It was the middle of August 2022, and after I began removing yet another gorgeous crotchet protective style I’d worn a few months prior, I noticed that there was some hair thinning at the crown of my head. Initially, I wasn’t too concerned, especially since I could style my very full head of natural hair in a way that could conceal the thinning. Since going natural (dating back to October 2014), I’ve typically always allowed my hair to “breathe” between different styles to maintain and preserve my hair health and growth.
Shortly after the end of the summer, and after allowing my hair to breathe for a few weeks, I got my hair styled with sew-in extensions for my best friend’s upcoming wedding. I was the only Black bridesmaid in the crew and didn’t want another stylist touching my real hair, so I figured extensions would be the best route since I’d had them before. And as always, they looked great! However, when I got them removed and had my natural hair blown out in November, the thinning at the crown of my head had spread to the point where I noticed some balding. Which was unsettling.
Shortly after, I did some research of my own, started taking hair growth supplements, switched up my diet, poured over a ton of internet information on hair loss and different types of alopecia, and then finally consulted with my hairstylist who recommended that I massage my scalp with Jamaican castor oil – and that I also see a dermatologist. Because significant hair loss has never been an issue for me, I instantly ruled out alopecia since it’s not something that runs in my family. However, I still scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist just to be sure.
As I awaited my appointment date (which felt forever away at the time), I thought about my recent hair loss and the different things I’d done that may have caused it. Back in 2014, my natural hair journey began after I broke up with relaxers when some of my hair started coming out (in the same crown area) due to the harsh chemicals and overprocessing. So when I went natural, it eventually grew back. I later began experimenting with braided protective styles and sew-ins on and off for a while, and absolutely fell in love with them. And I also learned to love my hair without protective styles too. However, with this recent loss, I’ve paused on braided protective styles and sew-ins to give my scalp an extended break from any pulling or tension.
When I connected with a dermatologist and she examined my hair, she explained, “Hair loss is my least favorite thing to treat because there are a number of factors for why the loss has happened.” She went on to go through statistics surrounding Black women, stress related hair loss, and briefly touched on alopecia. After taking a closer look at my hair and the thinning area, she immediately ruled alopecia out. Because the thinning area wasn’t completely bald she offered two options: a topical medication to stimulate the growth or a medical injection (meaning shots in my scalp) once a month for the next three months to help regrow the hair.
The idea of a needle being injected into my scalp sounded horrifying, so I went with the topical option instead.
My dermatologist explained that the topical option would take longer results wise, but that if there was no growth, we could still do the injections if needed. And that if that option didn’t work and if the hair didn’t grow back, it just wouldn’t.
I left my appointment with mixed feelings.
Sure, I still have most of my hair (except for the spot where my crown has thinned) and have been masterful with concealing that area with how I style my hair (and most recently with my ponytails and wigs) – all of which I’ve named while going through this part of my natural hair journey. I love being able to switch up my looks with my ponytails (Ariana, Ciara, and Bella) and my wigs (Riri and Chanté). They have all been super helpful while I’ve worked to restore my hair health and growth.
For Black women, hair is a really big deal, and often a sensitive subject matter. There’s a lot of pressure, political conversations, insecurities, criticism, and judgement about the different ways we choose to style or wear our hair. You can wear your hair shaved, natural, relaxed, in braids, in a ponytail, or a wig, and some people will love it, some will hate it, and some won’t have anything to say about it at all. What matters most is how you feel about you and what’s best for your hair. After recently seeing my crown go through some loss, and even after going on about nine years of being natural, I’ve learned that it’s best to do what works best for you. The natural hair journey looks different for everyone and what’s unique about it is how often it can and will change along the way.
For now, I'll be adjusting and adapting in ways that work best for me and my hair, and go from there.