A Black woman has gone viral for sharing a TikTok video of her using Gorilla Glue to secure her low, braided ponytail. She has been unable to change the style for several weeks.
Tessica Brown said in a video that she ran out of her favorite Got2b glued freeze spray when styling her hair and instead used Gorilla Glue adhesive spray to “finish it off.”
“Hey, y’all. For those of you that know me know that my hair has been like this for about a month now. It’s not by choice. No, it’s not by choice,” Brown said at the beginning of the video.
“When I do my hair, I like to finish it off with a little Göt2b Glued Spray, you know, just to keep it in place. Well, I didn’t have any more göt2b Glued Spray, so I used this: Gorilla Glue spray. Bad, bad, bad idea,” Brown continued.
The video has garnered more than 13.5 million views.
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“My hair has been like this for about a month now — it’s not by choice,” Brown said. “It don’t move. I’ve washed my hair 15 times, and it don’t move!”
In another video, Brown took out a bottle of shampoo and vigorously lathered her hair to no avail.
Her issue caught the attention of the Gorilla Glue company on Twitter. Gorilla Glue is known for being incredibly strong enough to bond pieces of broken furniture.
“Hi there, we are sorry to learn about your experience! We do not recommend using our products in hair as they are considered permanent. You can try soaking the affected area in warm, soapy water or applying rubbing alcohol to the area,” the company said.
According to POPSUGAR, the company said, “Our Gorilla Spray Adhesive clearly states on our packaging that it dries permanent and forms a heavy duty bond.”
She later posted an update saying she added coconut and tea tree oil on her hair and covered it with plastic shower cap only to follow up with: “Epic fail. Help me please!” In an additional update, Brown told her followers that she went to a local hospital.
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Gorilla Glue began trending on Twitter and sparked conversations amongst users who voiced either confusion or fascination. Comedian KevOnStage tweeted, “My wife has watched the Gorilla Glue lady video SOOOOO MANYYYYYY TIMES!”
New York Times Magazine writer Jenna Wortham tweeted, “The collective concern for Tessica Brown (aka the Gorilla Glue lady) and her scalp is the only Black History Month activity I am participating in, thank you and no further questions at this time.”
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