Fasting = Automatic Hairloss?

[NickalNack]

So for the past few weeks I've really been thinking about going on a fast, because I feel like my diet is terrible, I never have energy to do anything, certain bodily functions aren't quite as... functionable, and I also want to get more in touch with my spirituality, which I feel I've been neglecting for the past year.

I've been meaning to ask this, and I figured there'd be no better place to ask it than here. :cheese: Unfortunately, there's still one superficial concern I have before jumping into this.

My hair isn't terribly long, you see, and I was just wondering if I were to fast for a prolonged amount of time, or even just under a week, if I would see major hair loss? Does it depend on what sort of fast I am doing? Does it depend on how much or little I consume during said fast?

Has anyone in LHC ever fasted? How long? Did you see any particular decrease in hair mass by the time you finished?

Sorry, I know this is a lot of questions, and I know that if I am to go on a spiritual fast, that my hair should really be the last of my worries... but..... I still have hair goals, and I still want to meet them as soon as possible. :? This probably makes me seem shallow, and I'm sorry if it does, but I just really want to know.

[Anje]

I don't have experience fasting (decided to try it once and made it to 3pm, when I was shaking so badly I couldn't stand it), but I do have to question whether not eating is a good solution to not having energy and having a bad diet. Seems like it would be better to just start over with the diet and start trying to be healthier. Whether fasting has spiritual significance is really up to you -- my understanding is that a period of fasting is supposed to provide you time to focus on God, which probably works for many people, but if you're focused on how miserable you feel, you've missed the point.

[Tap Dancer]

I've never fasted and I never will. The body needs food. How about trying to drink more water and eat a little better? I think that will be better than "starving" yourself, which won't help your energy level.

[Madame J]

Have you thought about doing a "Detox" diet or "Juice Feast" instead of a fast? On those plans, you try to get enough calories, but get them from clean sources, either pure fruit juice, or from a small variety of foods that excludes red meat, dairy, soy, processed foods, and other common allergens. I would worry that not getting enough calories, firstly, and not enough protein, secondly, would cause hair loss.

I did a juice fast a couple years back on a silent retreat, and I found that when I don't consume enough, I get lightheaded and cranky, which detracts from any spiritual pursuit. I have the best luck meditating when I eat a clean, vegan diet, with a lot of raw foods, for a few days, and try to meditate before meals, rather than right after. I'm thinking about doing a cleanse similar to the Clean Program in a month or two, except instead of buying their supplements, I'll make two liquid meals and one solid from the Elimination Diet listed in their information booklet.

The other thing I've done for an extended period of time is put myself on an Ayurvedic diet to balance pitta, while I was studying for my qualifier. I didn't have any meat, caffeine, spicy food, or other foods thought to aggravate Pitta during the week before the exam. I didn't experience any hair loss, and I was able to maintain focus on last-minute studying without getting the typical digestive problems I have when I'm stressed.

One thing you mentioned is that it seems shallow to be worried about your hair during a spiritual pursuit. Well, not really. In yoga and Ayurveda, the external beauty of the body (i.e., health of the hair, clarity of the skin) is considered an indicator of internal health or non-health, so it's right to be concerned about something that might cause you to lose hair because it indicates something internally that's not being taken care of. So yeah, flat-ironing your hair on a retreat might be a little shallow, but worrying that you aren't eating enough to maintain your natural hair thickness and condition is not.

[myotislucifugus]

You won't see immediate hair loss from fasting, however, I strongly advise against it.

It can be just as spiritual to feed your body well than to fast. In fact, fasting can end up as a means to control, rather than submission to whichever faith you hold to. Be careful about it. It isn't really healthy for you. Most fasting in mainstream practice isn't complete, there is a period of time meant to break the fast.

[Bellalalala]

I've studied enough nutrition to never ever recommend fasting.

There are so many great eating strategies that will help your body function properly.

I've had to fast for medical reasons before and what it does to your body is hardly beneficial.

I've heard great things about Tosca Reno's Clean Eating book.
Fasting will likely just send you into a will-power breakdown and end up in the worst binge you've ever had.

I eat extremely well, and the only way I maintain my diet is by never going more than 2-3 hours without eating. If I'm never hungry, I never indulge in bad food.

