In getting a haircut, I’m always adamant that the barber not “texturize”/thin the front of my hair, which is already thinning considerably. Sadly, my new barber did just that unpromted. My question is: is the damage permanent or will the shaft return to its normal (albeit miniaturized) thickness?
A bad hair cut is a bad hair cut. It is not permanent. In time your hair will grow for the next round of hair cut.
Hair loss from genetic causes is different. It gets worse with time and you may find that a bad hair cut just makes things look a lot worse. As your hair grows back out (from a bad hair cut) you may perceive your hair status to be worse than it was before the hair cut. But that may just be a recollection bias coupled with the steadily worsening hair status. It is human nature to blame something tangible like a hair cut – something you can control. It is often hard to accept the progressively worsening hair loss that you have not much control over.