Spring Has a Ripple Effect
I remember one day, as a teenager, when my family was getting ready for a wedding. I felt very ugly out and out place. My grandmother who was visiting from Chicago had just congratulated me on putting on weight. She thought was a compliment; I was crushed. On top of that, my face was shiny and I hated that. Why did I have to be the one with oily skin?
My aunt walked with me outside to talk to me. She said, "Let me tell you a secret. I had oily skin all my life and your mother never did. But then you get older and see? Look who doesn't have wrinkles!" She laughed wickedly. "Don't hate your skin; you're going to be thankful for it later on."
It turned out that she was right. My face has definitely stayed more youthful over the years, as much as I have bemoaned having to blot a shiny nose. Because my scalp is like my skin, I've always had to wash my hair every day to keep from looking like I'm homeless. However, I've retained shiny "Breck Girl" hair, as well, so I suppose that's been a decent trade-off.
And then came chemotherapy. One of its side effects is dry skin. Suddenly, I didn't need to blot my skin ever. It was kind of cool. On occasion my skin became extremely dry in patches, like around my mouth, but otherwise, I was enjoying having a matte finish on my face. When my hair started growing back, I found that I could (if I really wanted) go a week without washing my hair and no one would know the difference. Of course, I'd have to use a ton of conditioner on my hair because it felt like dried straw and it didn't have a hint of shine, but how convenient to not rush to wash it first thing in the morning.
Then, this week - five months after my last chemo infusion - my body changed. Overnight, my skin and scalp have returned to normal. Yep, out of the blue, I'm washing my hair every day and tucking Clean & Clear oil absorbing sheets into my handbag. Go figure!
I would complain about the lack of convenience of having oily skin and hair again, but I'm reminding myself of my aunt's words. I'll be glad ten years from now!
This just goes to show that the body can re-orient and recover in amazing ways, even after traumatizing treatments such as chemotherapy. All it seemed to need was a little bit of time and the systems found their way back to normal. Today, I wish everyone renewal. It's a good thing.
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