A woman used glue as hairspray and went viral on TikTok - here's what happened
A woman who went viral on TikTok after using Gorilla Glue as hairspray has received medical treatment for the incident.
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Hide AdTessica Brown admitted herself to a hospital in Chalmette, Louisiana, after her hair was stuck in the same style for a month due to the strong adhesive.
After her plight went viral, she was dubbed “Gorilla Glue girl” by other social media users concerned about her hair.
TMZ reported that Brown has now hired a lawyer and is “weighing her legal options against Gorilla Glue”.
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Hide AdThis is what happened to Brown, the latest update on the situation - and how Gorilla Glue responded to the incident.
What happened to Tessica Brown?
Brown, 40, told her followers on TikTok that she’d run out of her usual Got2B Glued hairspray - a popular hairspray for holding styles in place.
In its place, she grabbed Gorilla Glue spray, which is a moisture-resistant, permanent-bond adhesive.
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Hide AdShe thought the clear glue spray might have the same effect as her original hairspray.
However, the substitution didn’t go as planned.
Brown told her followers that her hair had been stuck in the same style - parted to the side in a long braid - for over a month.
Informing viewers of her unfortunate situation, she said: “My hair has been like this for about a month now.
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Hide Ad“It’s not by choice - when I do my hair I like to finish it off with a little Got2B Glued spray, you know just to keep it in place.”
“Well I didn’t have any more Got2B Glued spray so I used this.”
Brown then held up a can of Gorilla Glue Heavy Duty spray adhesive, going on to say it was a “bad, bad, bad idea” to use it on her head after her hair became stuck fast.
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Hide AdShe said she had washed her hair 15 times and it still hadn’t budged.
Brown’s comments were flooded with people aghast at her mistake and people expressed their concerns.
One person wrote, “you got 2B kidding me”, while another said, “you got 2B smarter than that sis”.
Some TikTok users even compared Brown’s hair to a helmet.
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Hide AdGorilla Glue girl, as she quickly became known, then shared a follow-up video after her original post went viral with over 15 million views.
In the clip, she is seen worriedly rubbing shampoo all over her scalp and scrubbing at her head, before wiping it off to show that her hair just wouldn’t move.
She said: “Watch, look y’all. You wipe it off and nothing happens. Like, this is the life I’m living at this point. Look. Look. Look. Look.”
When did she go to hospital?
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Hide AdBrown began experiencing painful headaches from the glue, which she said made her hair feel tighter on her head.
After her video achieved viral status, she took herself to hospital for some medical advice.
She documented her trip to the hospital on Instagram to update her followers who were begging to know what was happening.
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Hide AdOne photo shows some acetone and sterile water, with the caption: “This is really about to be a long process.”
In another photo, a healthcare worker is seen applying something to the back of Brown’s hair, while she lies on a bed with her eyes shut.
Sources told TMZ that Brown had spent 22 hours in the ER, but the staff were unable to help her.
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Hide AdThey reportedly put acetone on the back of her head but it burned her scalp and turned the glue into a gooey mixture before it hardened back up.
Brown then opted to keep trying the remedy back home, which she documented in another video, but the alcohol technique hasn’t helped her situation yet.
In the meantime, she has opened a GoFundMe page for her medical bills, with $11,000 already raised.
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Hide AdDespite her plight, Brown has been making light of her situation by reposting memes her followers have made.
How has Gorilla Glue responded?
Shortly after Brown’s original video went viral, Gorilla Glue reached out to her via social media.
The company wrote: "Hi there, we are sorry to learn about your experience! We do not recommend using our products in hair as they are considered permanent."
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Hide AdGorilla Glue recommended that Brown soaked her hair in warm, soapy water or rubbed alcohol into the affected area.
Now, it has been reported by TMZ that Brown has hired a lawyer and is looking at her legal options.
Gorilla Glue packaging does not specifically mention that it should not be used on hair and it is described as a “multi-use” product.
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Hide AdBut the adhesives company has said Brown’s situation is “unique” as the product is “not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent”.
A statement released by Gorilla Glue said: “Our spray adhesive states in the warning label ‘do not swallow, do not get in eyes, on skin or on clothing…
“It is used for craft, home, auto or office projects to mount things to surfaces such as paper, cardboard, wood, laminate and fabric.”
What is Gorilla Glue?
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Hide AdGorilla Glue is a waterproof and temperature resistant invisible adhesive.
It bonds materials such as metal, stone, wood, ceramics and glass and is often used in household projects and for building repairs.
Gorilla Glue became popular due to its industrial holding power and versatility.
Its website says it is “designed to be tough”.