be attached to the hair, using a complicated system of knots and weaves.
Much of modern virgin hair weaves is derived from African and African American culture. Enslaved women brought with them their intricate and elaborate hairstyles, with braids and twists. It got to the point that these fancy hairstyles were even appropriated by white Victorian society for the first time — now that is a trend that has sadly been around!
Until the 1950s, the weave would be placed on the scalp using pins. However, the fifties saw Christina Jenkins invent the hair weaving process. Along with her husband Duke Jenkins, this African American woman formed Christina’s Hair Weaves. The popularity of these weaves grew until Christina started getting invitations from other countries to teach her now-famous sew-in hair weave technique. The sew-in hair weave involved first sewing the hair on a netting, then braiding the hair into cornrows, and finally sewing the netting to the hair.
Jenkin’s technique has undergone various improvements, most notably in the 1980s, when hair started looking more natural. How? Through human hair weaves, of course. Human hair weaves have exploded in popularity since then, with an industry boom by the end of the nineties. The largest exporters of human hair are Asian countries like India, Indonesia, China and Korea. Much of this hair comes from small agents who tour Chinese, Indian and Eastern European villages.
The popularity of weaves and hair extensions would dip and peak throughout the 20th century according to media and music influences. In the 1940s, they fell out of fashion briefly, in part due to more popular styles like the Flapper Girl, which black women also adopted. However, from the forties to the eighties, the human hair weave business has been booming, with different styles like colorful weaves coming into play.
Human hair weaves and wigs now come in a variety of styles, for both men and women. While men have often opted to wear these weaves for functionality (to cover balding areas), it is becoming increasingly common for them to use weaves for aesthetic purposes.
Today, weave culture is as widespread as it has ever been, although black women have access to a greater variety of hairstyles than ever before. Entertainers bring weaving in and out of fashion, but extensions remain commonly seen, especially on young black women. Time will tell what new changes human hair weaves will see in the future.
