#156 - Don't Like My Bad Hair Year

Bad Hair Day... EVERY DAY!

​The hair is bad. Every morning I look in the mirror and I have to be reminded of this stupid cancer thing, that brought on my bad hair.

Yes, I appreciate not being bald, but my hair needs to be scolded for misbehaving. It is being rude and bothersome.

No Big Deal

My son has had everything from buzz cuts, to what I call, Fabio-hair. He's had a lot more experience than I have, when it comes to going from short to long. I don't remember Scott having issues. It just grew out. But of course, he's never had to deal with tricky, damaged hair follicles.  

Missing My Pixie

I can't believe I'm longing for the hair I had 6 weeks ago. I miss that tame little pixie that was growing in so neatly...

... before the chemo curls invaded.

Chemo curls. I didn't make that up.  I don't like that name. I will call them my little shrew curls. I need to work on the taming of my shrew curls, before I start looking like Little Orphan Annie.

 

Finger Waves
The waves moved in about a month ago. Now, when I reach up and feel the top of my head, it feels totally foreign. There's a spongy, springy, bouncy feel. Honestly, it does sort of amuse me when I give it a little pat.

But the finger wave fashion is just not something I feel I can pull off. Maybe if my hair weren't gray. Maybe if I wore a slinky dress with fringe. Or maybe if I took up smoking, I could look cool, with finger waves.

Bed Head

My mixture of curly and straight hair, gives me the just-rolled-out-of-bed-look... at all times. There are looping curls rolling down my neck and a Dennis the Menace sprout, that I've been trying to tame.  Do I really start cutting the hair that I've waited so long to have?

Buddy System

This would all be much easier if I had a friend who shared my post chemo issues. That's what I get for being super independent and not seeking out support groups or exchanging numbers with people I met in waiting rooms. I'm on my own now.

It's a bad comparison, but these past 9 months have kind of been like pregnancy. Like most, I faced my first pregnancy with lots of questions and worries,  but I was lucky to have a friend to share "bad hair days" and "big belly days" with.  Patti paved the way for me and we both were rewarded with sweet baby girls. 

The buddy system helped 30 years ago and I I could use it now... even without the fun reward at the end.

Hair Advice

So, like many people with out buddies, I turned to the internet. It was not a bit helpful.  

I found lots of tips on bows and barrettes. I'm sorry. I'm turning 60 in a week.  I am not going to start wearing bows and flowers in my hair.

Shopping Therapy

I'm typically not the kind of person who goes shopping when I'm down in the dumps... unless it's antique, junk or thrift shopping.

So that's what Don and I did last weekend and it did the trick. We did not purchase any baby heads, but we laughed a lot.

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Distraction

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Shopping helped! Don found a ridiculously fun instrument that he insisted I needed. It amused me to no end. I found some nifty, clip-on ties for $2.50 each, which we wore on an evening hike. The rubber boots seemed to complete the outfit.

So I found out that I do like bows, just not hair bows. These (along with my hat) take the focus right off my hair! Time to think about other things!