Fasting has always been related to some kind of health disposition from better digestion to metabolic optimisation. However, recently, people have started raising questions about whether fasting has any say on the health of hair. Some say it grows; others think it triggers hair loss. So, is fasting for hair growth a good idea? Or can that make the hair fall out? Let us get this sorted in this blog.
Intermittent fasting(IF) is the cycle of not eating for a part of the day with a defined eating period. Intermittent fasting is less about what to eat and more about when to eat. There are different strategies for this. For example,the 16/8 method – where you fast for 16 hours and eat within 8 hours. Then, there is a 5:2 diet – a periodic calorie diet where you eat normally for 5 days and then reduce calories to 20% for two consecutive days.
Some research considers this approach to help with weight maintenance, metabolic benefits, and cellular repair. Yet, its effects on hair growth and hair loss in intermittent fasting have stirred up points of discussion and debate.
Nutrition is directly related to hair health. Consistent delivery of vitamins, minerals and proteins is what hair follicles need for them to continue through the growth cycle. Fasting or extreme fasting, especially when not done right for a longer period in general, results in these deficiencies:
These are highly hair constructed nutrients. Some people swear by intermittent fasting as an eating pattern that entails cycling through periods of fasting and feeding. However, intermittent fasting can have both good and bad consequences. It can balance hormones and inflammation; inversely the two pathways are to a healthy scalp. Conversely, deficiency in what can potentially cause hair to become brittle tand hin and can increase shedding, too!
A lot of people wonder if fasting would accelerate or slow down hair growth. It depends on whether the fasting is done correctly or not. Short-term fasting does not seem to have a significant impact on hair, but fasting (or long-term calorie restriction) can trigger faster hair loss. The body in calorie deficit mode will prioritise things like brain function and heart function over less critical processes, which include hair growth. Therefore, fasting hair loss can occur as the hair enters the telogen withdrawal stage quickly, resulting in more and more fallout.
In fact, a small clinical trial found that when 49 young, healthy adults fasted for 18 hours of the day had an 18% decrease in the mean hair growing time. This indicates the possibility of hair growth slowing down under fasting states because of impaired energy availability for hair follicle function.
Although intermittent fasting has lots of amazing health benefits, it needs to be done right for healthy hair. Many people attest to hair shedding as a result of intermittent fasting. As seen before, this could be because fasting sometimes results in a low-calorie intake or decreased protein intake.
Keratin is what the hair is composed of. So, lack of proper protein consumption can make the hair weaker and result in hair loss. Also, other nutrient deficiencies, like B vitamins, iron, and omega-3s, can contribute to hair thinning. This raises the question: can intermittent fasting cause hair loss? If fasting leads to nutrient deficiencies, it may accelerate hair shedding.
The causes for a large amount of hair loss could be many. Key factors include:
In case fasting makes you go into any of these condition,s it may speed up the hair loss.
One common question many people have is, “Does stress cause hair loss?”. The short answer is yes. Cortisol, a hormone released by the body when faced with stress (emotional or physical), frequently sets of conditions like telogen effluvium (mass shedding). The body regards prolonged fasting as a stressor and increases cortisol levels. High cortisol can interfere with the hair cycle and cause a lot of hair to fall out. So, stress indeed causes hair loss, and fasting can add a lot of stress to the body (unfortunately, not in the magical detox kind of way).
Here are some ways to stop hair fall while fasting:
| Approach | Explanation |
| Eat adequate protein | Eggs, fish or lean meat, tofu and legumes are great sources of high-quality protein in your diet. |
| Have your vitamins and minerals. | Make sure you have enough iron, zinc, biotin, vitamin D, and omega-3 three fatty acids. |
| Hydrate | Lack of water can dehydrate and increase hair shedding. |
| Attend to stress levels | Practice relaxation, yoga or meditation to lower cortisol levels. |
| Avoid compulsive caloric restriction. | Ensure you are feeding more calories than you are burning overall and keep your hair from drying out. |
| Keep an eye on your hair condition. | If you see heavy shedding, adjust your fasting schedule or talk to us. |
Poor nutrient absorption may also contribute to hair loss caused by certain medical conditions, and fasting will increase these effects if eating leads to nutrient imbalances. A medication often brought up when discussing hair loss is the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) called Sertraline.
So, does sertraline cause hair loss? Though this is not a common side effect, some people have found it to be causing more hair fall while on these tablets. Fasting may alter the way medications are metabolised in the body. Thus, it conceivably adds insult to the damage done in the prescription-caused shedding for some.
Fasting can be of benefit for your health in general, however, as to hair, it depends on how the diet is practised. Fasting for hair growth may sound like an interesting idea from a concept level. But the harsh truth is that hair health and nutrition are intrinsically related. Unbalanced fasting, which results in deficiency or even overstress of the body can be a catalyst for hair loss. Balanced fasting – keeping the diet rich in nutrition can definitely provide the best results.
If fasting or even other factors have affected your hair health, Zestige offers reliable solutions to help restore and maintain fuller, healthier hair.
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