God cares about every hair on my head

Subtitled: the day I used 'black' shampoo

My friend took me into an Indian store, handed me a 'special' bottle of "blackshine" shampoo, and told me I had to try this. Having dark blonde/very light brown hair, my skepticism increased as I read the bottle: "for black hair that lacks lustre", "Do you feel ignored when someone else outshines you with great black hair? And do you worry that you haven't done enough when your hair is not at its shiniest black?", "...nourishes from deep within to reveal blacker, shinier, silkier hair."

This worried me. She, however, reassured me that they are appealing to Indian women who all have black hair, and that she used it and her hair didn't get any darker (but then again, she has dark, dark brown hair!!), and that it would make my hair more vibrant. But that wasn't all...she opened the bottle to allow me to sniff the pleasant scent and reveal the jet-black color of the shampoo! The thought of putting something, that looked like the grease a mechanic would use, on my hair was quite unnerving. Somehow, my anxiety and skepticism didn't keep me from paying $6 and walking out of the store with this bottle of shampoo in my hand. (I need her to do marketing for me/CarePoint!)

I decided quickly that I would need at least a couple days to warm up to the idea of actually risking using the stuff.

So today, debating whether I should touch up the gray in my hair with color or try black shampoo (for black hair, to make my [blonde] hair blacker...and shinier), I decided to forego the coloring to try to get my hair healthier first...and maybe the black shampoo would help nourish it.

So...in the shower, I delayed the black shampoo as long as possible.... Then the time had come. I gently picked up the bottle, shook my head in disbelief at what I was doing, and squirted some in my hand. My head still shaking in disbelief, I inspected the color..."Oh, God, what am I doing?!?" With my fingers of my other hand, I touched the black substance, my head still swaying from left to right..."What is possessing me to do such a thing?!?" I'm confident it wasn't in disrespect, but rather a plea for help that "Oh, God; Oh, God; Oh, God" kept resonating in my head.

"Walk by faith, not by sight" came to mind (no doubt from my plea to Him for help), which I repeated to myself many times. I began to put some of the black shampoo in my hair (and then glanced out the shower door into the mirror to make sure it was turning white...like normal shampoo). Deciding it was all or nothing, I covered my entire hair with the stuff, massaging it in thoroughly. It smelled good, and seemed to have a good feel so far. Then, questioning the use of conditioner, I chose to resort to Aveda, something I trust.

The deed was done. Now would come the test..."When I open the shower door and look in the mirror, what color will my hair really be?" The scene from "Runaway Bride" flashed through my mind when Julia Roberts and Joan Cusack colored Richard Gere's hair with a rainbow color. There was a small hope welling up within me that it might actually darken some of the gray a bit...that would be nice. And I have been considering going a bit darker again anyway, so a slightly darker tint might be nice.... So the door opened, and there I was in the mirror...appearing exactly the same (gray and all) as before (but with a slightly elevated blood pressure).

I don't know about shinier at this point, but it does seem to be silkier. :)