New research in the journal Cell describes how intermittent fasting, including 16-8 time restricted feeding and alternate day fasting, hurt hair growth. But there may be something you can do about it.
I guess I’ve read too much about HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup. Every time I read HFSC my brain filled in high fructose corn syrup. Acronym dyslexia.
I'm using topical DMSO for joint issues, but purported to have hair benefits as well, so another thing I might try. This is another forgotten treatment with multiple uses that is being rediscovered.
I'm not sure if the links to studies will open here, but it's a pretty thorough database of the research studies on DMSO. I'm usually extremely skeptical of products that claim to treat multiple disorders, but being a bit of a research freak I read many original studies and the process sounded interesting. My N=1 study trying it for late-stage hip arthritis and trying to avoid another hip replacement is turning out to be suprisingly successful, despite my initial skepticism. Like the Vit E for hair, I thought what is there to lose by trying?
I did tried the oral version as previously misunderstood the info…. That did not work. I am on severe hair loss and fasting mimicking diet caused it. Today i started application on my scalp and i will see…
Nick, I was hoping for a link to a published paper so I could see whether the fasting times were adjusted for mice. Fasting a mouse for a day would be like human fasting for a week? I just recently saw a video (Mike Mutzel of High Intensity Health) that talked about muscle loss and fasting for 6 days. I'm thinking this may all be pushback from the establishment, but perhaps not (at least in case of hair loss ;^). It certainly makes sense in a reproductive sense: at least it has been reported that people with luxurious hair are more attractive (which we now know are full of healthy hair stem cells and free of extra stress). - A bald ninja, ;^)
Nick, I was hoping for a link to a published paper so I could see whether the fasting times were adjusted for mice. Fasting a mouse for a day would be like human fasting for a week? I just recently saw a video (Mike Mutzel of High Intensity Health) that talk about muscle loss and fasting for 6 days. I'm thinking this may all be pushback from the establishment, but perhaps not (at least in case of hair loss ;^). It certainly makes sense in a reproductive sense: at least it has been reported that people with luxurious hair are more attractive (which we now know are full of healthy hair stem cells and free of extra stress).
What about Androgens? Someone told us about Coconut oil and Hexane free Castor oil and Rosemary drops. Do these oils have vitamin E? Is that why they work?
Thank you, what about Androgens? Just curious. Someone told me about coconut oil, hexane free organic castor oil and rosemary oil drops. Do these substances have vitamin E?
I googled this Coconut oil and castor oil contain vitamin E, and rosemary oil contains vitamins A, C, and B6.
Coconut oil
Contains vitamin E, but little to no other vitamins or minerals
Almost 100% fat, mostly saturated fat
High in MCTs
Castor oil
Contains vitamin E, tocopherols, and fatty acids
Has antibacterial and antifungal properties
Contains omega-6 and -9 fatty acids
Can be used to moisturize the scalp and support healthy hair
Rosemary oil
Contains vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as riboflavin, thiamin, folate, and niacin
Can be used to promote healthy skin and vision protection
You can mix vitamin E capsules with coconut or castor oil to use on your hair. You can also add a small amount of rosemary oil to the mixture to help with hair growth.
I'm not sure that's accurate. Contains and contains appreciable amounts are different things. Often, if you google Food X and Nutrient Y you'll get a false positive. Coconut oil has about 0.01 mg Vit E per Tbsp. By comparison, an ounce of Almonds has 7.7mg. That's 770X more. Also the RDA Vit E is 15mg. So to get your vitamin E (oral) from coconut oil, you'd need to consume about 180,000 Calories of coconut oil. Seem tough.
I would add that I personally found this very interesting because I have the same issue when I fast. I will be doing an N=1 with n-acetyl l-csrnosine, as it's the antioxidant I have on hand, and not fat soluble so possibly cosmetically improved. I won't be shaving my head, but I'll report on any perceived improvement.
Ok, fringe warning. I purchased it to mix into commercial eye drops, hearing that it could help with cataracts. I received a lot more product than I could possibly use, and read that it could be taken orally as an antioxidant / mood enhancer. I still have some left over. So now I'm going to try putting it on my head. I'm nothing if not curious.
The problem with N=1. Shortly after I started my life took some very stressful turns. I felt like I just couldn't turn off the cortisol. I have been experiencing more hair loss. But I honestly can't say whether it has anything to do with the carnosine, my hair loss often seems linked to anxiety. And I'd say my hair went from fuller than normal, to normal for me. I'm not balding, just back to my ordinary unsatisfying scraggliness. So again, I can't say if the carnosine caused the reversal, or kept it from being worse. 🙄
Since I know you've been trying to capture a larger audience, I should let you know I tried to present your article to my keto group, and they were very derisive. Basically they didn't read it at all, because of Dr. Evil and the somewhat sensationalist headline. Frustrating!
