Nothing beats a new hairstyle to mark the beginning of a new chapter in any girl's life.

On her first day of living as a liberated woman, Susan Mellen visited a hair salon to have her hair colored. Wasting no more time following the 17 years she spent in prison for a crime she did not commit, the 59-year-old wrongly convicted woman strode towards May Hair Salon and sought the expertise of Eby Carillo, a hair stylist.

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Although she did have opportunities to experience haircuts during her 17-year incarceration, Mellen felt that acquiring a new look following her liberation from a wrongful arrest and conviction would be a symbolic signifier of the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

"I had so much gray hair, and then I just thought, you know, it'd be nice to have my hair colored, just to feel good about yourself," Mellen shared.

Mellen was accompanied by her daughter Jessica, who stayed in the salon and watched her mother's transformation from beginning to the end. The mini-makeover included having Mellen's gray hair covered. In addition, Carillo added some highlights and lowlights throughout to accentuate her features. Mellen's hair was also layered some more to further improve her look. Upon reaching the concluding portion of the makeover, both mother and daughter's emotions were overflowing.

"I see a whole different head and a whole different person, it's just amazing," Mellen shared.

Moreover, the 59-year-old claimed that experiencing this kind of luxury after 17 years of restrictions still leaves her questioning whether it was real. Mellen shared that finally getting freed after a long period of incarceration still feels surreal to her. She describes it to be like a dream she's only awaiting to wake up from.

Despite the suffering she went through due to wrongful proceedings, Mellen shared that she held no grudge against the system or the witnesses.

"It was by the grace of God that I think I had joy and peace and love in my heart, but my kids kept me going because they were always doing good," she shared.

The murder conviction of Mellen had been overturned on Friday by Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold in Torrance. Subsequently, the 59-year-old was released on Friday evening.

TagsSusan Mellen, Murder, May Hair Salon, Eby Carillo