(NEXSTAR) — The Louisiana woman who went viral on social media after applying Gorilla Glue adhesive spray to her hair has undergone surgery to remove it, TMZ reported.
A surgeon was able to salvage some of 40-year-old Tessica Brown’s hair during the four-hour procedure. Prior to the surgery, Brown had a ponytail extension she was wearing cut off, leaving only the hair that was glued to her scalp.
Brown flew to Los Angeles, where Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng performed the procedure for free, TMZ reported.
Obeng told Brown in a TMZ video that he saw no immediate damage to her scalp but that it would be “very sensitive.” He gave her a dose of a steroid to treat any inflammation. He also advised her to stay away from ponytails for a while to allow her scalp time to heal.
Brown joked after the procedure, “Now I wish I had waited for my little sister to cut my ponytail off.”
Someone on the video can be heard saying, “Extensions are easy.” Brown replied, “Yeah, but not for six weeks.”
The glue had been in Brown’s hair for over a month. She said she mistakenly used a coat of the industrial-strength Gorilla Glue to style her hair after she ran out of her usual Got2b Glued spray. She shared her story earlier this month on social media, prompting an outpouring of concern.
“My hair, it don’t move,” Brown said in her video, slapping her hands on the top of her head to prove it. “I’ve washed my hair 15 times and it don’t move.”
Brown’s ordeal captured the attention of scores of social media users, including celebrities. The Gorilla Glue brand itself reached out to her with messages of empathy and support.
“We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair,” Gorilla Glue said in a statement Monday, adding that the company wishes her the best.
Brown had tried to clean her hair herself and even went to the emergency room at one point. She was sent home with acetone and sterile water, a treatment Brown said burned her scalp and hardened moments later.
“This is a unique situation because this product is not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent,” Gorilla Glue continued in the statement. They emphasized that the spray adhesive states on the warning label to “not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.”
Brown started a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $20,000 goal to go toward her medical expenses.