Hi Nick. I’ve been Keto for a few years now with 6 months of strict carnivore (N=1) to see the difference. I’ve just added back some berries, heavy cream, avocado and am inching my way back to keto. Over the last 3-4 months my hair has begun to fall out 🤔. I had stopped fasting during the carnivore cycle and just did a 60 hr fast when your article popped up. I’ll also try the topical E and report back. I know we’re all different in response to treatment, but curious if there is a timeframe (or rough guesstimate) as to how long it takes to kick in. Also, was this daily or weekly application? Thanks for all the research you do and for the great content you post. Much appreciated! Gail
Curious! I came on this study last week and smile! Maybe some patients are more fragile as the ones with alopecia, psoriasis or autoimmune disease but fascinating how different cells respond to the same stimuli maybe also in different times! Mitochondria overload in those area are suffering but vit E red and nir light and or cold can be helpful maybe locally!?
I will definitely consider an N=1 experiment. I have had two severe sheddings with extended fasting, and even now doing IF with no caloric restriction I have an uneasy feeling about my follicle stability. Wondering if a water-soluble antioxidant is a possibility, as I doubt the cosmetic effects of rubbing E oil on my hair will be particularly attractive. Any suggestions?
This might explain why my cat, who has severely reduced her food intake ( for unknown reasons to my vet) has lost all the fur off her back end, but appears to be surviving happily on very little food.
Fasting and TRF and keto diets do something else unfavourable- they dramatically increase your SHBG ( mine doubled after adding in weekly 48hr fasts for 3 months) which then reduced my free testosterone that I was trying to get from HRT. The testosterone is supposed to help me build muscle and lose weight and generally be a bit more enthused about life and I thought that having too much subcutaneous fat was aromatising it away to oestrogen, so I started the fasting which was way harder than when I was premenopausal. So, what to do? Should I eat more carbs to get my SHBG down, but then I’ll just get even fatter? It feels like a catch 22!
Elevated SHBG isn't necessarily bad. It's not only just binding sex hormones but is also a signaling molecule in itself. That said, if your free sex hormones are low then it could be something worth tweaking. But bear in mind there is a lot of inter-individual variation. So, it's also not wise to chase high numbers for the sake of it. I suppose at the end of the say what matters most is how fasting makes you feel.
I am suffering now in hair loss since I reintroduced fasting in June 2024.
It happened despite the caloric surplus… I am digesting all the content reg this topic as situation is dramatic.
Will try with antioxidants
Glad you found this interesting/useful.
I am already bald and very sexy! I am not worried! But if my GF starts becoming bald, I will be!
Haha. Own it brother!
I guess I’ve read too much about HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup. Every time I read HFSC my brain filled in high fructose corn syrup. Acronym dyslexia.
HFSC vs HFCS ... didn't even notice...
I'm using topical DMSO for joint issues, but purported to have hair benefits as well, so another thing I might try. This is another forgotten treatment with multiple uses that is being rediscovered.
What, the topical dimethyl sulfoxide?
I'm not sure if the links to studies will open here, but it's a pretty thorough database of the research studies on DMSO. I'm usually extremely skeptical of products that claim to treat multiple disorders, but being a bit of a research freak I read many original studies and the process sounded interesting. My N=1 study trying it for late-stage hip arthritis and trying to avoid another hip replacement is turning out to be suprisingly successful, despite my initial skepticism. Like the Vit E for hair, I thought what is there to lose by trying?
https://substack.com/redirect/adb2891c-60cb-4bdb-9c66-021497316a42?j=eyJ1IjoibnEyaWsifQ.t974vXVd4XORNoJm7Q9EWRuGAblv5r14P13P5Wp-Y1A
let me know how it goes. thanks for checking in
Hi Joanna, I found it wasn’t practical for me. Pretty messy to say the least. Much easier to apply to little mice! Have you given it a go?
I did tried the oral version as previously misunderstood the info…. That did not work. I am on severe hair loss and fasting mimicking diet caused it. Today i started application on my scalp and i will see…
Nick, I was hoping for a link to a published paper so I could see whether the fasting times were adjusted for mice. Fasting a mouse for a day would be like human fasting for a week? I just recently saw a video (Mike Mutzel of High Intensity Health) that talked about muscle loss and fasting for 6 days. I'm thinking this may all be pushback from the establishment, but perhaps not (at least in case of hair loss ;^). It certainly makes sense in a reproductive sense: at least it has been reported that people with luxurious hair are more attractive (which we now know are full of healthy hair stem cells and free of extra stress). - A bald ninja, ;^)
Nick, I was hoping for a link to a published paper so I could see whether the fasting times were adjusted for mice. Fasting a mouse for a day would be like human fasting for a week? I just recently saw a video (Mike Mutzel of High Intensity Health) that talk about muscle loss and fasting for 6 days. I'm thinking this may all be pushback from the establishment, but perhaps not (at least in case of hair loss ;^). It certainly makes sense in a reproductive sense: at least it has been reported that people with luxurious hair are more attractive (which we now know are full of healthy hair stem cells and free of extra stress).
It is linked in Newletter. But also here: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674%2824%2901311-4
What about Androgens? Someone told us about Coconut oil and Hexane free Castor oil and Rosemary drops. Do these oils have vitamin E? Is that why they work?
Looks like you posted this twice. Replied to other comment.
