How I Regrew My Thinning Hair

I discovered I was experiencing hair thinning in the most unexpected (and sort of embarrassing) way. During a visit home to see my folks, I bent down to grab a piece of mail my mom dropped. I heard her gasp behind me in a sharp and panicked tone: “Oh my god, your hair!” Confused, I handed her my phone and asked her to show me what she saw. The photo stopped me cold.

Staring back at me was a glaring patch of scalp at the crown of my head — a bald spot I had no idea existed, along with a widening part. A feeling of dread washed over me. How long had this been there? How many people had noticed before I did? The shock was instant, but the worry that followed was worse. My body was changing without my permission, and I was the last to know.

Truth be told, I’ve never had a full, thick head of hair. Certainsrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Before-treatment-April-2025-1-scaled.jpg" alt="How I Regrew My Thinning Hair" width="400" height="533" /> Regrowth From The Inside Out

It may sound cliché, but we are what we eat. Growing up, myself and the women in my family often believed that hair growth was a reflection of the products we used. My mom swore up and down that greasing our scalps would lead to lengthy strands (no shade to mama, but I’m glad we now all know better). 

I also learned from researching and speaking to licensed hair professionals that our hair is largely a reflection of what we feed our bodies. In order to give my body the fuel it needed to grow the healthy head of hair I was striving for, I had to reclaim my plate. Instead of cruising through each morning with nothing but a cup of coffee and vibes, I started making it a point to have a balanced breakfast that emphasized whole foods. This would sometimes look like a couple of scrambled eggs with avocado toast and turkey bacon, steel cut oatmeal with banana and chia seeds, or if I was running short on time, a greek yogurt loaded with mixed berries. 

I also made it a point to incorporate green leafy vegetables in my meals to help boost my iron levels. Hair relies on a steady supply of nutrients to grow strong and stay anchored, and while I am faithful to my daily women’s multivitamin, one tiny tablet can’t supply my body with all that it needs to regrow all the hair I’ve lost.

Because my dermatologist warned me that minoxidil results typically only last for as long as you use it, I wanted to give my body more of a fighting chance to retain my results long after I stop taking it. My trick was to look at the ingredients of popular hair supplements and introduce foods that contained high amounts of those vitamins (biotin, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, etc). I wanted to give my body the purest forms of those vitamins through actual food sources so that it could sustain the growth journey I was on. 

And speaking of supplements, there are tons of vitamin brands on the market addressing the demand for thicker, longer hair. Some are marketed to postpartum moms experiencing prolonged thinning. Others claim to give you the 3-in-1 combo of glowing hair, skin and nails. While everyone’s reason for seeking hair-stimulating vitamins will be different, I can definitely say that biotin supplements were an epic flop for me. I tried several from different brands, both in tablet and gummy form, and didn’t notice any real difference. 

After speaking to my dermatologist, though, it made sense why. Biotin only helps if the hair loss is directly tied to a true biotin deficiency, which is actually very uncommon. Since my underlying cause was stress related, the remedy I needed was time, recovery, and overall nutritional support.

What I did find extremely helpful is taking supplements that had a more balanced mix of hair-healthy ingredients like the Mary Ruth’s Liposomal Hair Growth Max liquid vitamin that contain not just biotin but B, D, and E vitamins, folate, and more. While I can’t prove that this supplement is helping me achieve thicker hair as the brand promises, I am noticing more rapid body hair growth specifically on my legs and under arms (an undesirable side effect of any hair stimulating routine although a sign that something is working!)

While on this long, arduous journey to regrow my hair, I’ve had to be very careful not to wear tight, tugging >Nioxin System 2 shampoo and condition into my wash days (a lucky T.J. Maxx find!) which combats thinning and shedding. A bonus is that it contains peppermint oil, leaving a tingling, refreshing sensation on my scalp that feels like the ultimate self-care treat. For a post-wash treatment, I’ve got to give props to Cécred’s Reconstructing Treatment Mask for adding reinforcement to my strands. Once I’ve rinsed and towel-dried my hair, I show my scalp some love with the cult-classic Cécred Restoring Hair & Edge drops, which I then applied to my bald spot and edges each morning. I’ve seen far less hair making its way down the shower drain since getting this routine down to a science.

One of the biggest lessons I learned through this process is that hair doesn’t thrive in chaos — and neither do I. Stress is a major trigger for telogen effluvium, so I’ve made it a non-negotiable to protect my peace. Before spiraling over something, I pause and ask myself: Is this within my control? If the answer is no, I let it go. I’ve also set a timer on my phone every two hours for a quick 10-minute walk to soak up some sunlight (a mood-boosting cheat code!) And whenever I can, I carve out moments that bring joy back into my body: meditation when I need grounding, dinner with friends when I crave connection, and anything that makes me laugh out loud. For my specific condition, healing hair loss isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, too.

I can’t emphasize this enough: my hair loss diagnosis is just one of the many reasons Black women could experience hair thinning at any moment in their life. Other common causes include traction alopecia (hair loss caused by continuous pulling on the follicles from tight hair>root cover up spray to hide my bald patches when I’m feeling a little self conscious—and it’s a God send! If you’re looking for a look that will hide your thinning areas, chat with your beautician to see what low-manipulationdecoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/December-2025-most-recent-scaled.jpg" alt="How I Regrew My Thinning Hair" width="400" height="533" />December 2025TOPICS:  hair loss hair regrowth hair thinning

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