Actress Hina Khan has cut her hair short following her first chemotherapy session after stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis, she said on Thursday alongside a video of the hair-cutting session on social media, announcing that she will document her journey of cancer treatment.

“You can hear my mother’s wailing voice in Kashmiri (blessing me) in the background as she prepared herself to witness something she never dared to imagine. Not all of us have the same tools at our disposal to manage heartbreaking emotions,” wrote Hina alongside the video on Thursday.

Addressing a broad audience, especially women who may be enduring similar struggles, the actress acknowledged the difficulty of the journey. “To all the beautiful people out there, especially women who are fighting the same battle, I know it’s hard. I know for most of us, our hair is the crown we never take off. But what if you’re facing a battle so tough that you have to lose your hair—your pride, your crown? If you want to win you’ve got to take some tough decisions,” read her note on Instagram.

Determined to win, Hina chose to proactively cut her hair before it started to fall off during treatment.

“I have decided to give myself every chance possible to win this battle. I choose to let go of my beautiful hair before it starts falling off. I didn’t want to endure this mental breakdown for weeks. So, I choose to let go of my crown because I’ve realised my real crown is my courage, my strength, and the love I have for myself,” wrote Hina in her caption.

The 36-year-old actress emphasised the need to preserve one’s indomitable spirit in the face of such life-altering challenges. “Hair will grow back, eyebrows will return, scars will fade, but the spirit must remain whole,” she wrote, adding that she intends to use her own hair to make herself a wig for this difficult phase.

“I am recording my story, my journey, to ensure that my efforts to embrace myself reach everyone out there. If my story can make even one day of this heartwarming yet excruciating experience better for someone, it’s worth it,” added Hina with the hope of reaching out to others and making the arduous experience a bit more bearable for someone else.

In her post, the actress thanked the people who stood by her side, acknowledging their unwavering support during this critical time. She also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her hairstylist. “May God ease our pain and give us strength to be victorious. Please pray pray pray for me,” Hina signed off.

Mouni Roy, Drashti Dhami, and Gauahar Khan reacted to Hina’s post, commending her strength and wishing her a speedy recovery.

Hina, who shot to fame with her role as Akshara in the popular TV serial Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, was last seen in the Punjabi film Shinda Shinda No Papa alongside Gippy Grewal.