My fiance and roommate (he's very overweight and has major health problems) both had terrible eating habits and major junk food addiction. I've helped them fix their diets dramatically.

PM me if you would like some specific strategies that have helped many of my friends and family.

And yes, your hair needs lots of protein and other nutrient and it is one of your body's last priorities...you do the math.

[NickalNack]

I don't have experience fasting (decided to try it once and made it to 3pm, when I was shaking so badly I couldn't stand it), but I do have to question whether not eating is a good solution to not having energy and having a bad diet. Seems like it would be better to just start over with the diet and start trying to be healthier. Whether fasting has spiritual significance is really up to you -- my understanding is that a period of fasting is supposed to provide you time to focus on God, which probably works for many people, but if you're focused on how miserable you feel, you've missed the point.
Well from what I've read, proper fasting (though... there are so many types! O_O) detoxifies the body and initially your body goes into shock from firstly not eating like it's used to, but also because it's then forced to rid itself of the toxins that are inside it, which doesn't feel very good. After at most three days you should feel fine. I'm sure there would still be days where it's not terribly easy, but they'd still be livable after getting into the rhythm of things. The longest I've ever lasted on a fast was three days (yeah, so I quit before the hard part was over, plus I was thinking about food the whole time. it wasn't spiritual at all)... but since I was fasting with someone else at the time, and by the second day she was eating m&m's, that wasn't exactly my greatest support system. :(

There's water fasting, which detoxifies the body and a rapid rate, but you don't consume any calories, so it generally shouldn't last very long.Then there's juice fasting, which causes you to still consume calories and nutrition throughout the day, while still detoxifying your body, just as a much slower rate. Then there's interminent fasting- bah, anyway, there are lots of ways to go about fasting, but I'm not just doing this for weight loss or health... though such benefits are tempting, they're also useless if I were to return to old habits when I was done (which is likely if my only focus is a quick fix for weight loss), but that isn't my main focus anyway. I'm not merely fasting on food, which I have a terrible relationship with, but other things as well. I'd rather not go into specifics of it though, since my reasons for this are extremely personal and I'd rather keep it private, but I know that I at least have to inform you guys that I am considering fasting in order to get some of my questions answered. :p Thank you for your input though.

I probably shouldn't have posted this thread though... I kind of wish I hadn't said anything.

[teela1978]

I know some people who fast once a month for religious reasons (I believe it's sunrise to sunset... not positive). And one of my friend's roomates does a fast of several days once in a while (he does the lemonade/cayenne pepper thing???). The monthly sunrise to sunset seems doable to me. The several days thing seems a bit much. An old roomate of mine used to occasionally do a 'cleanse' when she felt like she was eating too much crap. I liked her 'cleanse' idea better. Nothing but organic fruit/veggies/grains for a week or so. No alcohol, no processed sugar or carbs. The cleanse thing just seems like it would get you back on track for eating right, and would help to clean out your system a bit at the same time.

[NickalNack]

I've studied enough nutrition to never ever recommend fasting.

There are so many great eating strategies that will help your body function properly.

I've had to fast for medical reasons before and what it does to your body is hardly beneficial.

I've heard great things about Tosca Reno's Clean Eating book.
Fasting will likely just send you into a will-power breakdown and end up in the worst binge you've ever had.

I eat extremely well, and the only way I maintain my diet is by never going more than 2-3 hours without eating. If I'm never hungry, I never indulge in bad food.

My fiance and roommate (he's very overweight and has major health problems) both had terrible eating habits and major junk food addiction. I've helped them fix their diets dramatically.

PM me if you would like some specific strategies that have helped many of my friends and family.

And yes, your hair needs lots of protein and other nutrient and it is one of your body's last priorities...you do the math.
I'm not only doing this for dietary reasons...

Oh, never mind. I shouldn't have posted this thread.

[LaurelSpring]

I had a boyfriend that was an avid "faster". He belived that it cured him of many things and liked to get the toxins out of his body. He most always at least does a fast in Spring and Fall. Usually these can last up to and sometimes over 2 weeks. They are water fasts. To my knowledge he has never lost hair from it. He always has a big bushy head of it.

[LaurelSpring]

I'm not only doing this for dietary reasons...

Oh, never mind. I shouldn't have posted this thread.

