I got a massive haircut. I cut off maybe two to three inches, and I will say two things: first, it was needed, and second, my hair feels so much healthier and more vibrant.
I owe a lot of that to my stylist, Morgan in Santa Monica, California. She’s been the only person cutting my hair for the last 10 to 15 years.
That alone says something important: not every service provider understands every type of hair.
The mistake of trusting the wrong hands
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in the past is letting people who don’t truly understand curly hair work on my hair.
There’s a huge difference between knowing about something in theory and actually working with it daily.
You can read about curly hair, study it, watch videos, and understand “techniques.” But that’s not the same as physically working with it, cutting it, seeing how it behaves in real time, and understanding its patterns.
It’s like the difference between reading about a subject and actually working in the field. Real experience changes everything.
That’s why I’ve become very selective. I ask questions. I pay attention. I hesitate when someone doesn’t fully understand my hair type.
Because I’ve learned this the hard way.
When things go wrong with your hair
At one point, I had to cut off two to three inches because my hair was completely damaged after a coloring experience in Japan.
I had gone to a stylist who, on paper, looked qualified. Her Instagram and website showed she worked with blondes. She was the only option within a large radius, so I booked her.
And to be fair, she could do blonde hair.
But not my type of blonde.
Not my texture.
Not my lifting pattern.
Hair behaves differently depending on texture, porosity, and underlying structure. What works on one type of hair does not automatically translate to another.
The result was damage. My hair got fried.
So yes, I had to cut it.
But even then, I want to be honest with you: it’s okay.
My hair feels healthy again. It feels thick. It feels strong. And it will grow back.
Hair grows back more than people think
One thing I’ve learned through my own journey is that hair can grow back faster than the “average” internet expectations.
People often say hair grows about half an inch a month. But in reality, many people can grow more than that depending on their body, nutrition, and scalp health.
I’ve personally seen my hair grow more than an inch a month consistently at certain stages.
So even though I cut my hair recently, I know it will grow back quickly over the next several months.
Even with curly hair, where shrinkage can make it look shorter depending on humidity and climate.
The mindset shift that changes everything
There’s a bigger lesson here that goes beyond hair.
It’s about belief.
I often think about the first person who ran a mile in under four minutes. At one point in history, experts believed it was impossible. No human could do it.
And then someone did.
And after that, others did it too.
What changed wasn’t human capability. It was belief.
This is the same with hair recovery and alopecia healing. If you constantly accept limitations as truth, you stay limited. But if you challenge what’s been “declared impossible,” you open a different outcome.
You can’t outsource your results
There’s something else I want to be very clear about.
You cannot outsource your healing.
You can get guidance. You can get tools. You can get a map.
But you are the one who has to walk the path.
It’s like learning to run a mile in under four minutes. A coach can train you. A plan can be given to you. But you still have to run.
Or learning to swim: you can read about swimming all day, but until you get into the water, you won’t learn it.
You have to get into the experience. You have to be in it.
That’s how real change happens.
When to shave your head is a personal decision
One question I get often is whether someone should shave their head during hair loss.
The truth is simple: it’s a personal choice.
If it gives you relief, you can do it.
If you want to hold onto your hair, you can do that too.
Neither choice affects your ability to grow your hair back.
I’ve seen recovery in both scenarios.
This isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about what supports your emotional and mental well-being at the time.
The bigger issue: uncertainty and fear
One thing I strongly disagree with is the idea that alopecia is purely “uncertain.”
That belief usually comes from not yet understanding your own triggers or your own body.
When you understand your patterns, your stress responses, and your internal balance, things become clearer.
For me personally, after healing my alopecia, I learned exactly what my body responds to. That’s why even after pregnancy, COVID, and stressful life events, I have not experienced a return of severe hair loss.
Not because life is perfect—but because I understand how to respond.
It’s like learning to care for a plant. Once you understand how much water it needs and how much light it needs, you don’t panic every time the weather changes.
You adjust.
The real source of “vicious cycles”
What many people call “vicious cycles” of hair loss often comes from not addressing the root issue early enough.
You get a patch. It resolves. You move on.
Then months or years later, it comes back—sometimes more intensely.
And because the underlying imbalance was never fully understood or addressed, the cycle repeats.
Each time, the body becomes more reactive.
That’s why early awareness matters.
Not fear. Awareness.
The real foundation of healing
At the core of everything is this:
Hair loss is rarely just about hair.
It often reflects a deeper imbalance in the body and lifestyle.
When you build a stronger internal foundation—physically, emotionally, and nutritionally—you stop reacting to every small trigger.
It’s like strengthening a house. A structure built on a weak foundation will collapse easily. But a strong foundation holds steady through storms.
That’s what true healing is about.
Final thoughts
So whether it’s choosing the right stylist, understanding your hair type, navigating hair loss, or rebuilding your health, the theme remains the same:
Experience matters more than theory.
Action matters more than fear.
And your belief in what’s possible matters more than anything else.
Your hair can grow back. Your body can rebalance. And your path forward is built step by step—not by guessing, but by learning and applying what works for you.
