Brazilian supermodel Barbara Fialho’s secret to great hair? Velaterapia–a procedure that burns off split ends with an open flame.
“If I did [straightening treatments] I would lose all my hair!” Flalho explained. “They’re very strong.”
She’s not the only one in on the secret, either. Flalho’s fellow supermodels Isabeli Fontana and Alessandra Ambrosio are big fans, too. Internationally, cities like Dubai and countries like Brazil are no stranger to the weird hair technique, either.
According to Sao Paolo’s Laces and Hair Salon, which offers velaterapia, the three hour procedure not only gets rid of split ends, but also creates a passageway for nutrients to enter the hair. It can also eliminate the impermeability caused by brushing and other chemical treatments, which makes it easier to condition and heal.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Victoria Ceridono, the editor of Vogue Brazil. “You don’t get shorter hair, but if you touch the treated side it feels so much smoother and healthier!”
Though it might seem strange (and a little dangerous), velaterapia isn’t all that weird for two reasons. Firstly, it works pretty well, as these supermodels–whose livelihoods depend on beauty–swear by it. Secondly, there are some other, hair treatments out there that by comparison, make velaterapia look pretty normal.
Some people take sulfur supplements for straighter hair and to boost their hair growth. Others will even add a shot of vodka to their conditioner for straighter stands.
Strangest of all, one London spa offers customers an organic bull sperm treatment to deep condition, moisturize, and nourish hair.
“As long as there are people invested in their image there will be people willing to try the latest and greatest trend or innovative product to make them feel better and more confident,” says Diana Perez of Scalp Aesthetics. “We wear our hair like a badge of honor, it says things about us and who we are as a person.”
If you suffer from frizzy, dried, dead hair, you may want to consider getting those dead ends singed off with a candle. Just be sure to find someone who knows what they’re doing, lest you light your entire head on fire.