Dont give up on it! There are alot of really good books out there on fasting. Check out amazon. My BF said that he had incredible energy when he was fasting. He said the first couple of days were hell but once he got through the initial detox phase that he was on top of the world and also had many spiritual experiences during his fasts.

[spidermom]

I did a 3-day water fast years ago, and all I remember is that the 3rd day was a lot easier than the 1st. I've also done the lemon/lime juice, maple syrup/molasses, cayenne pepper for 10 days on a couple of occasions. The hardest part was mental. I learned that I feed myself because of thought impulses far more often than I feed myself from true hunger. I had no increased shedding. I also had a much stronger spiritual awareness than I do when my body is busy with digestion and my mind is busy with thoughts of food.

[NickalNack]

I think a few people have misunderstood where I stand on this whole thing. I probably didn't make it clear enough in my original post.

I'm considering fasting to get into contact with God. That is my number one reason why I'm doing this.

Any other benefit or negative consequence that comes with fasting I'm willing to deal with, including minor hair loss, which would grow back after I started eating normally anyway. My hair is short. I can deal with it. I was just curious if hair falls out at a slow or accelerated pace depending on what sort of fasting a person does, but I guess I could have just looked that up myself.

I apologize if any of you thought I was just another teenager looking for a quick-fix weight loss method disguising itself as "fasting" and asking you all how to avoid losing my hair in the process, since I'm sure that happens a lot these days, on other sites anyway.

[Bellalalala]

I totally understand if you have additional reasons for fasting.

Some members of my close group of friends have very different spiritual practices than I do, and I respect that fasting is part of their lifestyle.

Do not take my post as a criticism, I only wished to offer my perspective and dietary alternatives as I did not know that you had additional motivations for fasting.

As someone who has had to fast, I know how hard it can be, and I wish you strength while you are doing it.

I do not judge your choice, I hope you know that. In fact I applaud you for seeking out any options to improve your body and mind.
You have absolutely come to the right place because I am sure that there are many people who can offer you the advice you seek.

My offer still stands, if after your fast you still want some tips on cleaner eating, feel free to PM me.

[manderly]

I have done 2 2-week water fasts before. I have never had any issues with hairloss.

Please feel free to PM me if you wish to speak to someone who is well informed on the benefits of fasting and not going to make you feel like "oh noes! you will starve to death!"

I actually would have fasted longer, but life always got in the way :rolleyes:

I am planning a 30 day fast this month.

ETA: I can also give you great educational links and you can read my fasting blog if you're interested in the day-to-day of it :)

Calista is another member here who has fasted. :)

[Bellalalala]

Thank you so much for your post clarifying your motivations, you don't owe anyone an explanation, but it does help us understand and offer better advice.

I wish you great success in your mission to be closer to God.

[manderly]

Now see, I find this attitude towards fasting unfair. When someone wants to fast to detox and to change their body's cravings and regain control over food, that's teh evil. But if someone gives the explanation that it's for spiritual reasons, that's fine and dandy.

No one should have to explain their reasons for fasting. People do all sorts of things not thought to be mainstream all the time, and they are not given the amount of crap that fasters are.

My :twocents:


Thank you so much for your post clarifying your motivations, you don't owe anyone an explanation, but it does help us understand and offer better advice.

I wish you great success in your mission to be closer to God.

[Magdalene]

I fast for religious reasons (both abstaining from food and water entirely (usually for a period of 12 hours before a sacrament) and also abstaining from certain foods for an extended period of time (ie Lent))

I have not noticed any hair loss from this.

[maskedrose]

I've also done a couple of fasts before, with excellent results. They were both 10 day juice fasts, but I did take Spirulina (a protein supplement) that really helped with the lightheadedness...plus its an excellent source of various minerals and vitamens. I didn't experience any hair loss.

[NickalNack]

I totally understand if you have additional reasons for fasting.

Some members of my close group of friends have very different spiritual practices than I do, and I respect that fasting is part of their lifestyle.

Do not take my post as a criticism, I only wished to offer my perspective and dietary alternatives as I did not know that you had additional motivations for fasting.

As someone who has had to fast, I know how hard it can be, and I wish you strength while you are doing it.

