With the help of a plastic surgeon and chemistry expert
Tessica Brown has made headlines for using heavy-duty Gorilla Glue spray when she ran out of her go-to hair spray product. Brown posted a video on TikTok warning others not to try using a super glue product with her hair permanently stuck for over one month.
Brown documented her journey trying to save her hair and remove the super glue that stayed in her hair for over a month despite her efforts in attempting to wash it out nearly 15 times. Brown visited her local hospital for help but was unsuccessful so she continued to try removing the glue from her hair herself including using a night treatment with coconut oil but proved unsuccessful.
“I hope that you guys will learn from Tessica’s injuries, Tessica’s ordeal, make sure when you grab something, make sure you read it.” https://t.co/iSiJtcdkUe
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) February 11, 2021
With all the media attention surrounding Brown’s efforts to save her hair, one plastic surgeon figured out a way to safely remove the glue without having to cut the hair. A Harvard trained board-certified Beverly Hills plastic surgeon with a background in chemistry, Dr. Michael K. Obeng, contacted Brown with a solution to save her hair.
Brown flew from her hometown in Louisiana to California to undergo a procedure with Dr. Obeng removing the super glue from her hair and scalp. Dr. Obeng used a combination treatment of medical-grade adhesive remover, olive oil, aloe vera, and a small amount of acetone.
🚨 The Gorilla Glue is finally out of Tessica Brown’s hair 🚨 https://t.co/GCn3VqTu9A pic.twitter.com/ZVRDDloUTF
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 11, 2021
The treatment would normally cost $12,000 but Dr. Obeng offered to do it pro-bono, so Brown won’t have to worry about the costs while she recovers for the next 2-3 months. Tessica and Juanita Brown organized a GoFundMe fundraiser with a $1,500 goal that reached over $21,742 with over 1,300 donors.
Brown has also claimed that she is seeking damages in a lawsuit against the Gorilla Glue company and she might have a chance to take this to court. The warning label on the super glue product doesn’t state a warning against using it as a styling product but the court will have to argue whether the glue is deemed as “unreasonably dangerous” depending on Brown’s use of the product as “reasonably anticipated.”
