How cancer treatment gave me curly hair and a new perspective - opinion

Brian Blum recounts an unexpected outcome of his cancer treatment: curly hair. This common post-chemotherapy phenomenon prompts a deeper reflection on the significance of hair, not just personally, but as a marker of identity and cultural shifts. "Hair is one of the first ways we learn to tell the story of who we are," writes sociologist Rose Weitz, a sentiment echoed by UCLA historian Robin D.G. Kelley, who states, "Style is never superficial. It is how people make history visible on their bodies."

Blum traces his own relationship with his hair from a short, suburban style in childhood to the quasi-Beatles cut of his junior high years, an attempt to emulate the hippies of nearby Haight-Ashbury. This era also brought a moment of public embarrassment when a substitute teacher mistook him for a girl, leading to the nickname "Briana." By high school, he aimed for a more masculine look, inspired by progressive rock stars, but his attempt at a mustache was met with a teacher's suggestion to use a felt-tip pen. Another attempt at a middle part was quickly abandoned due to relentless teasing.

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Hair is one of the first ways we learn to tell the story of who we are.

College marked a turning point, allowing Blum to grow a full beard and mustache, a look he maintained for two decades. He describes a period at Oberlin where he went without a trim, posing with a friend next to a poster supporting the Sandinistas, embodying a Marxist wannabe image. The essay uses these personal anecdotes about hair and style to illustrate how outward appearance can reflect internal aspirations and societal influences, even when the underlying ideologies are not fully understood.

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Style is never superficial. It is how people make history visible on their bodies.