I do not judge your choice, I hope you know that. In fact I applaud you for seeking out any options to improve your body and mind.
You have absolutely come to the right place because I am sure that there are many people who can offer you the advice you seek.

My offer still stands, if after your fast you still want some tips on cleaner eating, feel free to PM me.
Okay, thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind. :D

[Bunnyhare]

I have fasted as the Lord has led me, and have had no physical troubles from it..if you are being led to do so then do! i think you would have to do it alot more than a few days to have hair loss and as i believe the Lord heals and supplies our needs,follow the spirit. Taking care of your body through proper nutrition is of course very wise, but if you are talking spirit led fasting then follow..thats just my opinion:0)

[swanns]

I'm with Bunnyhare :) I fasted for lent last Easter, which is 40 days. I ate three times a day, and tried to maintain a vegan diet (the only meat I eat is seafood, so this wasn't too difficult for me I guess) and only had something sweet on Sundays. I didn't notice any physical troubles at all, except for the occasional hunger of course but you know what, I think that only did me good.

I loved it and will definitely do it again next year. It helped me to keep Easter on top of my mind even when it still was weeks away.

I know a few people who fast by only dropping a thing or two from their diet - something they really like. A friend of mine didn't drink coffee, another didn't drink milk. Some people don't eat sweets, some try to keep from speaking ill of others. There are so many different ways to do it :flower:

[Bellalalala]

Now see, I find this attitude towards fasting unfair. When someone wants to fast to detox and to change their body's cravings and regain control over food, that's teh evil. But if someone gives the explanation that it's for spiritual reasons, that's fine and dandy.

No one should have to explain their reasons for fasting. People do all sorts of things not thought to be mainstream all the time, and they are not given the amount of crap that fasters are.

My :twocents:

I agree, in my post that you quoted I specifically said that she doesn't owe anyone an explanation. I simply thanked her for the explanation she did provide because it helped me to understand her better and offer more helpful words of encouragement.

I agree that there are many reasons for fasting, and for each person those reasons are just as valid and important as anyone elses.

Fasting is still a very hard, and I stand by my statement that I would never recommend it to anyone.
However, just because I wouldn't actively recommend it doesn't mean I think it's wrong.

If she were just looking for a way to help her bodily functions, because of my background, I would still recommend cleaner eating instead of fasting.
That said, I respect each and every person's right to choose for themselves, and they don't need to justify it to me to earn that respect either.

I may have a hard-core mainstream education, but I have a very open mind. I am proud to be a member of a community that is so diverse that someone looking for advice and support on this matter can find it so easily.

[manderly]

:toast:
To your response :)


Fasting is still a very hard, and I stand by my statement that I would never recommend it to anyone.
However, just because I wouldn't actively recommend it doesn't mean I think it's wrong.

I disagree, and there is a lot of really fantastic information regarding fasting both online and off.

[Flynn]

Longer-period (i.e. more than a day or two) "detox" and fasting do NOT "detoxify" your body. They are bad for your liver and kidneys in particular (and can cause permanent damage in rare cases), cause fluid and muscle mass loss, and are generally not good for you. There is a pattern of feeling rotten for the first day or so and then feeling light, airy and elated. This is commonly misinterpreted as "detoxification". It isn't: it's a pattern of starvation and, if you like, "toxification" as your liver and kidneys go mad, and is not a good sign. I would not be surprised if this sort of approach to fasting gave you hairloss, also. It is not healthy.

The religious/spiritual fasting I have experience with are Lent (Catholic family and friends) where very simple food is still permitted and Ramadan (I went on Sawm for Ramadan with a bunch of friends, one of whom was muslim, as part of an Islamic Awareness campaign) where you have this wonderful family (or in our case, families-and-friends) dinner after sundown. It was a great experience! (And I didn't loose hair for it >_o )

As a spiritual and a food-resetting approach, maybe try a model of one of these? Following a pattern like Ramadan might be particularly beneficial; make yourself a good, pure, healthy meal (like what you think you should be eating) in the evening, and you'll really, really enjoy it after fasting through the daylight hours.

[zombi]

To answer the question as I perceived it... no, I've not had any adverse hair effects from fasting. HTH.

[Aunteater]

I fast occasionally for religious reasons. Never for more than 24 hours at a time-- I have never noticed hair loss from this. For longer periods, I couldn't say.

