Here's How Brazilian Women Treat Split Ends ...

1. What is Velaterapia?

Velaterapia is the process of twisting small sections of your hair and running a candle near the hair to get the damaged ends to stand out. Next, the damaged or split ends are trimmed with scissors and the treatment is followed by a deep conditioning treatment. Sounds insane, right? Well, Victoria’s Secret models Alessandro Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, and Barbara Fialho are fans of the hair treatment and have even IG’d their hair burning experience.

2. Could There Possibly Be Benefits?

Despite the fact that getting our hair near an open flame sounds dangerous, hair stylists who perform the treatment say there are good reasons to do it. Burning the hair is said to open up the hair follicle, which makes hair more receptive to conditioning treatments and other nutrients. Another reason beauties opt to do this treatment is because you can get rid of split ends without having to sacrifice length.

3. Who, What, when, and Where?

This is one of those treatments that are best left to the pros and most definitely not something you want to DIY. If you’re interested in getting it done, make sure you have about 2-3 hours to spare, depending on the length and texture of your hair, to get the entire treatment done. The cost runs anywhere from $150-200. If you’re ready to take the plunge, hit up Google to find a salon or stylist who is trained to do the treatment. The results are said to last about three months and then you’ll want to go under the candle again.

4. What do the Experts Say?

Needless to say, there are many believers in this hair treatment who feel it’s a great alternative to trimming hair. However, there are some who aren’t too keen on the treatment. Certified trichologist Penny James advises against candle cutting. She warns that if the flame gets just a little too close to your hair, you’re running the risk of your hair catching on fire, which can result in an unexpected Pixie cut.

5. What do Hairstylists Say?

As mentioned above, some hairstylists are all about this hair cauterizing procedure. Some even go as far as saying velaterapia totally blows traditional haircuts out of the water. One stylist who cautions women against velaterapia is celeb stylist Josue Perez. Perez tells Bustle that he wouldn’t recommend this treatment because burning hair at such high temps will dry out hair even more and zap all the moisture from the ends. Makes sense, right?

6. Alternatives

If you’re not digging candle cutting, not to worry, there are plenty of alternatives! If your main concern is losing your length, Perez suggests asking your stylist to cut your hair while it’s dry so the stylist can differentiate between the split ends and healthy hair. You can also ask for a teeny trim then give yourself a heavy-duty deep conditioning treatment at home. You can also twist sections of your hair and snip any split ends yourself.

7. Prevention

Split ends don’t have to be part of our lives if we’re smart about prevention. Some simple ways to prevent split ends include limiting the time you use heat tools, giving yourself a weekly hair mask, detangling your tresses with a wide tooth comb, washing your hair every other day, brushing your hair from the ends to the roots, and making it a habit to condition your ends well.

So now that you know about velaterapia, would you ever try it? What’s the craziest beauty treatment you’ve ever done? We want details!