BALTIMORE - Marylandian -- Author and advocate Maya L. Johnson has released Head on Fire: A Black Hair Memoir on Loss and Healing, a nonfiction book that explores the emotional and physical toll of hair loss, racial trauma, and beauty standards on Black women.

In Head on Fire, Johnson chronicles her lifelong relationship with her hair, from early grooming rituals and salon culture to her diagnosis with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), a form of scarring hair loss that disproportionately affects Black women. The book documents the pain of hair loss alongside the grief, anger, and identity shifts that accompanied it.

Structured in three sections — The Weight of My Crown, The Loss That Unraveled Me, and Finding Grace and Healing — the memoir blends personal narrative with cultural reflection. Johnson writes about painful salon experiences, medical dismissal, workplace scrutiny, and the cumulative effects of racism on the body. She also addresses the often-overlooked physical pain associated with CCCA.

Throughout the book, Johnson uses cotton as a central metaphor, drawing parallels between Black hair and the historical and ongoing impact of white supremacy on Black bodies. The memoir situates personal loss within a broader context of gendered labor, medical bias, and the normalization of Black women's pain.

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"This book is the story of my hair and my hair loss journey," Johnson writes. "Much like cotton in the American South, it's a story of discovery, trauma, and renewal."

While written primarily for Black women experiencing hair loss, Head on Fire also speaks to Black men, non-Black readers, and medical professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the emotional and cultural dimensions of racism and hair loss. The book includes a section of mental health resources and a photographic journey documenting Johnson's hair over time.

About the Author

Maya L. Johnson is a writer, entrepreneur, and advocate for Black women's health. Her personal experience with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) reshaped her understanding of beauty, self-worth, and healing. Through her platform, CCCA Chronicles, she shares stories, resources, and insights to support others navigating hair loss and identity. Head on Fire is her memoir. For more infomation: https://www.headonfirebook.com/