Coping with Hair Loss - Friday, September 18, 2009

No matter how hard I have tried to become used to the idea of looking like a concentration camp victim, it still shocks me every morning when I look in the mirror. It is so difficult to fathom looking this way for another six plus months. Please understand that I am grateful that I still have hair all over my head. It is just that I kind of resemble my dad. He had that little "flip top" look men often wear if you can picture what I mean. I remember that it used to take him ten minutes to fuss with his "do" every day. He began by taking a boxer's stance in front of the bathroom mirror and vigorously rubbing some kind of home-made concoction into his scalp. Then he would smack his head a number of times. (I think to get the circulation going - I never had the guts to ask.) The finale occurred when he would ceremoniously comb the hair around his head then give three swift strokes to the "flip-over" part on top. Lastly, he would nod his head at me and smile as if to say, "Now I am ready to face the world." It always amazed me that it took longer for him to complete this process than it took for me to comb my hair. However, now I understand. When you have so little to work with it is extremely important to make sure you get the look just right.