Ever since Victoria's Secret model Barbara Fialho revealed the secret Brazilian solution for split ends, velaterapia—otherwise known as hair burning—has been a seriously hot topic in the beauty industry. (See what we did there?)
Since taking fire to our tresses sounds a little terrifying, we decided to get the lowdown on lighting up from an expert. Ricky Gomes, a senior stylist at Maria Bonita Salon & Spa, has performed tons of velaterapia (or, as the salon also refers to it, "candle cutting") treatments since Fialho's big reveal.
Is candle cutting is right for you? According to Gomes, it's the perfect solution for girls who want to keep their hair long but have split ends that prevent it from growing. "The service entails getting rid of the split ends without taking any of the length off," he says. Um, where do we sign up?
Assuming your hair and bank account fit the bill (the service will typically put you out between 180 and 200 bucks), you'll need to set aside about two hours, depending on hair length and texture, to get the job done. That's par for the course when it comes to salon treatments, but it's still a time commitment—so bring along a book or two.
Once you sign on, it's a pretty simple process. "First, I divide the hair in sections, twisting small sections until you can see flyaways. With a candle, I burn out the flyaways that are sticking out," he says. "Then, we do the Envix Deep Conditioning Masque, one of Maria Bonita's signature treatments. The masque has 20 different ingredients that seal and cauterize the cuticles. We finalize the candle cutting by blow-drying the hair and—voila!—the result is silky, smooth and gorgeous hair." It'll last about three months.
What makes candle cutting so much better than going under the scissors? "The benefit is that all the length is preserved and only split ends are removed. You can't really see how much is burned off since only what sticks out from the hair has been sectioned and twisted."
As to the most common fear—that your beloved mane will get burned right off—Gomes advises against going to a salon that doesn't have much experience doing it. And whatever you do, do NOT take matters into your own hands, for obvious reasons. Let's leave the singeing to the pros, shall we?
Since taking fire to our tresses sounds a little terrifying, we decided to get the lowdown on lighting up from an expert. Ricky Gomes, a senior stylist at Maria Bonita Salon & Spa, has performed tons of velaterapia (or, as the salon also refers to it, "candle cutting") treatments since Fialho's big reveal.
Is candle cutting is right for you? According to Gomes, it's the perfect solution for girls who want to keep their hair long but have split ends that prevent it from growing. "The service entails getting rid of the split ends without taking any of the length off," he says. Um, where do we sign up?
Assuming your hair and bank account fit the bill (the service will typically put you out between 180 and 200 bucks), you'll need to set aside about two hours, depending on hair length and texture, to get the job done. That's par for the course when it comes to salon treatments, but it's still a time commitment—so bring along a book or two.
Once you sign on, it's a pretty simple process. "First, I divide the hair in sections, twisting small sections until you can see flyaways. With a candle, I burn out the flyaways that are sticking out," he says. "Then, we do the Envix Deep Conditioning Masque, one of Maria Bonita's signature treatments. The masque has 20 different ingredients that seal and cauterize the cuticles. We finalize the candle cutting by blow-drying the hair and—voila!—the result is silky, smooth and gorgeous hair." It'll last about three months.
What makes candle cutting so much better than going under the scissors? "The benefit is that all the length is preserved and only split ends are removed. You can't really see how much is burned off since only what sticks out from the hair has been sectioned and twisted."
As to the most common fear—that your beloved mane will get burned right off—Gomes advises against going to a salon that doesn't have much experience doing it. And whatever you do, do NOT take matters into your own hands, for obvious reasons. Let's leave the singeing to the pros, shall we?
erplexed
y'all really do too much with this hair stuff sometimes 
