Over the past few days many across the nation have been following along with the Gorilla-Glue-Girl saga waiting on moment by moment updates. Tessicaa Brown became an internet sensation after substituting Gorilla Glue in place of her usual hair spray to sleek her hair down. A month later, her hair was still set-in-place thanks to the permanent glue that is NOT intended for cosmetic use. She came to the internet to ask for suggestions on how to remove the product from her hair after all her home remedies proved unsuccessful. The dramatic saga was brought to a heartwarming end thanks to Dr. Michael Obeng, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who not only managed to remove the product from her head, but also saved her hair from further damage and loss.
But, once we begin unpacking this incident, it highlights a very significant concern in the STEM sectors; the fact that there is still a major lack of representation, especially by Black professionals. This competency gap is prevalent in the medical, cosmetics manufacturing, engineering, and key technical industries that are necessary to solve issues pertaining to cosmetics- particularly products made for melanated skin and hair types. Dr. Obeng saw beyond the foolish mistake and perceived vanity in wanting to maintain her hair throughout the removal process, he saw her; the woman who needed a solution to a non-text-book problem. Thanks to his Innovative thinking and collaboration with the product manufacturer he was able to analyze the ingredients makeup and engineer a process to dissolve the compounds, minimize discomfort to his patient, while adhering to her desire to maintain her hair during and after the removal process.
We currently do not know what long-term health effects can be correlated to this unintended use of the product, however If anything, this is a great recruitment advertisement for more Black STEM professionals to the various industries where technology, innovation, and cosmetics combine. Cosmetics chemistry is a growing industry, especially as we begin to see more manufacturers catering to Black hair and skincare needs. Afterall, beauty is beyond skin deep, and representation absolutely matters, at every level of decision-making.
Happy Black His&Her-Story Month