Losing my Hair

{ June 3, 2010 @ 10:00 pm } · { Living }
{ Tags: Barbie, blond, chronic illness, hair, losing hair, medication side effects, methotrexate, Paris Hilton, RA, rheumatoid arthritis, short hair }

Yesterday I lost my hair.  Well, I didn’t really lose it.  I know where it is.  It’s in a trash can somewhere at my beauty salon.

My husband loves long blond hair.  If he had the choice, he would divorce me and marry Paris Hilton.  But, I don’t see that happening anytime soon, so, I’m still sleeping well (at least when RA lets me).  I’ve been letting my hair grow out for about six years now and its gotten pretty long – Mid back length.  And yeah, its blond, even though I’m partial to red hair.  I’ve always figured that my hair is more important to my hubby than to me, after all, he is the one who has to look at it.  It’s one small thing I can do to make him happy – and until lately it wasn’t a big deal to me.

That is…until I started losing it.  I’m sure it doesn’t help that we have black sheets on our bed, but I started noticing globs of long blond hair all over the bed.  And all over the bathroom, and all over the house!  I could run my hands through my hair and pull out a fistful of locks.  I was panic-stricken for a while.

Then I started having major issues with my hair’s upkeep.  With my wrists and hands being swollen, painful, and somewhat immobile, keeping up my long hair was really a chore.  Washing it was difficult, blow drying it was painful, and styling it was becoming impossible.  I would go days without washing it and I looked horrid, and a messy ponytail had become my mainstay.

I finally got fed up!  So, yesterday, I chopped it off!

I made the appointment a few weeks ago, and I thought I might chicken out.  I thought I would get upset.  But, as the appointment approached, I was giddy!  When I told my beautician my intentions I think she questioned me a dozen times before she started snipping.  I expected to be overcome by emotion, and I was – I was thrilled!

It felt like I had been wearing a heavy, itchy wool sweater and I finally got to take it off.  It was like pounds of weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I slept so much more comfortably last night not fighting with a ponytail or sweaty hair sticking to my neck.

So far, my husband claims to like the new look.  I’ve had a few comments from unknowingly rude friends.  “Why?” they ask.  “Are you crazy?”  “It was so long and pretty!”  I blow it off because I realize they have no clue that I am sick.

So, I might not look like long hair Barbie anymore, but short hair Barbie is pretty sexy, too!  And, if I keep losing my hair – maybe Barbie can rock the wigs!  (Maybe even a red one!)