In mid 2025, I underwent a procedure that required needles to be stabbed into my scalp, injecting mother cells to increase the revival of my roots.

A mother cell (or parent cell) is a single biological cell that divides to produce two or more daughter cells.

This digital art piece portrays me getting some form of closure. The blood represents the painful procedure I experienced, but my face holds no immense expression. It is meant to look like a picture being taken with a flash to symbolize my new boundaries in light; I'm no longer avoiding it. In the back, small figures climb up obstacles; some harder than others to represent my ease and frustration during my journey for a “cure”.

For the past four years, I had been struggling with hair loss. It made me feel abnormal and misunderstood when I tried explaining this issue to people I take comfort in. This procedure was nearly unbearable, and I thought it would be my last. The second procedure was by far the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. I felt the needles puncture layer after layer on my scalp- as if I could hear it stabbing my head repeatedly. Did it work? For the most part, yes, I have no regrets about it.

I was afraid of the sun and any source of light above my head because I thought people would immediately notice my issue. So the immense relief I felt after my first procedure- thinking it would be my last- heck yeah, I’ll draw about it.