Happy Endings | Can burning your ends make them healthier?

The internet is all a buzz ever since Brazilian Victoria's Secret model, Barbara Fialho detailed a secret technique to keep her split ends at bay. The treatment, known in Brazil as velaterapia, is a method where the stylists takes a small section of hair, twists it to expose frayed ends, and run a candle through it burning off the damaged hair.

As you would imagine, watching the technique in action is a bit terrifying. I remember the days as a child when I would take a few strands of hair, out of boredom, and hold them up to lit candles whenever the power when out. I have vivid memories of the distinct smell of burning hair and watching the strands shrivel up into nothing. Let's just say I wasn't exactly on board with the idea.

Then I got to thinking....Today when we have split ends, our solution is to take pair of scissors and cut them off. The flaw in this technique is that the cortex of the hair is exposed leaving it susceptible to future damage. Perhaps this is why we need to trim so frequently. If the theory of singeing the hair to cauterize it holds true, then the hair is sealed at the ends preventing further damage from traveling up the hair shaft.

This method seems new but, upon further research, signing the hair has been around for ages. They even practice the singeing method a barber shops. Although the naysayers describe the technique as dangerous and ineffective, those who partake in the hair burning ritual have nothing but great things to say about how smooth and healthy the hair is following the treatment and how much easier it is to retain length. In one testimony shared on a hair forum, a woman stated that she conducted this method on one side of her hair and the search and destroy method on the other. In her words, she preferred her singed side compared to the other side of her head where she trimmed over split hairs one by one. I'm still in the researching phase but as of this moment, I haven't seen any examples of this technique done on textured hair natural or relaxed. My fears are that relaxed hair would be weaker and react to the flame differently than natural hair. Not to mention if someone where to try this with oils on the hair making it even more flammable.

With all of that said, I'm still completely intrigued and would be willing to try it once I've seen others with textured hair do it successfully. If it's true that the ends will not split once the hair is singed, then it may be worth it. Maybe I'll try on a teeny tinny section and report back.

What do you guys think?

Posted by Hodie J