CAN VELATERAPIA AKA ‘HAIR BURNING’ MAKE YOUR HAIR STRONGER?

Posted in HAIR CARE

Brazilian Victoria’s Secret model, Barbara Fialho seems to think so, as she shared her a secret technique to keep her split ends at bay. The treatment, known in Brazil as ‘Velaterapia’.
What is Velaterapia?
Velaterapia, which is also known as candle cutting, is a technique in which a trained hair stylist uses the flame of a candle to burn split ends and begins with the stylist sectioning off dry hair, then twisting small sections until fly aways. The split ends then come poking out of the main hair twist. The hairs that are left out are quickly burned away with a candle flame.
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, singeing the hair has been around for ages. 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.

After giving me a quick lesson in pronunciation and assuring me I would still have hair, Ricardo began twisting the small sections of my hair. He then burned the spilt ends section by section, leaving my hair ashy with rather smelly dreadlocks. My cameraman found that amusing. After my hair was burned with the candle, Ricardo washed my hair thoroughly and applied a deep conditioning treatment. This, he explained is the most vital step to the process. Velaterapia utilizes the flame and essentially cauterizes the hair. After the ash and dead split ends are washed away, the freshly flamed hair follicle is more receptive to nutrients, hence the deep conditioning treatment. While I was admittedly wary of Velaterapia, I was so shocked by the results. My hair was incredibly soft to the touch and completely smooth!
–Donovan Longo (Latin Times)

In another 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.
Conclusion
As interesting as this process might seem, we are wondering if it will be the best method for textured or relaxed hair as tutorials showing specific results on this hair type are yet to be found.
Sources:
RELAXEDHAIRHEALTH