Miona Short, an African American astrophysicist from Chicago who turned beauty entrepreneur, has officially launched the pilot of her innovative hair tool, the Carefree Comb. This product is designed to streamline the hair care routine for individuals with thick, curly, or afro-textured hair. The Carefree Comb, a comb attachment that dispenses hair products, aims to make hair care faster, more affordable, and accessible.
“I created the Carefree Comb because I have a lot of hair and never feel like doing it,” Short explained with a laugh. “Haircare services are so expensive right now, and I needed something that would take the burden off my hands.”
After seven years of development, the Carefree Comb faced numerous challenges, including skepticism from engineers who deemed it too costly to produce. Short recalls being told it would be impossible to sell the product for less than $100, as production costs were too high, and some doubted the profitability of the Black hair market. However, Short was determined to prove them wrong by designing a product that could be manufactured affordably in the U.S.
In the summer of 2023, Short’s prototype went viral on social media. A demo of the Carefree Comb posted on TikTok and Instagram garnered over 1 million views, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from viewers. The response validated her vision and pushed her to move forward with the next steps of production.
Short has since secured major grants, including the Innovate Together Grant from TikTok and Black Girl Ventures, as well as the Inclusive Beauty Grant from L’Oréal and the NAACP. These grants have helped bring the Carefree Comb to market, and the pilot round has now been shipped to early customers and content creators. Short and her team are collecting feedback to refine the design before moving into broader production.
A former MC Lyte’s Hip Hop Sisters Foundation Scholar, Short is combining her scientific expertise and passion for beauty innovation to disrupt the haircare industry. The Carefree Comb is poised to become a game-changing tool for consumers with afro-textured and curly hair.
For more information on the Carefree Comb and Shukrah, or to participate in the post-pilot production round, visit Shukrah.com and follow @helloshukrah on social media.
About Shukrah:
Shukrah is committed to creating simple, elegant beauty tools for consumers whose needs have been overlooked by the mainstream market. Their first product, the Carefree Comb, is a wide-tooth, product-dispensing comb designed to simplify haircare for those with afro-textured and curly hair.
