Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Story of the Prodigal Hair…

The hair that grew back after chemotherapy

With the launch of the new Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range, Dove and IndiBlogger decided to present the “Love your Hair and it loves you back” blogger contest. Wow! What amazing attractive prizes to win!

With the announcement of the contest I started thinking about my hair and it reminded me the story of the prodigal son. My hair was there on my head, thick and strong, always, since the time I can remember. I never bothered to care or nourish it ever. The time my Mom spent removing the knots, oiling it and combing it neatly was spent by me reading a book. My only contribution for the whole process was the whimper I would let out when I felt a tug on my hair............ before continuing with my book. My mom took good care of our hair by oiling it with pure coconut oil and washing it cleanly with warm water. She did not trust us with our hair care until we were quite grown up.
For me, the hair was of not much importance at all. I never suffered from hair fall or dandruff, so I think that means my Mom loved the hair it loved me back making it kind of three street affair. I had no time to love it. I was always busy with books, games or being naughty. The two plaits hanging on my shoulders never got any love or attention from me.

My hair has very much similarity to the parable of “The Prodigal Son”. I studied in a convent. Some of the lovely memories of those times are the moral stories we would come across during our moral science period. I could never empathize with one of the characters back then. It was the father in the parable of ‘The Prodigal Son’. I sympathized with the elder brother who had served his father so well, but sadly his goodness was never observed, which is well expressed in his own words, "Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes; you killed the fattened calf for him." When the father explained to him how the joys of having found someone you have lost calls for celebration, I felt anger surging in my heart. I loved narrating stories and parables to my son, but, this one was always left out; as I felt what the father had done, was absolutely wrong. He should appreciate his good son more and express his appreciation to him.

I cannot say I have totally changed my mind now,but somehow I can understand the joy the father felt when the son returned to him. The change came with the treatment for breast cancer which involved chemotherapy. I did not pay much attention to the part of hair loss which would accompany the treatment, because my concern at that moment - for the surgery, my physical changes, death, and above all my children,, had pushed the impending hair loss to the back of my mind. It was only after the second cycle of chemotherapy, when one fine day my hair decided to give me a scare by coming out in bunches as I tried combing my it, did I realize that I would go bald for at least few months and had to deal with it. By the time I finished brushing my hair, my lap was filled with enough strands to make a wig. Filled sadness and bitterness, I was totally confused and I did not know what to do with it. I calmly dug a hole and buried the hair. My sense of humour was missing that day. I did not have enough information or coolness to donate it to making a wig which my daughter did after 12 years. I had half hair still left on my head but I knew that in no time they are going to come out and soon I will have to deal with total hair loss bravely. I could have shaved all of it and spared the trouble of having them fall down all over me, but back then, not being familiar with chemotherapy, side effects and a young foolish woman, I lovingly held on to the whatever strands were left on my head until one fine day they said goodbye to my scalp and left it bare. It scared my kids to see their Maa with bald head. More than fear it was the concerned and worried looks they gave me which wrung my heart. If I were smart I could have shaved off their tiny heads with mine and had fun with a good bold and bald family, unfortunately I was not cancer smart back then.

Days went by and I slowly got adapted to the bald head. I used to feel kind of cold and light headed earlier but slowly it started to feel normal to be bald. People would give me stares and ask questions at times. Someone offered me flowers to wear on my head as a joke. Some predicted that my hair would never grow back. Someone used my head as a band to beat on it rhythmically. I hurt inside but did not show it outwards. It was no time for fun for me. I was fighting a rough battle for my life and all these people could see was the joke on my bald head. Aaahhh! How boring life would be without such people around us (Sarcasm).
Unknowingly I developed a habit of running my hand over my bald head and loved the smooth feeling of it LOL. One fine day I felt something rough on my head as though it was having a bad rash, which worried me. But to my pleasant surprise I saw there was some hair sprouting on my head. This is something I would say the ‘WOW’ hair moment of my life.

My hair turned up more curly and short after my Chemotherapy. It was not the same type of hair I had earlier. I love my new hair. Although I have learnt my lesson and realized that I am same person even with the bald head…….. not everyone is smart enough to know it. So my hair deserves love, care and pampering.

I am quite excited with the launch of Dove’s products of New Dove Nourishing Oil Care, because, I can now treat my prodigal hair with the love and care it deserves. There is no need for my Hair to feel rough and dry after a hair wash, because ordinary shampoos will not be allowed to strip my hair of its natural oils hereafter. New Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo which is enhanced with Vita-Oils will go deep inside my hair fiber and help lock in the nourishment of oil; making my prodigal hair smooth, shiny and beautiful with every wash.

On the tough hair days or when I am exposed to sunrays or wind, the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo with Fiber Actives and Vita-Oils give Vitamin enriched nourishment will make my hair resilient to damage.

I will not have to fear rough hair anymore because dove has taken care to fight Dryness is the very first sign of damage, which makes my hair, look dull and feel rough. I am going treat my hair with Dove Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner that has the power of double nourishment which will restore my hair's smoothness and softness.

My hair has got used to oiling because my mom used to oil it regularly. I am used to leaving the oil in my hair overnight which doesn’t bother me at all. I am very excited to try the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Vita Oil Serum which has Vita- Oils to replenish my hair with essential oils.

Dove also has Nourishing Oil Care Repair Mask to nourish the hair from deep inside and effectively repair the damaged hair.

I think it is time for celebration all over again and have the ‘Wow’ hair moment once again in my life with Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range of products.