If you're used to eating a lot of junk foods/starches/grains/sugars, then even a 24-hour fast is a pretty miserable experience, though. I know you said you wanted to try it for religious reasons, but you also mentioned diet: I'd recommend cleaning up your diet first, then try out fasting, if you still feel called to. Since I've cut the junk/etc. out of my diet, a 24-hour fast is no longer a big deal, and I actually find it very focusing.

Whatever you do, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons.

[Anlbe]

I've never noticed my hair falling out from fasting, but the longest I've gone without food is three days. Other than that I abstain to a vegan diet several times a year to both remove my petty addictions and to make me appreciate the wonderful bounty that I have easy access to, no hair-loss from that either.

The thing that I'm cautious about when fasting is strangely enough becoming addicted to it. Severely restricting your diet can lead to feelings of lightheadedness and euphoria, but worse the re-introduction of a balanced diet can be unpleasant. I sometimes get feelings of incredibly ickiness and revulsion, and the temptation can be quite strong to not begin eating again. So for me it's important to be supervised by someone when I fast.

[Igor]

I have had success with my fasts before and seen no increased shedding, but I drink a “detox water” derived from the master cleanser and eat protein bars or drink protein shakes to cover my protein (1 g per 1 kg per day)

I’m curious about the negative replies in this thread. Why is that? Especially those who don’t even reply to the hair-aspect but just feel the need to tell how bad fasting is. This is an honest question concerning hair health and not asking for your personal opinion about fasting. Consider me confused

The theory behind fasting is that because the human body spends so many resources and energy on digesting the food, a healthy human can go without food for long periods of time with no bad side effects and you can make your body focus its energy on rebuilding and maintenance instead

That being said, you are still technically fasting if you take in under 300 calories (I think. Or is it 200?) per day, you’re still fasting. So you can take in a protein supplement of one kind or another to make sure

[manderly]

Thank you for your informed response Igor :flower:

[WaimeaWahine]

As a long recovered Anorexic and a happy Buddhist...

I'm sorry you posted that you wished you hadn't said anything. The boards here are very accepting, though your desire for privacy is understandable.

The loss of hair from not eating is reversible. Meaning you wont permanently lose your hair. That never happened to me or any of the other women and men I knew who restricted their food intake. During short periods of fasting you shouldn't notice any hairloss.

It's when your entire body begins to sort of break down and suffer that you'll notice some thinning. A short to moderate complete fast (no food) would not really affect your hair as long as you are healthy and not vitamin deficient when you begin. If you are really concerned, you could have your vitamin levels checked beforehand and correct anything before you start.

From a spiritual perspective, it all depends on why you're doing it. As a Buddhist I shaved my hair down and sometimes completely off because it heightened awareness and removed focus on worldly possessions and desires (vanity). Whatever your reason, I hope you find the answers that you seek. :)

P.S. In extreme cases of fasting or restricting the body actually grows hair all over to protect and insulate itself.

[Deborah]

A very long, water only fast did not cause any hair loss for me.



p.s. Get off the poor woman's back. She did not ask for our approval for fasting, and does not need to explain herself. She just wants to know if it causes hair loss.

[wintersun99]

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[Natalia]

I dont see a problem with fasting as long as your reasonable and safe. My sister is a nutritionist and i have a fair bit of knowlege myself and as long as your careful no permeneant harm done (given you dont have any medical conditions where it would be advisable to forgo fasting).

Ive never done it on purpose really but on just pure liquids like water and unsweetened/unfiltered juice i went about 3 days. I wont even get into the circumstamces that got me to that lol but the first day is the worse followed by dinner time on the second at least for me after that its easy. When iw as younger i couldnt go more than 3 hours without eating becasue iw ould get nauseas. Once i hit 16/17 i just didnt need as much food and as i got older nor did i need to eat as often. Now i have digestive issues which have me all over the map but after the inital energy loss i always feel better. But becasue of absorbtion issues and allergies i do my best not to do that often, just when i really need to be productive.

Oh and to get back to your question (sorry got side tracked and irked by all the negative replies) since i have never done a propper fast i wouldnt know about hairloss sorry :shrug:

[lacereza]

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