We’ve all been in a bind after running out of a particular product, and used the next best thing. For this Louisiana woman, however, a bad decision landed her up in hospital after she applied an industrial-strength glue to her hair.
Tessica Brown took to Instagram on Thursday, February 4 to rehash the story of how her hair has been rock solid for a month. While styling her hair in a sleek ponytail, she ran out of her usual Got2b Glued hairspray and decided to use Gorilla Glue spray adhesive instead.
Gorilla Glue spray adhesive, however, is not a hairspray at all but is actually a permanent industrial-strength waterproof glue used for heavy-duty projects like fixing bathroom tiles, wood flooring, and decking. The adhesive can be removed with acetone or isopropyl alcohol.
Since applying the adhesive, Brown has been unable to remove it from her hair.
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Since she shared this video, social media users have become obsessed with her plight and are desperate for her hair to be fixed. It quickly became a trending topic, prompting the Gorilla Glue brand to reach out to Brown with advice.
“Hi there, we are sorry to learn about your experience! We do not recommend using our products in hair as they are considered permanent,” they tweeted. “You can try soaking the affected area in warm, soapy water or applying rubbing alcohol to the area.”
Brown checked in to the hospital on Saturday, February 6 to try to have the product removed. In an interview with Kiss FM, Brown explained that a medical practitioner tried to soak her hair with acetone and some sterling water.
“There wasn’t much glue at the back because I sprayed more at the front so when she started at the back and it started to burn,” said Brown. “She would mix sterling water to cool it off. But it burnt so bad my heart started beating too fast, so she stopped. And she told me it looked like she could do it, but it will take at least 20 hours.”
Brown asked if she could do it at home, but said it burnt every time she tried. She has since been able to chop her ponytail off but the glue remains rock hard.
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According to TMZ, Brown has since hired an attorney and is now considering her legal options against Gorilla Glue. However, it’s not certain if she has a basis for a case as Gorilla Glue has never positioned their spray adhesive as a hair product and all of their products are considered permanent, as packaging states.
On the plus side, a Go Fund Me crowdfunding campaign has been created for Brown and thus far, she has raised $17,471 (about R256 244).
We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair. We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best. pic.twitter.com/SoCvwxdrGc
— Gorilla Glue (@GorillaGlue) February 8, 2021
Picture: Screenshot from video