Thank you, what about Androgens? Just curious. Someone told me about coconut oil, hexane free organic castor oil and rosemary oil drops. Do these substances have vitamin E?
Sorry, not sure what you're asking about androgens with respect to coconut oil and vit E? I do not think coconut oil has much vitamin E at all.
I googled this Coconut oil and castor oil contain vitamin E, and rosemary oil contains vitamins A, C, and B6.
Coconut oil
Contains vitamin E, but little to no other vitamins or minerals
Almost 100% fat, mostly saturated fat
High in MCTs
Castor oil
Contains vitamin E, tocopherols, and fatty acids
Has antibacterial and antifungal properties
Contains omega-6 and -9 fatty acids
Can be used to moisturize the scalp and support healthy hair
Rosemary oil
Contains vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as riboflavin, thiamin, folate, and niacin
Can be used to promote healthy skin and vision protection
You can mix vitamin E capsules with coconut or castor oil to use on your hair. You can also add a small amount of rosemary oil to the mixture to help with hair growth.
I'm not sure that's accurate. Contains and contains appreciable amounts are different things. Often, if you google Food X and Nutrient Y you'll get a false positive. Coconut oil has about 0.01 mg Vit E per Tbsp. By comparison, an ounce of Almonds has 7.7mg. That's 770X more. Also the RDA Vit E is 15mg. So to get your vitamin E (oral) from coconut oil, you'd need to consume about 180,000 Calories of coconut oil. Seem tough.
I would add that I personally found this very interesting because I have the same issue when I fast. I will be doing an N=1 with n-acetyl l-csrnosine, as it's the antioxidant I have on hand, and not fat soluble so possibly cosmetically improved. I won't be shaving my head, but I'll report on any perceived improvement.
Oral or topical?
Ok, fringe warning. I purchased it to mix into commercial eye drops, hearing that it could help with cataracts. I received a lot more product than I could possibly use, and read that it could be taken orally as an antioxidant / mood enhancer. I still have some left over. So now I'm going to try putting it on my head. I'm nothing if not curious.
Well, you are curious!
How it went?
The problem with N=1. Shortly after I started my life took some very stressful turns. I felt like I just couldn't turn off the cortisol. I have been experiencing more hair loss. But I honestly can't say whether it has anything to do with the carnosine, my hair loss often seems linked to anxiety. And I'd say my hair went from fuller than normal, to normal for me. I'm not balding, just back to my ordinary unsatisfying scraggliness. So again, I can't say if the carnosine caused the reversal, or kept it from being worse. 🙄
Since I know you've been trying to capture a larger audience, I should let you know I tried to present your article to my keto group, and they were very derisive. Basically they didn't read it at all, because of Dr. Evil and the somewhat sensationalist headline. Frustrating!
Well if they don't like an Austin Power's joke that just speaks poorly to their sense of cultural and humor ;).
Hi Nick. I’ve been Keto for a few years now with 6 months of strict carnivore (N=1) to see the difference. I’ve just added back some berries, heavy cream, avocado and am inching my way back to keto. Over the last 3-4 months my hair has begun to fall out 🤔. I had stopped fasting during the carnivore cycle and just did a 60 hr fast when your article popped up. I’ll also try the topical E and report back. I know we’re all different in response to treatment, but curious if there is a timeframe (or rough guesstimate) as to how long it takes to kick in. Also, was this daily or weekly application? Thanks for all the research you do and for the great content you post. Much appreciated! Gail
And how is your progress?
Curious! I came on this study last week and smile! Maybe some patients are more fragile as the ones with alopecia, psoriasis or autoimmune disease but fascinating how different cells respond to the same stimuli maybe also in different times! Mitochondria overload in those area are suffering but vit E red and nir light and or cold can be helpful maybe locally!?
I will definitely consider an N=1 experiment. I have had two severe sheddings with extended fasting, and even now doing IF with no caloric restriction I have an uneasy feeling about my follicle stability. Wondering if a water-soluble antioxidant is a possibility, as I doubt the cosmetic effects of rubbing E oil on my hair will be particularly attractive. Any suggestions?
This might explain why my cat, who has severely reduced her food intake ( for unknown reasons to my vet) has lost all the fur off her back end, but appears to be surviving happily on very little food.
Fasting and TRF and keto diets do something else unfavourable- they dramatically increase your SHBG ( mine doubled after adding in weekly 48hr fasts for 3 months) which then reduced my free testosterone that I was trying to get from HRT. The testosterone is supposed to help me build muscle and lose weight and generally be a bit more enthused about life and I thought that having too much subcutaneous fat was aromatising it away to oestrogen, so I started the fasting which was way harder than when I was premenopausal. So, what to do? Should I eat more carbs to get my SHBG down, but then I’ll just get even fatter? It feels like a catch 22!
Elevated SHBG isn't necessarily bad. It's not only just binding sex hormones but is also a signaling molecule in itself. That said, if your free sex hormones are low then it could be something worth tweaking. But bear in mind there is a lot of inter-individual variation. So, it's also not wise to chase high numbers for the sake of it. I suppose at the end of the say what matters most is how fasting makes you feel.