Hello, Mr. Barber. We haven't seen each other in 5 years.

When someone asks me when will I have my hair cut short, my usual joking answer would be: "When I start growing bald." All the while I hoped my genes would not turn the joke against me. I've been growing my hair for more than 5 years. My hair has been as much part of my appearance that co-workers hardly remember the time my hair was shorter. It has been both loved and hated by friends, colleagues and lovers. Personally, I only let it grow because I only wanted to see how long I could keep growing my hair until I am forced to stop it. It seems I may have to cut it all soon. One day my mother saw two bald spots on my scalp and I started to notice an increase in hair fall when I shower. So I had a dermatologist check me and she confirmed I have alopecia areata. The doctor who looked at me was a pretty girl who a bit younger than me, with a occasional nervous tics that was kind of worrying at first. (For all I know, she might have mild Tourette's. But she didn't spontaneously swear, which would have been awesome.) She spoke like a pre-school teacher, probably a mannerism acquired while talking to her usual patients. She explained how the illness is non-contagious, can't really be stopped from expanding, often stops by itself, and is either caused or aggravated by stress. I can't stop it, I'll have bald spots for at least half a year, and it's caused by stress (which is almost like saying it could be caused by anything). Great. That was last week. Now, I could tell I've grown almost a dozen bald spots in various places in my head, and soon my remaining hair might not be able to cover the bald areas anymore. By that time I have no choice but say good-bye to the keratin and dead cells I've cared for in the last 5 years. I may appear nonchalant but few people will understand how heart-wrenching it would be for me to watch my hair slowly cut off. And it feels like my appointment to the barber's will be set quite soon. So if anyone there is interested in buying almost 3 feet of curly hair, I might be selling some.