The Woman Who Put Gorilla Glue In Her Hair Finally Got Some Relief

After weeks of sharing her experience with being unable to remove Gorilla Glue from her hair, Tessica Brown has finally achieved a positive outcome. Following a four-hour procedure, Brown no longer has the glue in her hair, TMZ reports.

The TMZ story includes footage from during and after the procedure along with details of what went down. In order to break down the polyurethane in the glue — aka the material that gives the glue that strong, practically immovable bond — plastic surgeon Michael Obeng, M.D. told TMZ he relied on a combination of medical-grade adhesive remover, a mixture of olive oil and aloe vera, and acetone (which is commonly used as a nail polish remover).

TMZ's post-procedure footage reveals Brown didn't have to lose all her hair, and she's seen marveling at the fact that she could finally scratch her scalp.

After returning home from the procedure, Brown got her first haircut since having the glue in her hair, according to a more recent TMZ story.

On another positive note, Brown has received over $20,000 in donations and plans on giving most of it to the Restore Foundation, which provides reconstructive surgery services for people in need around the world, TMZ reports. In an Instagram post, Brown said she plans to donate the remainder of the money to "three local families."

In case you need to catch up, Brown posted a TikTok in early February detailing what happened to her scalp after using Gorilla Glue in her hair. In her post, Brown said that her hair had been glued in place for about a month after she styled it with Gorilla Glue. ICYDK, Gorilla Glue is a super-strong adhesive typically used in craft, home, or auto projects to bond materials such as wood, metal, ceramic, or stone. In other words, it's not exactly meant to be used as a hair product.

"Hey y'all. Those of you that know me know that my hair has been like this for about a month now," Brown began in her video. "It's not by choice." After running out of Got2B Glued Blasting Freeze Spray, Brown said she'd decided to try using actual glue — Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive — to style her hair. She then tried washing her hair 15 times, she said, but the glue was still completely stuck. (

Shape has reached out to Brown for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Initially, Gorilla Glue responded to a repost of Brown's video with some suggestions on how to remove the glue. "You can try soaking the affected area in warm, soapy water or applying rubbing alcohol to the area," reads the company's message. (

However, Brown shared on social media that she tried this suggestion, along with several other interventions, to try to break down the strong glue, with no success. She tried applying shampoo and tea tree and coconut oils on her hair to no avail. She also posted a video showing photos from a trip to the emergency room, plus a later clip showing someone applying the materials she took home from the ER visit onto her scalp — acetone pads and sterile water, judging by updates on Instagram and YouTube.

On February 8, Gorilla Glue issued a statement about Brown's story in a post on Twitter. "We are aware of the situation and we are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair," it reads. "This is a unique situation because this product is not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent. Our spray adhesive states in the warning label 'do not swallow. Do not get in eyes, on skin or on clothing...'"

"We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best," concludes the statement.

The next update in this story was a hopeful one — TMZ reported that Dr. Obeng offered to get rid of the glue and that Brown planned to fly to Los Angeles on February 10 to take him up on the offer. The procedure apparently had an estimated cost of $12,500, though Dr. Obeng reportedly performed it for free, according to TMZ. A subsequent story from the publication also revealed that, prior to the procedure, a friend was able to cut off the braided portion of Brown's hair by softening it up with Goof Off superglue remover and using household scissors.

If you're wondering how Brown is faring amid all this, she shared that the way her story has blown up online has taken a toll on her and her family. "[The news] put up a picture of me being bald, which wasn't me. [My daughter] had to deal with that yesterday," she told Entertainment Tonight. "The teachers are talking about it. My little girl, she don't want me to do her hair no more. I told her, 'Let me do your hair.' She said, 'You're not doing my hair.' But I'm thinking she's joking and playing, but she didn't let me do it."

In the interview, Brown stressed that she doesn't want to be defined by this experience. "I'm not this whole Gorilla Glue girl, my name is Tessica Brown," she said. "Call me. I'll talk to you. I'll let you know exactly who I am."