Tessica Brown, a 40-year-old teacher from Louisiana, was in a rush one day when she realized she was out of her Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray, a staple of her morning routine. In the bathroom, she saw another bottle that looked similar and did not say anything about using it on hair. So she used the adhesive and moved on with her day. Soon, she realized she had actually used Gorilla Glue in her hair. When she realized her mistake, she attempted to wash it out with no luck, thus beginning her hair journey.
Brown lived like this for a month before finally going to TikTok to share her story. In the viral video, she is clearly distressed discussing her hair and her situation. She says, “Y’all look, my hair, it doesn’t move. You hear what I’m tellin’ you? It doesn’t move. I’ve washed my hair 15 times and it doesn’t move.”
The TikTok blew up with viewers concerned, confused, and some amused. Though it was funny at first, people soon realized that this adhesive needed to come out of her hair, as it could permanently damage her scalp.
Brown tried many different solutions before finally going to the ER. She tried tea tree oil, coconut oil, acetone, and saline water, among other at-home remedies. Even her first trip to the hospital proved unsuccessful. As they attempted to take off the adhesive, it began to burn her scalp and wasn’t working. Luckily for Brown, a doctor saw her story online and reached out. Dr. Michael Obeng, director of MiKO Plastic Surgery, paid for her flight to his office in Los Angeles, CA and paid for her $12,500 procedure.
Gorilla Glue has responded to the incident, stating, “Our spray adhesives states in the warning label, “…do not swallow. Do not get in eyes, skin or clothing…” It was noted by some that the label didn’t say anything about hair.
The incident has garnered national attention from many celebrities offering support and opinions such as Chance the Rapper, Sunny Hostin, Cardi B, and Wendy Williams. Most stated their empathy for the woman. In the original video, she is clearly distressed and is not thinking of the situation as a joke.
This situation garnered the public’s attention due to how outlandish it was. It was a wonder to most how she thought it was okay to put the adhesive in her hair since it said “Gorilla Glue,” which is a known adhesive brand. However, many have noted the bottles are very similar and if you’re in a rush, you will use whatever you see. It has also opened the door for some to judge the woman for her mistake. Many on Twitter called her out for using this as a way to make money, because of the GoFundMe set up for her to pay her medical bill.
Even with some haters, most rallied to defend Brown, noting that many people have profited or even made careers off of one viral moment, like Bhad Bhabie and Mason Ramsey.
After the surgery, Brown’s manager reportedly told TMZ that she will be donating $20,000 of the more than $23,000 she made on GoFundMe to The Restore Foundation, Dr. Obeng’s foundation that provides specialized plastic and reconstructive surgery to people around the world. She also plans on donating the rest to a family in her hometown and will keep $1,000 to help pay off hospital bills from her first visit.
Brown has responded to some of the comments by telling TMZ, “I’m just over the talk shows and the hate groups because they don’t know me. And there are some people out there saying, ‘oh well she did this for clout…’ I did this to get help…I never thought it was going to get this far.” Brown also told TMZ she is still experiencing headaches and tingling from the situation. Brown has also hired a new talent manager and is now verified on Instagram as a result of her viral accident. However, this makes sense, because she has garnered a following due to her humorous personality and online videos. Lucky for Brown, her hair journey has a happy ending.
IMAGE TAKEN from Independent.co.uk
