Sylvie Meis: About the special relationship with her hair

Sylvie Meis
About the special relationship with her hair

Comb your hair in the morning after getting up, make it shine with a fragrant oil, and then consider: Would I like to wear it in a braid today, style it with hair gel or tie it in a bun? Or is my hair falling so beautifully today that I really want to wear it open? Questions that most of us can certainly answer within a few minutes. Why not: morning hairstyling is an integral part of the beauty routine. Something that many people probably don’t even think about because it happens intuitively and all by itself.

Sylvie Meis: “I celebrate combing my hair”

It’s a little different for me: when I touch and comb my hair in the morning, spray it with a hair perfume or put hair oil in my tips, then I do it consciously. You could even say: I’m celebrating it. Because the feeling of not being able to decide whether I would like to wear my hair open or in a braid was taken from me during a difficult phase in my life. Because of my breast cancer, I lost all my hair – and with it my self-confidence for the time being.

I can still clearly remember the moment when countless hairs lay on my pillow; then I knew: now we are going to start.

Getting gradually bald was never an option for me. So it quickly became clear to me: I have to have my hair shaved off. I made the appointment with a hair expert for cancer patients. And when the time came, I decided to go through the procedure alone and unaccompanied. In retrospect, however, it wasn’t a good decision. Because when I came back home with my wig on my head and saw my then-husband and my child swimming in the pool, everything broke down on me.

“I felt trapped in my wig”

The thought that I can’t just take this wig off because it was stuck to my scalp triggered a feeling in me that I had never felt before. I felt trapped. Trapped in my wig. But I didn’t have much time to pursue my thoughts and fears. My day-to-day work as a jury member of “Das Supertalent” should continue – and therefore also the step into the public and before the press.
In the first phase of my illness, I had my hairstylist Serena Goldenbaum cut a pony in my wig. This concealed the base of my wig – and I was able to hide a little behind it. I felt incredibly vulnerable at this point and the bangs gave me security.

Over time, I came to terms with my wigs more and more and learned better and better how I could style the different pieces. I had a short-haired wig at home, and long-haired versions for shows and red carpet appearances.

“I accepted myself as I was: without eyebrows, without eyelashes, without hair”

And at some point I was ready. There came a point where I accepted myself for who I was: no hair, no eyebrows, and no eyelashes. An absolute moment of liberation and, in retrospect, a very descriptive metaphor was my first dance as a candidate for “Let’s Dance”. I danced myself free from the fear of being trapped behind a wig and showed myself for the first time with my short hair. The feeling was overwhelming .

Since that gig, I’ve celebrated every inch of my hair. And what’s more: I suddenly felt incredibly strong with my short hair and beautiful. My eyes came out particularly well. I was also proud of the shape of my head, which was emphasized by the short hair.

Sylvie Meis: “I fell in love with myself all over again”

At this point I fell in love with myself all over again. I celebrated myself and kept saying to myself: Sylvie, you look great. And that’s something I would like to recommend to you too: Self-love. Dare to say: I like myself, I think I’m great! Because that’s you! You just have to recognize it and once you see it you will notice how strong that makes you. And never let yourself be persuaded that this attitude is arrogant. No, it is important and absolutely worth striving for. So next time you have to decide which hairstyle you want to wear today: take your time. Look at yourself and tell yourself that you look beautiful with every hairstyle.

Your Sylvie.