Not The Hair!

As those of you on treatment or familiar with treatment know, hair loss can be one of the side effects. according to the Department of Veteran's Affairs, 1 in 3 people will experience hair loss or thinning while on treatment. Unlike chemotherapy the thinning is gradual and generally does not involve complete hair loss.
Fortunately I had decided before going on treatment I thought I might want to try a shorter hair cut. Unfortunately I had also just dyed my hair to a color I really liked, which involved stripping the naturally dark brown to as blond as it gets which is kind of like an unripe pumpkin. Now that the "favorite color" dye is washing out and fading I'm left with a rather tacky, brassy reddish color and dark roots. Tacky. So ended up getting it cut short, hoping the lighter parts would look like highlights or tips or whatever but I realized I'd have to go way too short to pull that off. It's not THAT bad really, and I'm glad I did cut it because my hair is quite fine to begin with and it has thinned somewhat. Other than occasionally dying my hair, I usually am pretty low maintenance. I rarely use hairspray or "Products" I rarely even blow dry it unless it's winter and I have to be somewhere, so following the hair loss prevention guidelines has been pretty easy. The cut that I have and the fine texture of my hair is such that I seldom need to comb or brush it, I can just run my fingers through it and go. Now the big dilemma is, since I've been so "good" to my hair so far can I rationalize dying it? I've recently been experiencing some self image issues along with the other emotional side effects.  I've come to realize how I feel about myself impacts the way I look and vice verse. As with my hair, I'm not what you call high maintenance girl. I do, however, have my own distinct style (earrings, scarves and unusual jackets are kind of my trademark) and I realized recently that I have really let myself go. Since that epiphany, I've been trying a little harder to be mindful of my appearance, to wear clothes that I really enjoy and that are colorful and expressive, at the very least get out of my pajamas because there are plenty of days that hasn't happened. It has helped, on certain days, but there are other days it still doesn't feel worth the effort, then I feel depressed and the cycle begins again. Blah. One thing that won't require a daily effort is my hair, I'm going to go ahead and throw caution to the winds and dye it; and hope it doesn't fall out. And if it does I  do have lots of beautiful scarves!

Hair Care Tips:
Wear caps or scarves.
Use a wide-toothed comb.
Don't pull on your hair or comb it a lot.
Don't blow-dry, dye, perm, braid, or cornrow your hair

Victorian hair oil image courtesy of 'The Graphics Fairy" graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/
For more information on managing side effects and Hep C in general you can visit the Department of Vetrans Affairshttp://www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=treat-09-01
© 2010 Jennifer Hazard