I have a lot of hair. Pete used to have a lot of hair. We have three cats. Suffice to say that the house is pretty furry, and the vaccuum cleaner gets quite a work out. We are pretty used to it.
But I think I have now discovered why so many women who have long hair cut it short or shorter after they have a baby. It's not the grabbing little fingers or the barf, it's the shedding.
While you are pregnant, all the extra hormones and vitamins give you strong nails and luxurious hair. Once those hormones wear off, so do the strong nails and luxurious hair. Interestingly enough, I did not start to experience this effect until Finn was term, no matter that he had been on the outside since 6 months into his gestation and my pregnancy. There must be some sort of biological clock that is still timed to that 40 weeks, because I have been shedding a small dog every few days, and my nails have started breaking. I am not concerned about either of these things. Women don't go bald because of this, and I'll just cut the rest of my fingernails off once another one breaks. But the shedding, the constant tickling of stray hairs on the backs of my arms, the wads of long strands clinging to my clothes and sticking to the baby... those are irritating as... well, they are irritating as the thing that they actually are. There is no metaphor because nothing else--nothing trivial, at least--is bugging me this much.
Every time I get a shower and wash my hair which, granted, is not very often, I have a handful of hair left over, and every time I think "OK, that should take care of it." But no. It's so annoying that I am thinking about cutting almost all of it off, at least for the time being. It will grow back. Thing is, I am not on America's Next Top Model, and I don't have Tyra Banks telling me what to do, so I have no idea. I can't go too short; I really won't go above the collar bone unless something is super cute and won't make my head look like a pumpkin. I'd be willing to cut off enough to donate to a worthy cause. I just have to find a worthy do and summon the will to make that kind of change. I know I will still be shedding, but at least the strands won't be a foot long.
3 comments:
"mama...i wanna go with ya...i wanna have Truvvy cut my hair short. Afta have'n Jack Jr. i feel like make'n my life as simple as possible.i'm gonna go tell Jackson"
too-shay!!
so then we gots to do a photo shoot of yer locks before ya get'm all hacked up. always wanted to jack yer hair up to jesus and give ya a flo beehive with baby breath's cascade'n down the sides
you say when :)
Mattress~
ps...and as far as a "look" ya might wanna look into...an updated (or dated) Farrah is soo soo you!
Hm-m-m-I remember this--after Pete was born I had the shortest haircut in 10 years! It felt weird but I liked it!!
Sorry about the hair loss. And believe it or not the shedding of hair is even worse once you stop breastfeeding! I cut mine very short not long after Colin was born. For a little idea of how bad it is think Dorothy Hamill with curly auburn hair. It's not pretty. Colin is going to have to nurse for a long time so at least I can have some length with the bald spots.
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