Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent Fasting - Anybody Here? Hair experiences?

[Wusel]

I'm on a Keto Diet and IF since 2014 for health reasons. I had Diabetes and it's gone on carb-free diet. Sugar levels perfect. Anybody else here who does this and has very long hair? I eat only fat and protein and only in a 5 to max 8 hour window. Not sure if this is good for fast hair growth or not. I mean, there is a ton of benefits from Keto diet and IF. Anti-Aging, clear skin, cells renew faster... I see it on my skin. It looks better than 6 years ago and didn't age at all. But theoretically there is no nutrition for my hair during 16-18 hours... hmm.

[akurah]

If you are eating *enough* food with the right nutrients, I doubt your body cares how you ingest it (ex: if it's between a specific window, or if it's 24 tiny meals over 24 hours) within a single 24 hour period. We, as a species, already generally fast for about 8 to 12 hours anyway when we sleep overnight, and historically, we would fast longer based on food availability. Muslims also fast during Ramadan unless they have a medical exception, so humans can tolerate fasting. Nonetheless I am not knowledgeable enough about IF to speculate on fasts longer than 24 or so hours.

I personally am not a fan of the keto diet for a number of reasons unless you are epileptic, but that's neither here nor there. Insofar as keto's side effects on hair, I was going to suggest googling "Keto side effects", but most of the articles I got were biased heavily, and the ones biased for Keto won't help you, and the ones biased against keto I think would just offend you. This is the least biased looking one from my 5 minute search, and I do not see listing of anything hair, skin, or nail related as a side effect of keto: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317431.php

Frankly, if you have been on it since 2014, if you are not noticing any ill effects in your fingernails, you are unlikely to have any ill effects on your hair. The side effects would have shown up by now, and it would have shown up first in your fingernails most likely as it's generally more obvious and visible there.

[cjk]

The idea of three meals a day is fairly recent and certainly not necessary.

Keto is high in protein and when done right is perfectly healthy. And hair is protein.

Hair changes, commonly loss, are a common side effect but that's due largely to hormonal shifts as your body heals on the earlier stages. Pregnancy is pretty common too. Keto babies are a thing.

You're long term. You're stable. You're healthy. You've got this.

[Chromis]

We have threads here for both with information which you are seeking. I've done both for years and have calf-length hair, but no time to type out more.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I have been doing IF since January of this year and had no ill effects on my hair. In fact, going from DH's measurements it has gone from 58" last December to 63" now. Unusual though that may seem. I don't know if that is due to the IF or some other reason.

[hinabelle]

Hi! I have been doing keto since early 2016 and all different types of fasting since late 2016.
My skin, hair, and nails are much healthier than they were before I started either of these lifestyles.

At the most basic explanation, the processes which happen most frequently in your body include replacing hair, skin, and nails.
Through keto and/or fasting, your body has devotes less energy to hormonal regulation (insulin), catabolism (breaking down food),
and energy storage (converting glucose to a storage-friendly form of energy).
That means your system is less 'bogged down' by these processes, and has more energy to devote to keeping the rest of your body running at optimal turnover for processes that happen more quickly -- hair, skin, and nails for example.

Source: I just graduated with a life sciences degree and fasting/keto research has been my pet project since I began in 2016

[Pajarita]

Hi! I have been doing keto since early 2016 and all different types of fasting since late 2016.
My skin, hair, and nails are much healthier than they were before I started either of these lifestyles.

At the most basic explanation, the processes which happen most frequently in your body include replacing hair, skin, and nails.
Through keto and/or fasting, your body has devotes less energy to hormonal regulation (insulin), catabolism (breaking down food),
and energy storage (converting glucose to a storage-friendly form of energy).
That means your system is less 'bogged down' by these processes, and has more energy to devote to keeping the rest of your body running at optimal turnover for processes that happen more quickly -- hair, skin, and nails for example.

Source: I just graduated with a life sciences degree and fasting/keto research has been my pet project since I began in 2016

This is really encouraging. I've felt good doing a cyclical keto diet over the last few years as far as energy, blood sugar regulation, and weight, etc. But I was treating my hair too poorly to notice any beneficial effect. Sounds like committing to a vegetable-rich keto diet AND taking care of my hair (for once) will work well to get me to my goals.

[ritza]

I’m currently doing IF,but I just started so I’m learning..I make sure to take my daily vitamins.

[Wusel]

Thank you all very much Sounds like I'm on the right path. I mean, I have to do it anyway to keep my blood sugar on a good level, but, yes, since I do it I see tons of positive side effects on my skin, nails, hair too. I went through a huge shed last year, that's another reason why I have cut it, but it was due to stress. I was written sick for months again and finally, after so many years, got the correct diagnosis and know now why I'm so overloaded often. I was diagnosed with high functioning autism (Asperger's) and a 146 IQ. Which makes my life so hard sometimes. So, I'm practically the female version of Sheldon Cooper. LOL! And Keto plus IF help with autism sensory overloads too.

[Wusel]

I’m currently doing IF,but I just started so I’m learning..I make sure to take my daily vitamins.

I take vitamins too. Just in case. And because I don't eat fruit and veg at all. I have to be under 20 grams of carbs per day and don't tolerate fibres from veg and fructose from fruit. So, I get diarrhea when I eat fruit or veg. So, therefore I take Vitamin C and A. Everything else I get from nuts, eggs, meat, fish and dark chocolate (95%, love that).