True Roots: What Quitting Hair Dye Taught Me about Health and Beauty

by Ronnie Citron-Fink

Like 75% of American women, Ronnie Citron-Fink dyed her hair, visiting the salon every few weeks to hide gray roots in her signature dark brown mane. She wanted to look attractive, professional, young. Yet as a journalist covering health and the environment, she knew something wasn’t right. All those unpronounceable chemical names on the back of the hair dye box were far from natural. Were her recurring headaches and allergies telltale signs that the dye offered the illusion of health, all the while undermining it?

So after twenty-five years of coloring, Ronnie took a leap and decided to ditch the dye. Suddenly everyone, from friends and family to rank strangers, seemed to have questions about her hair. How’d you do it? Are you doing that on purpose? Are you OK? Armed with a mantra that explained her reasons for going gray—the upkeep, the cost, the chemicals—Ronnie started to ask her own questions.

What are the risks of coloring? Why are hair dye companies allowed to use chemicals that may be harmful? Are there safer alternatives? Maybe most importantly, why do women feel compelled to color? Will I still feel like me when I have gray hair?

True Roots follows Ronnie’s journey from dark dyes to a silver crown of glory, from fear of aging to embracing natural beauty. Along the way, readers will learn how to protect themselves, whether by transitioning to their natural color or switching to safer products. Like Ronnie, women of all ages can discover their own hair story, one built on individuality, health, and truth.
 

Genres: Nonfiction

200 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising information about the potential danger of hair dye and other cosmetic ingredients. We think these things are safe simply because they are available to us and assume someone is looking out for our health. Not so much. I found the information eye opening. I could relate to the emotional aspect of aging and gray hair as I have started my own grow out journey for several reasons - most addressed in the book. Informative and empowering.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very interesting book with a lot of information I had never heard before about the beauty industry and hair dye industry. I picked it up at the library when it caught the corner of my eye because I have developed an allergy to a chemical in hair dye called PPD after dying my hair for several years. Now after also developing a sensitivity to chapstick I start to wonder about all these chemicals and products we are constantly exposing ourselves to. I think this book has a lot of merit and will blow you away. I also like her take on aging with confidence!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Came across this serendipitously, just before I was about to cave and dye my hair again. Recommend it for anyone growing their hair out or concerned about all the chemicals in their beauty supplies and their impact on the environment.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you color your hair, it is worth taking the time to read this small book. I was surprised to find out about the potential risks of many hair dyes. That the onus is on the FDA to prove that cosmetics and hair products are unsafe rather than the beauty companies to prove that their products are safe. Many types of colors and products sold in the US are not allowed to be used in Europe. Hairdressers have much higher risks of certain types of cancer and auto immune disorders than the average person, which much be scary if this is the career you have chosen. Also if we use all this toxic stuff on us, what does it do to the environment as it washes down the drain?

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes to the affects of hair dye, especially the darker hair dyes, on the consumer, the hairstylist and the environment. They are carcinogenic. I feel like our culture/society expect women to dye their hair to cover grays and once you go down the rabbit hole, is hard to climb out of. It should be a conscious decision, made after being aware of the potential effects and not a social norm.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encouraging, yet terrifying! Ronnie is very honest about her struggles to give up dye... which is personally encouraging for me. I chose to embrace my silver this past spring. But the scariest part of this book is not just the multitude of harmful chemicals in beauty and personal care products that her research revealed. It's the blatant disregard for women's health by these corporations, and the lax oversight of those in power to make changes.

Don't let the small amount of politics in this book scare you off. It's a riveting and revealing book everyone should read, not just those contemplating going silver.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is no question that ageing both gives us the experiences that form our lives and makes us more vulnerable. We lose not just our hair color but also our fertility, often our flexibility and strength, even our damn eyesight. Yet fighting ageing as if it were a disease is a losing battle. You can't defeat time; you can only decide how to spend it."

Everything you didn't want to know (but now you do and there is no going back) about the beauty business, the environment, and the chemicals involved. This book definitely makes you think about what is running down our drains and what those chemicals are doing to our bodies. We need to start living a more mindful life for future generations. Thank you to my work-mate, Michele, for the recommendation.

P.S. If I thought my hair colour would look like Ms. Citron-Fink's, I would go cold-turkey today. Since I am not that brave, baby steps will have to do.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, i’m happy i’m going natural but i’m scared to death to ever shampoo my hair again! 😂