Our Hair, Our Selves

I recently saw on TV an interview with Robin Roberts from Good Morning America, in which she discussed her battle with breast cancer. The cameras followed her over a period of time - at her chemotherapy appointments, at home, and behind the scenes at GMA. It was amazing to watch her go through what looked like an emotionally and physically exhausting process, and still remain professional and graceful while on air. I was really struck, however, when she said that the thing that caused her the most distress was losing her hair. My initial reaction was, frankly, shock. This woman was fighting a life-threatening disease, and she was concerned about losing her hair? But the other day at the salon, the daughter of a client came in for a haircut. We have not seen the client for a while because she is going through chemo. I asked the daughter how her mother was holding up, and was happy to hear that everything was going well, except that her mother missed her hair.

I know I shouldn't be surprised. I work at a salon. I see how important hair is to women. And if you saw the insane number of products in my bathroom, you'd think it was the only thing that mattered to me. I guess I just thought that it would be such a minor concern if you were battling cancer. But your hair is part of your identity, especially for women, and it would only make sense to be upset about losing it. I can't presume to know what emotional journeys women like Robin and our client have gone through. I do know that while I have those days where I may ask myself, "Does this really qualify as a hair emergency?", watching Robin's story is a reminder that beyond the latest trends in colors and cuts, what we do at the salon serves a meaningful purpose.