DEAR MISS MANNERS: After surgery for a cancerous tumor and six months of chemotherapy, I lost all the hair on my entire body. I am grateful that I am alive, but I am struggling with comments regarding my hair.
My hair was one of my best features. It was a beautiful color and texture, and I received compliments often. Now, I don't know what to say when people comment on my very short hair. I have a wig, but it's tedious to make sure it's on correctly, and is very uncomfortable on hot days.
I know my hair will grow back and that a good stylist can restore it to its former beauty, but in the meantime, the questions and comments sting. I don't know how to respond.
GENTLE READER: "I had something done" -- leaving it purposely ambiguous whether it was for health or aesthetic reasons.
Sadly, suggesting that it was a fashion choice will likely garner less follow-up than the more personal question of your health. But perhaps Miss Manners may be underestimating human nosiness even in that.