The toxic waste dump of my head

I had my first perm when I was 13 years old. Since that time, I have probably had about 10 perms or less - spread out over 2 to 3 years, with the most recent in Taipei in March. I use a ridiculous amount of hair-care product to make my hair manageable - leave-in conditioner, mousse, gel, hairspray, and a product that adds "shine" and tames the frizzies and fly-aways. Add to that that I don't wash my hair everyday to let natural hair oil accumulate, and that I don't use shampoo formulated to remove the build-up. When I contemplate all the chemical sludge that has been seeping into my scalp and brain over the last 17 years, I consider whether or not I could be a future candidate for brain cancer. Today, I made do with the glossing product.

Related to that, the make-up thing is going to be tough. I have been wearing make-up since my early teens as well - minimal, natural make-up, but make-up nevertheless. Cosmetics are ridiculously expensive for the amount of face paint you get - so what I have usually done is get the makeover at Sephora or a department store make-up counter, and purchase the palette range of the product for cheaper prices at discount stores. I go thru cycles where my complexion looks dull, and I remember a time when I hated the coated feel of make-up on skin, but like most negative impressions, I learned to ignore them.

With the recent discoveries in class regarding plastics, I must also reconsider contact lenses. I have worn them for 17 years. There are plenty of mornings where the eye rejects the lens, burning and watering and red. If I am feeling particularly impatient, I'll give it a rest and wear the glasses. But usually, I wait for the inflammation to subside before popping those suckers in. Often, there is nothing visible on the lens, no irritant that would have provoked that puzzling reaction. Were it not for plastic, I would not be able to see. But I wonder about what impact the chemicals from plastic may have had on my eye/eye-sight.