The Victoria’s Secret Angels would like to inform you that there is an alternative method to chopping off those pesky split ends. If you are looking to keep your locks at length without the splits, a Brazilian technique developed in the 1960s known as Velaterapia may be the answer to your prayers.
Velaterapia can be translated to “candle-cutting.” In other words, rather than using a scissor, stylists use a candlestick to literally burn off your split ends. I highly recommend not trying this at home, ladies.
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Apparently burning the ends of your hair allows hair follicles to open and retain moisture. So while it may sound a little out there — and plenty dangerous — there is a science to this madness. First, the stylist will divide your strands into small sections and twist it until the dead ends are clearly visible. She will then take the lit candlestick and singe off the breakage. Simple enough, right? A conditioning treatment will follow the line of fire, reviving the hair with a bunch of healthy vitamins, proteins, amino acids and keratin.
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Still skeptical? Listen, if the angels are in favor, I say let there be fire, and clearly I am not alone in this. The technique has been popping up all over social media feeds as of recently, and if it’s on the internet, it must be legit, right?
OK, so maybe not. However, in a recent interview with Marie Claire, Fernanda Lacerda of the Maria Bonita Salon in SoHo assures, “It’s more effective than a normal haircut when client wants to keep hair length and get rid only off the split ends. With the hair twisted, only the split ends are burned off, so pretty much all length is kept.”
More:10 Tricks and tips to avoid split ends
Note: Not all salons specialize in this treatment. Do your research. This alternative to the old-fashioned trim is also not as speedy. You’re looking at up to four hours of twisting and burning, so make sure you’ve got the time and come prepared with magazines on hand and a fully charged cellular device.
Sacrificing hair length in order to rid yourself of split ends has always been one of those necessary evils the beauty gods have bestowed upon us. It is a universally known beauty irony. So while the idea of burning our hair may not exactly sound appealing, its benefits certainly do.
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