A Short Cut for Health

Since learning of my allergy to PPD in January, I’ve taken baby steps to remove the chemical from my life. Since it’s virtually impossible to do so (hello, laptop keyboards and cool phone cases), I’ve purchased clear silicone covers for my tech devices. Dark eye makeup is gone from my styling routine—and until my face has completely recovered, no makeup touches the area around my eyes.

The one thing I couldn’t easily eliminate without shaving my head, was the hair color I’ve used for many years to “beautify” my locks. For two weeks I debated the pros and cons of keeping my hair long. While the outside observer would think my allergy had gone away, every time my hair touched my face, I itched. Keeping my hair pulled back in a ponytail worked for a day, but I just didn’t want to look like a cheerleader at the office. I decided to chop the hair and maintain it at super-short layers until my natural hair grows long enough where I can do something with it.

Coffee with my sister Cheryl before the haircut

The new style

I have consciously grown my hair long for six years. My stylist Christina Hardesty has been with me through this entire journey, even keeping me from cutting it short after my car accident in 2016. My past has been one of shocking transitions when it comes to my hair, going from long to short with no in-between state. While this new look is incredibly different from what I’ve had in recent times, it didn’t come from a place of wanting to be different or to draw attention to my daring nature, which was the motivation in my younger years. I laugh that what I used to do for selfish reasons, I now had to do out of true medical need.

Can you believe I had this much hair? My boot is for reference (size 8).