After my hair was diffused, the curls I thought would take years to see sprung up — not exactly like those baby album photos but more than what I ever expected. Mona explained that, more often than not, you won't get exactly what you're looking for the first time around. "The initial cut is not really the haircut," Baltazar said, letting me know that I'd have to come back for two more cuts before I achieved the hair that I wanted, with the next one being in three months. "You're going to have to be OK with your hair being shorter than expected, or that your hairstyle might not be exactly what you want. We know that you have a hair goal, and it could take four more haircuts for you to get there."