Analysis of a Dream

THE BACKSTORY
For years I've been coloring my hair and keeping it in the same style.  Recently I felt like my style was out-dated so I'm letting it grow out.  It seems that plain and straight is an acceptable style these days.  A few weeks ago I mentioned to a co-worker that I liked her hair color.  She said she just uses a lightening spray on her roots.  I tried it and liked the results so I've been considering "cutting" out my salon visits all together.   I've been going to the same hair guy for 20 years!  In recent years though my life has morphed in different directions so it's no longer convenient - but still I've been carefully scheduling and driving well out of my way to use the same guy so I feel like I really need to consider this carefully before I make any significant changes.

THE DREAM
I was talking to my hair guy and he told me he was diagnosed with leukemia.  I started thinking about the cancer being in his bloodstream.  I also wondered if he was going to loose his hair and be bald.

THE ANALYSIS
Most dreams are not literal.  It is unlikely that the hair guy is going to get leukemia.  The first question I need to ask myself if what is the first personality trait that comes to mind when I think of the hair guy.

"Knowledgeable"  For more than 20 years he's been talking to a variety of people all day long - so he is one of those guys that knows a little bit about a lot of things.  He also knows his craft.  He knows the science of hair.  We have had discussions about the safety of hair dye and other chemicals.

THE MESSAGE I TAKE AWAY
I need to get really knowledgable about the chemicals in hair dye and give this decision some serious consideration.  I don't think that my hair guy would lie to me or intentionally cause me harm - but at the end of the day it is his livelihood so he certainly can't tell all his customers that hair dye will give them cancer or he would loose the majority of his business.

THE FOLLOW UP
I read a few articles online and have decided to give up hair dye.  I believe that in standard quantities and frequencies hair dye is fine for most people.  But I am not most people.  I have recently had a medical diagnosis that confirmed my suspicion that my body does not process toxins like most people.  So, while the average woman may be fine getting her hair dyed five or six times a year my body can only handle two times a year.  Since I'm not a fan of the grown out roots look that means I may as well not even bother.

There are other options but I'm going to try dying it back to my natural brown and then not doing any color treatments for several months and see how I feel after that.  The irony is that there is more toxicity in darker colors so to get to the stage where I put no toxic chemicals on my hair I first have to put extra toxic chemicals on my hair.