A year ago, my hair was severely heat damaged.

When I look back at the pictures now, I can really see it. My ends were thin, parts of my hair were rough, my curl pattern was all over the place, and my hair just did not feel the way healthy natural hair should feel.

Now, I could have just cut all of the heat damage off.

And eventually, some of those damaged ends are going to have to go anyway because damaged hair is still damaged hair.

But I decided to do something a little different.

I basically turned my own hair into a mini experiment. 😂

I wanted to learn my hair.

I wanted to know what would happen if, instead of immediately cutting everything off, I actually slowed down, paid attention to what my hair was telling me, stayed consistent with my routine, and focused on nurturing the hair that was still on my head while healthier hair continued growing from my roots.

And honestly? I’m glad I did.

I Wanted to Learn My Hair Instead of Just Cutting It Off

One thing this journey has taught me is that sometimes we are so quick to look at damaged hair and say, “Just cut it.”

And yes …sometimes cutting damaged hair is absolutely the best thing to do.

But for me, I was curious.

I wanted to see:

• How soft could I get my hair again?
• Could I improve the way it felt and behaved?
• Could I retain some length while healthier hair grew in?
• What products did my hair respond to?
• What made my hair feel dry?
• What helped me keep moisture longer?
• What happened when I stopped manipulating it so much?

I really started looking at my hair differently.

Instead of just looking for length, I started looking at the condition of my hair.

That was a big difference.

A Year Later, I Can See the Difference

When I compare my hair from a year ago to now, one of the biggest things I notice is the difference closer to my roots.

My newer growth feels healthier and thicker.

My hair is also noticeably softer than it was before. A year ago, some sections of my hair felt rough. Now, even though I still have thinner and damaged areas toward the ends, the overall feel of my hair has improved tremendously.

And this is exactly why I wanted to document this process.

Because hair growth and length retention are not the same thing.

Your hair can absolutely be growing from the scalp while damaged ends are breaking off at the same time.

That is why somebody may feel like their hair “isn’t growing” when the real issue may be that they are not retaining the length they are growing.

That was something I really started paying attention to with my own hair.

My CCCA Journey Made Me Even More Intentional

Because I’m also navigating my own CCCA alopecia journey, scalp care and low-tension styling have become extremely important to me.

I’ve been much more intentional about leaving my hair alone.

That is one reason you have seen me wearing mini braids, protective styles, crochet styles over my own braids, and other hairstyles that allow me to enjoy my hair without constantly pulling, combing, brushing, and manipulating it.

Sometimes the best thing I can do for my hair is simply stop bothering it. 😂

That has been a huge lesson for me.

What I Focused on Over the Past Year

My routine wasn’t about finding one magical product.

It was really about consistency.

I focused on keeping my hair and scalp clean, conditioning consistently, keeping my strands moisturized, using products that helped my hair stay soft, and being careful with the amount of tension and manipulation I was putting on my hair.

I also started paying much more attention to my hair as a whole …not just what I was putting on it…although that’s also very important I made the difference in my hair.

What we eat, our nutritional status, stress, hormones, medical conditions, our scalp environment, styling practices, and even the ingredients in the products we use can all be part of the bigger picture.

That is one reason I always say we have to start learning our own hair and our own bodies.

And This Conversation Is Bigger Than Just My Hair

While researching hair care, I also came across research surrounding chemicals found in some hair products used by Black women.

A 2018 study from researchers at the Silent Spring Institute, published in Environmental Research, tested 18 hair products used by Black women and detected a number of endocrine-disrupting and asthma-associated chemicals.

The study is one of the reasons I think these conversations are important.

This does not mean every product marketed to Black women is dangerous, and it does not mean a particular product automatically caused somebody’s health condition.

But I do believe we deserve to know what we are putting on our hair, scalp, and bodies.

Especially when we are using these products over and over again for years.

Research mentioned in my video:

Silent Spring Institute — Hair products for Black women contain mix of hazardous ingredients
https://silentspring.org/news/hair-products-black-women-contain-mix-hazardous-ingredients

National Institutes of Health — Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-higher-uterine-cancer-risk

Reuters Investigation — Hair relaxer litigation involving major beauty companies, including L’Oréal/Dark & Lovely
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/loreal-hair-relaxers-litigation/

So… Would I Do This Experiment Again?

Yes.

Because I learned so much.

I learned how my hair responds to moisture.

I learned that softness matters.

I learned to pay attention to the difference between my newer growth and my older damaged ends.

I learned that constantly manipulating my hair was not doing me any favors.

And most importantly, I learned that I actually enjoy studying my own hair.

That might sound funny, but it’s true.

I could have cut the heat damage off immediately and moved on.

Instead, I gave myself a year to observe it.

And now I understand my hair better than I did a year ago.

Some of these thinner ends will still eventually be cut because I’m not trying to hold onto damaged hair forever.

But now when I cut them, I’m going to be cutting them with a whole lot more healthy growth behind them.

And THAT was the point of the experiment. 💜

Watch My Full 1-Year CCCA Hair Update

In the full video, I’m showing you my hair a year ago vs. now, talking about the heat damage, breakage, thin ends, healthier growth, protective styles, products I’ve been using, and everything this experiment taught me.

🎥 Video: CCCA Alopecia Hair Update: A Year Ago vs Now | Natural Hair Growth, Breakage & Heat Damage

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Educational note: This post shares my personal hair journey and discusses published research for educational purposes. Research showing an association between an exposure and a health outcome does not establish that a particular product caused an individual person’s medical condition.