Every woman has a story to tell about her hair. It is part of the feminine identity, part of the style, and part of how long it takes to get ready in the morning. My hair is just plain curly, very curly. As a child I had the dark brown kinky Jewish curls that just had to go. I so wanted to be blonde with long straight flowing locks.
I started my hair straightening career when I was about 8 years old. I sat in the salon chair for hours on a Saturday with the chemicals working on my hair and burning my scalp. After a set and comb out I would walk out with my mom happy but with a head also wearing sores and a few bald spots here and there.
Hair, it was worth it. I could smooth out the kink after using these chemicals and putting it on large rollers when ever it got wet....I learned to sleep on them. I do not have a clue today how I and other girls did that. We would dippity do our hair and place it around orange juice cans and then the head would meet the pillow and we actually would fall asleep. My hair was never long enough to iron it.....
When I was 19 I visited my brother and sister in law in Canada. I forgot some important implement to my hair care. It was a problem and Terri, my sister in law told be that enough was enough....I was to get it all cut off and go natural. For some reason I agreed. Off it came and there I was with a 1970's afro al la white girl. I grew to like it ....what I liked more was the ease of just being me and no muss no fuss......this was the way to be.
After my second baby for some reason I thought I would try straightening again. What was I thinking? Yeah it was fun for a few months but no way did I want to maintain upkeep. I wanted to be free again......so natural was the way.
About 7 years ago I cut it again in a new style.......no more pulling it back in clips. I was out there with my Angela Davis hair. Loved it! And in the past years I have had more complements on my hair, "I just love your hair" every where I go. It has been so fun....people like my hair! Amazing! When I was a child not only I hated it but it was cause of teasing by others. Now I get special attention........so sweet and fun for me.
Now the cosmic joke! Do you think life is funny? Do you really? Just when I am in my 60's and beauty is fading into the creases and folds I start loosing my hair! What? That is not funny. After all, I am the curly haired woman. My hair is my muse for my sculptures. My hair is my signature characteristic. Now, when I am in the veggie aisle and someone says, "I love your hair" I mumble under my breath, "Yeah, hope I get to keep it." It is the ultimate cosmic joke working on my ego and vanity. I have frontal fibrosing alopecia....you can not tell yet but, I can see and feel that my hair is leaving my head. I have already lost all of my eyebrows and my hairline is definitely moving with a blank spot or two above the ears. Crazy!
The hair loss may stop in its tracks (I hope, I hope) or it may not. There are a few "medical" things that I am trying.....the Dr. tells me to be hopeful. I have already dreamt of what kind of wig I would get. And you know, I am not thinking curly. I still want salt and pepper but how about long and straight with bangs this time. I could have a pony tail like I never had before or I could wear it down or up on the top of my head. I also am carrying a light weight turban in my purse just in case that day arrives when I can no longer hide it.......
But wait, maybe I found another answer......this alopecia is an autoimmune condition like my Hashimoto's disease (thyroid). I have just embarked on the Paleo Autoimmune Approach Diet......it makes a lot of sense and since the medical world really does not have much for this condition I think I will try to eat my way with meat and veggies back to good health and save my hair. Where the thoughts of a long straight wig sounds fun in a way, I think I like the "I love your hair" comments from sweet people in the world. What a gift my curls have been for me. They are worth saving so bye bye wine, bye bye nightshade veggies, bye bye nuts and seeds, bye bye many other things.......so maybe I can have those curls stick around into my older and older age and I can watch how the gray invades and takes over....I can just be me....it is that, or a smooth head for my new identity.
Why am I telling you this? Guess it is my way to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I started my hair straightening career when I was about 8 years old. I sat in the salon chair for hours on a Saturday with the chemicals working on my hair and burning my scalp. After a set and comb out I would walk out with my mom happy but with a head also wearing sores and a few bald spots here and there.
Hair, it was worth it. I could smooth out the kink after using these chemicals and putting it on large rollers when ever it got wet....I learned to sleep on them. I do not have a clue today how I and other girls did that. We would dippity do our hair and place it around orange juice cans and then the head would meet the pillow and we actually would fall asleep. My hair was never long enough to iron it.....
When I was 19 I visited my brother and sister in law in Canada. I forgot some important implement to my hair care. It was a problem and Terri, my sister in law told be that enough was enough....I was to get it all cut off and go natural. For some reason I agreed. Off it came and there I was with a 1970's afro al la white girl. I grew to like it ....what I liked more was the ease of just being me and no muss no fuss......this was the way to be.
After my second baby for some reason I thought I would try straightening again. What was I thinking? Yeah it was fun for a few months but no way did I want to maintain upkeep. I wanted to be free again......so natural was the way.
About 7 years ago I cut it again in a new style.......no more pulling it back in clips. I was out there with my Angela Davis hair. Loved it! And in the past years I have had more complements on my hair, "I just love your hair" every where I go. It has been so fun....people like my hair! Amazing! When I was a child not only I hated it but it was cause of teasing by others. Now I get special attention........so sweet and fun for me.
Now the cosmic joke! Do you think life is funny? Do you really? Just when I am in my 60's and beauty is fading into the creases and folds I start loosing my hair! What? That is not funny. After all, I am the curly haired woman. My hair is my muse for my sculptures. My hair is my signature characteristic. Now, when I am in the veggie aisle and someone says, "I love your hair" I mumble under my breath, "Yeah, hope I get to keep it." It is the ultimate cosmic joke working on my ego and vanity. I have frontal fibrosing alopecia....you can not tell yet but, I can see and feel that my hair is leaving my head. I have already lost all of my eyebrows and my hairline is definitely moving with a blank spot or two above the ears. Crazy!
The hair loss may stop in its tracks (I hope, I hope) or it may not. There are a few "medical" things that I am trying.....the Dr. tells me to be hopeful. I have already dreamt of what kind of wig I would get. And you know, I am not thinking curly. I still want salt and pepper but how about long and straight with bangs this time. I could have a pony tail like I never had before or I could wear it down or up on the top of my head. I also am carrying a light weight turban in my purse just in case that day arrives when I can no longer hide it.......
But wait, maybe I found another answer......this alopecia is an autoimmune condition like my Hashimoto's disease (thyroid). I have just embarked on the Paleo Autoimmune Approach Diet......it makes a lot of sense and since the medical world really does not have much for this condition I think I will try to eat my way with meat and veggies back to good health and save my hair. Where the thoughts of a long straight wig sounds fun in a way, I think I like the "I love your hair" comments from sweet people in the world. What a gift my curls have been for me. They are worth saving so bye bye wine, bye bye nightshade veggies, bye bye nuts and seeds, bye bye many other things.......so maybe I can have those curls stick around into my older and older age and I can watch how the gray invades and takes over....I can just be me....it is that, or a smooth head for my new identity.
Why am I telling you this? Guess it is my way to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
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