Tahira Kashyap On How Cancer Hair Loss Changed Her 'Stupid Notion Of Beauty'

Filmmaker Tahira Kashyap has revealed in her latest Instagram post how losing her hair to cancer helped her shed insecurities and changed her 'stupid' ideas of beauty. In a lengthy post she begins with a warning that some of the multiple pictures she shared might not be for the faint of heart. Ms Kashyap writes of how the past months have been an 'extreme case of metamorphosis' and how her changing hair also helped reshape the perceptions of her seven-year-old son. Tahira Kashyap, who is married to actor Ayushmann Khurrana, was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer last September and often shares powerful stories and updates of her battle against the disease.

In her new post, Tahira Kashyap shares a compilation of photos of her hair at various stages - from long to gone. Ms Kashyap's post is dedicated to "women of all shapes and sizes" and is an emotional appeal to challenge conventional standards of beauty.

Tahira Kashyap writes: "From my obsession with long hair, associating beauty with rapunzel tresses, and hiding most of the time behind my hair (as I felt secure , lest my crooked nose, or freckles or pimples or simply not so chiseled face isn't exposed) to losing my hair, wearing extensions and a cap, going bald to now a short crop. I am enjoying every phase because somehow with hair I lost my insecurity, my stupid notion of beauty and my complexes. I don't know whether I'll keep long hair or not, in either case I am not going to hide my face. I don't claim to have refined beauty, but I have changed my own mindset and my biggest victory is changing the mindset and perception of my 7 year-old-son, the next generation."

Tahira Kashyap ends her post in an encouraging and supporting manner for all women by writing: "This post is dedicated to women of all shapes and sizes and to all those posts I get when they fret losing their hair during or after chemotherapy. You are beautiful now and always. "

View this post on Instagram

WARNING!! Before you swipe left, some pictures might not go down too well with your palette. But I am hoping there is a change in the perception of that one perfect flavour that we have always had. The last couple of months have been an extreme case of metamorphosis for me. And I am not categorising it whether it was from a caterpillar to a butterfly phase or vice versa. I could be the larva or the pupa or any other intermediate stage as each phase is unique and special. But there is a deep sense of acceptance when it comes to the life cycle of this creature. Taking a 'leaf' from this caterpillars life, I feel I have undergone a tremendous change mentally and physically too. From my obsession with long hair, associating beauty with rapunzel tresses, and hiding most of the time behind my hair (as I felt secure , lest my crooked nose, or freckles or pimples or simply not so chiseled face isn't exposed) to losing my hair, wearing extensions and a cap, going bald to now a short crop. I am enjoying every phase because somehow with hair I lost my insecurity, my stupid notion of beauty and my complexes. I don't know whether I'll keep long hair or not, in either case I am not going to hide my face. I don't claim to have refined beauty, but I have changed my own mindset and my biggest victory is changing the mindset and perception of my 7 year-old-son, the next generation. From running to get a cap and placing it on my head when I was losing my hair and had a bald patch to proudly introducing me to his friends when I was bald or now with short hair, I feel I am a part of a change. This post is dedicated to women of all shapes and sizes and to all those posts I get when they fret losing their hair during or after chemotherapy. You are beautiful now and always #acceptance #selflove #longhair #baldhead #shorthair #kifarakpaindahai #breastcancerawarenss #changingkarmaintomission

A post shared by tahirakashyapkhurrana (@tahirakashyap) on Apr 27, 2019 at 4:22am PDT

Tahira Kashyap has often written about her experience of battling cancer on her social media accounts. Last November, she tweeted about undergoing her final chemo session.

Work starts! #preproduction #HappyThanksgiving #gratitude pic.twitter.com/xhEhHyVd6W

— Tahira Kashyap Khurrana (@tahira_k) November 22, 2018

Tahira Kashyap and Ayushmann Khurrana got married in the year 2011 and are parents to two children.