What makes a good plot? A plot is often about a conflict that a main character goes through and it typically follows basic steps; conflict begins, things go right, things go wrong, final victory and wrap up.
The story of Tessica Brown, a 40-year old woman from Louisiana who used Gorilla Glue Spray as a replacement after she ran out of regular hairspray has been the best plot of 2021 so far.
Beyond watching this mother of 5 struggle to get her hair out of what looked like a ‘forever ponytail’, the situation also provided space for the important conversation of black women and how we care for our hair.
Tessica Brown became popular on the internet by her now-viral TikTok video where she explained that her hair had been stuck in a sleek ponytail for a month. According to her, she had run out of her regular hairspray Got2B and had decided in the spur of the moment to use the gorilla glue spray as a replacement.
She thought that she would be able to wash it off her hair by the end of the day and after a week of her hair staying the exact same way, she opened up to her mother about the situation. After a month of trying all sorts of home remedies, she decided to bring her predicament to the internet with the hopes that someone would be able to help.
Apart from having to carry one hairstyle for over a month, Tessica Brown also revealed that her scalp felt inflamed and her extension braid got tighter and heavier each day. She also felt the sensation of tiny ant-like bites that she could not scratch or pat away. In all these, the internet had a good laugh over the situation but also offered her compassion as a GoFundMe was started and $23,000 was raised for her.
In a fortunate turn of events, a plastic surgeon named Michael K. Obeng reached out to her and offered to remove the glue using medical-grade adhesive remover, aloe vera, olive oil and some acetone. He carried out the procedure successfully for Tessica Brown at no cost and even though she has lost significant inches of her hair and has bald patches that are expected to grow back, she said on her Instagram page that Dr Obeng has given her her life back. She plans to donate $20,000 out of the money raised to a reconstructive charity founded by Dr Obeng and the remaining $3,000 to three families in St Bernard Parish, La.
The world is happy that Tessica Brown finally got her happy ending. She has also revealed that she intends to go natural with her hair now and avoid chemical products and excessive heat, She claims that even though she never really liked to keep her hair natural, this ordeal has changed her perspective.
Black women all over the world can in some way, relate to Brown’s predicament. From subjecting our hair to excessive heat to applying different chemicals in order to remove the curls, we are starting to realize that it does not have to be that way.
Having healthy hair, regardless of how it appears, will always be the most important and even as we learn to love our hair, we are now learning to do that in gentle and harmless ways only.
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The Urban Woman Magazine Editorial Team is made up of seasoned writers and editors who have a keen eye for detail and a passion for all things urban. We strive to create fresh, original content that appeals to the modern woman. Our mission is to provide a platform for women to share their stories, experiences and opinions on various issues affecting their lives.
