Tessica Brown has been the subject of mockery and sympathy the last week, but she soon hopes her “bad, bad, bad idea” is behind her.
She is the woman who has become known as “Gorilla Glue Girl” after she mistakenly thought the construction-level adhesive Gorilla Glue would be a replacement for her typical hair weave glue. By adding one rogue ingredient to her styling process, she has been forced to endure weeks of intense pain and seek medical treatment. Along the way, her predicament, of having her hardened hair stuck to her scalp, has captivated millions on social media.
Last week, Brown posted on her Instagram and TikTok about her “bad, bad, bad idea” to replace her usual hair glue with Gorilla Glue to keep her slick ponytail style intact and devoid of flyaways. At the time of the recording, her hair had been in the same style for a month, and her hair had become brittle to the point that the former texture was impossible to detect.
The Louisiana mom attempted to wash her hair at least “15 times,” she told her more than 571,000 followers on Instagram, but her texture continued to be hard and virtually solid. Several experts have since said Brown likely made her hair harder by adding water because the product is activated by water.
On Tuesday, she spoke with TMZ about her home remedy for removing the hair from her head. Brown and a friend have begun using super glue remover, Goof Off, to help loosen the follicles, she told the entertainment site. It took hours to notice any changes, but she was finally able to cut off the ponytail she had on her hair Tuesday. Here are pictures of that process.
She has admitted the constant criticism about her hair mishap and the support — financial and otherwise —have taken a toll.
“I'm just over the talk shows and the hate groups. I'm over all of that because they don't know me...Some people out there, they're saying ‘she did this for clout'...Never. I put this on social media to get help."
A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon has volunteered to help Brown, according to TMZ. Dr. Michael Obeng has reportedly agreed to fix her seemingly insoluble mane mishap through a lengthy procedure that will take up to three days. The viral social media personality will reportedly fly from Louisiana to Los Angeles for the medical care, according to the report.
The hair drama has garnered concern and fascination from many folks on social media.
What has Gorilla Glue said?
The company behind the indestructible adhesive offered the woman some advice after her posts were receiving throngs of sympathizers and many looking to help Brown find answers.
“We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair,” read a statement from Gorilla Glue’s Twitter account Monday. “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.”
What else has she tried?
On Saturday, Brown shared an update of her situation, showing the front of a hospital and later sharing a photo of her being treated due to the hair debacle. She posted a short video of some of the efforts made to remove the glue from her hair.
On Monday, Brown gave an update about her condition during an interview with Canadian radio station Kiss 92.5. In her interview on the “Roz & Mocha” show, Brown detailed how the staff at the hospital emergency room used nail polish remover and saline water to try to loosen her hair follicles. She said the process “started to burn,” and it led to other health concerns.
“It burned so bad my heart started beating too fast,” she recounted, adding that she checked herself out of the hospital rather than endure a 20-hour process to dilute the glue from her hair.
She and her family have been working to use the solution at home, but they have been unsuccessful so far. She said her last resort would be shaving her head. However, in the current state she “can’t even get a razor under there,” referring to the hardened hair.
As of Monday afternoon, Brown has reportedly hired a lawyer after the tresses train wreck and is determining her legal options against Gorilla Glue because the company did not name hair specifically as a don’t, sources told TMZ.
A GoFundMe has been set up to attend to her ongoing medical needs. The page’s goal was $1,500, but she has raised more than $18,000. Brown posted Sunday that she was certain she had a “long process” ahead to correct her hair faux pas.
A few social media pundits said they felt little empathy for Brown, who some said should have known better and is now profiting off her hair dilemma.
About the Author
