Glory to God, there's a bun in my future.

I'm not much for plugging products, but today I'm going to make an exception. I may do it regularly. Then again, I may not. Because I'm decisive that way.

When I got pregnant the first time, I found that my only symptom was my hair falling out in handfuls. I'm talking HANDFULS, so much that it scared me. My doctor assured me it was normal and would stop after I delivered. I wondered if I would be bald by the third trimester.

Sure enough, it stopped a few weeks after delivery. Then on and off through the years, depending on where I was in the five pregnancies, the hair continued to fall out in alarming quantities. When we finally decided to stop procreating, my hair was pretty thin, but I figured at least I still had enough to twist up into a bun when I was old and gray.

Then I turned 40, and shortly thereafter, the big M hit. And oh my word, the shedding! It was more horrifying than ever. I asked hairdressers (they recommend whatever is the most expensive thing on their shelves at the time), doctors (they tell you it's normal and you really won't go completely bald), and even my mother (she was the only honest one, who said, Oh my word, the shedding! At least I got sympathy from her).

Somewhere in there, my three daughters became interested in organic stuff (for varying reasons). One of them tried a new shampoo called Organix and called us to report that her hair stopped falling out (she was pregnant at the time). So of course the other two daughters had to try it and agreed that, yes, the hair stops falling out!

But because I am a slow learner and just don't believe anything that sounds too good to be true can come from Target, I kept using whatever harsh, chemical-laden shampoo I had in the shower. One time my hairdresser asked what kind of shampoo I used. When I told her, she said I should use that for scrubbing the floor.

Finally, when I feared for my future bun, I broke down and bought my own bottles of Organix shampoo and conditioner. The girls were using the vanilla scent. I opted for coconut, since anything that reminds me of a beach smell has to be good.

And . . . I am not even making this up . . . within two weeks my hair almost completely stopped falling out! I used to wind up with a huge handful of hair in the sink after I combed it out, and now there may be 10-15 hairs. I'm not kidding! And I'm not getting paid to say this (although I might inquire about that).

Organix is available at Target and Wal-Mart. In addition to the vanilla and coconut scents, it also comes in tea tree, pomegranate, and shea butter varieties.

Be thankful ~

Karen