Damage Control, Edited by Emma Forrest: Introspection and Insight, But Not For the Squeamish

From time to time Harper Collins sends me books to review, and about a month or so ago the book Damage Control: Women on the Therapists, Beauticians, and Trainers Who Navigate Their Bodies, edited by Emma Forrest, arrived in my mailbox.

I have no earthly idea why they sent this book, other than the timing was right, but since I’m always on the lookout for current items to review for this blog and I’ll try anything once, I read it.

Damage Control is a collection of essays about and by all those people who help take care of women’s bodies - hairdressers, manicurists, masseurs, plastic surgeons, aestheticians, and the like (what do you call the person who does the bikini waxes?

Just goes to show how inappropriate this book was for me, since my idea of a beauty regime is a haircut every 6 months and maybe taking a machete to my legs every once in a blue moon, whether they need it or not).

The collection examines the intensely personal relationship that develops between these practitioners and their clients from both sides of the relationship. It is a good mix of well-known names and the “unknown” professionals who take care of them.

My favorite essay was by Minnie Driver, where a chance encounter with a French hairdresser teaches her how to accept and love the hair she was born with.

Laren Stover’s telling of her year of training under a Chi Gong master was both illuminating and sad.

Editor Emma Forrest’s own “A Fixed Ideal” about her relationship with her tattoos and the various artists who inked her perfectly illustrates the phrase “intimate strangers.”

Rachel Resnick’s “Touch Me” is shocking, painful, and sad.

Lena Levin’s “Body Lessons” examines the frightening ways our psyche’s come to terms with abuse.

For me this book was at the same time entertaining and educational. Since I could never be accused of being a girly girl and have the eyebrows to prove it, this book gave me a look into a world I know almost nothing about, though honestly I don’t think I’m any more likely to go in for a bikini wax than I was before. It was fascinating.

It is not a quick read, however. These stories deserve to be reflected upon and internalized, not glossed over like your favorite beach novel. Forrest writes about Damage Control “It’s real women writing about real things with raw honesty and courage and balls. And hope.”

And for this reason, we should all read it.