- Weeks before her wedding, Catherine Batista said her hair was ruined by a straightening treatment.
- After crying out for help in a viral TikTok, a stylist and influencer named Alfredo Lewis came to the rescue.
A 33-year-old Boston-based bride-to-be posted an emotional cry for help on TikTok after she said at least half of her hair was fried off after a Japanese straightening treatment went awry just three weeks before her wedding.
But her sense of doom quickly gave way to hope after a stylist-turned-popular TikTok influencer spotted her viral video, and then arranged to fly her out to Las Vegas to repair the botched job.
Catherine Batista, a manager of customer communications at Dell Technologies, told Insider she had the straightening process conducted on her curly hair at a "reputable" Boston salon (that she declined to name) on Aug. 13 ahead of her wedding — straying from the usual salon in Brazil where she has had the process done for years while visiting family.
This time, the product on her scalp felt "very, very weird," she said, but she didn't speak up because she didn't want to be a "jerk" for questioning her stylist's expertise.
@cat_batista I am at a loss of words. I never imagined something like this would happen, let alone weeks before my wedding. Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated. #help #hairdisaster #hairfail #bridetobe #hairloss #wigs #weddingstress #weddingdisaster #hairfail #hairhelp ♬ original sound - Catherine Batista
However, when the stylist started brushing Batista's hair out after washing it, Batista said she saw a "huge amount of hair coming out on the comb," and a look on her stylist's face "like she saw a ghost."
With 50% to 75% of her hair on the floor, she estimated on TikTok, she was left with a "mullet effect."
Batista told Insider she didn't react brazenly, but buried her face in her hands in shock for "an uncomfortable amount of time." Then she called her fiancé and cried. She said she wasn't charged for the service and is consulting with a lawyer about the mishap.
"She did not apologize once," Batista said of the stylist. "She just kept kind of saying like, 'Oh, it must've been what was on your hair before.'"
The fact that her wedding was imminent made the horrifying experience all the more traumatic for her. "It's so expensive and trying to make sure that everything goes perfectly," she said of wedding planning. "The last thing that I would expect is that I was just gonna lose all my hair."
After initially 'dreading' her wedding, Batista said she's now been humbled by the kindness of strangers
Batista doesn't frequently post on TikTok, but something came over her that Sunday: a desperate urge to problem-solve. She shared her story earlier this week, crying into the void for hairstylists, dermatologists, or lawyers to help. The video went viral with 4 million views, and many tagged a Los Angeles-based hair influencer named Alfredo Lewis.
Batista hadn't known of Lewis previously, but viewers noted he'd previously helped victims of severe hair damage in several other viral videos.
While other hairdressers have garnered massive viewership by simply reacting to hair disasters, Lewis told Insider he preferred to take another route: stepping in to help. "I've always been attracted to taking the clients that nobody else wants," he said.
@alfredo_lewis #stitch with @cat_batista Cat we wanna try and save your hair before your big day. I’m so sorry this happened to you. Let’s see if we can help. Check your DM #hairbreakage #hairdisaster #fyp #foryoupage #hairhelp #hairchallenge ♬ original sound - Alfredo Lewis
After being flooded with tags about Batista's predicament, Lewis, who has worked with celebrity clients like Adriama Lima and Sandra Bullock, got in touch — first by responding to Batista's video on TikTok and then on a private call.
"We are going to save her hair," he announced in a second update, adding that he and two collaborators would be meeting Batista in Las Vegas on August 29 for a cut, color, and hair extensions. Lewis said the cost of the services he and his team are bestowing for free could cost $3,000 to $4,000.
"I look at this as a major hair surgery," he said. "The doctor's not in there by himself."
Several brand partners are also involved. The hair treatment company K18 has donated some of their products and is paying for Batista's flights and lodging, Lewis said, while Bellami is donating the extensions.
At the end of the day, Batista said she went from "dreading" her wedding and absorbing a massive self-esteem blow to having her hope restored by the power of strangers coming together. She even invited Lewis to her wedding, but he has Beyoncé tickets that day, so she will consult with a local stylist about her wedding-day look.
"The kindness that everybody has shown, the kindness that Alfredo has shown for a complete stranger…has been so humbling and encouraging," she said. "This is a story that I'm going to tell my kids, that I'm going to tell my grandkids. I'm forever going to remember this."