Isabella Strahan is celebrating new growth in many ways.

A year after she was declared cancer-free , the 21-year-old shared how her naturally curly, auburn hair changed since it returned post chemotherapy.

“When it first started growing back, it was like pin straight and black," Isabella, who now sports an afro, told People in an interview published Oct. 30. "I was like, oh my gosh, chemo changed my texture and color. But now it feels curlier and it's getting back to looking lighter."

After her battle with brain cancer, she has learned to appreciate so many aspects of her life, including her hair, which she admittedly took for granted.

"Pre-cancer diagnosis, I would always kind of equate my beauty with my hair because I would get so many compliments,” she shared. “People would

See Full Page