Re: Fasting = Hair Loss? (extra searches added)

I don't think a 30 day fast will cause you any hair loss, but I think it depends on how well nourished you are at the start of a fast. Any particular reason for 30 days? If you just take it day by day, you can decide when to break it. Personally I prefer indefinite fasts. But I guess that's a matter of choice.

Anyway, regarding hair loss. If you google the following searches:
http://www.google.com/search?q=anorexia+hair+loss

http://www.google.com/search?q=starvation+hair+loss

http://www.google.com/search?q=fasting+hair+loss

http://www.google.com/search?q="water+fast"+"hair+loss"

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="water+fasting"+"hair+loss"

You will find that something called telogen effluvium crops up a lot, and I think this is the mechanism at work in all cases.

The trichological society describe it here: http://www.hairscientists.org/anorexia-hairloss.htm

"The hair follicles skip the Catogen phase and enter the Telogen (loss phase). The resulting excessive hair losses (telogen effluvium) commence 6-12 weeks later.

The average scalp has 84000 - 145000 hair follicles. In healthy persons at any given time, approximately 80-90% of scalp follicles are in the hair producing (anagen) phase, with 10-20% in the telogen phase. Normal average daily hair loss is 60-150 hairs.

In Telogen Effluvium, the anagen and telogen ratios change dramatically. Statistics are unreliable. The author has observed patients loosing all but the shortest hairs within 6-12 weeks of the onset."

The good thing is the hair grows back, some say better than before, however I don't think the number of hair follicles change, it may just seem that way after you lose so much.

If you get to the hair loss stage, I think you are pretty much very low on reserves. The body is starting to shut down non essential systems, to prioritize heart etc.

One other thing worth mentioning - distilled water. My own view on this is that the human body is used to getting minerals in water, so in a natural fast, one would be getting those minerals, the composition dependent upon source. When I fast I drink filtered tap water, it's fairly pure where I am.

Some people say that distilled water causes hair loss. It is said that it causes mineral "leeching", but I disagree with that. However I guess the lack of minerals may contribute towards quicker mineral loss and hence quicker hair loss, because the body may take some minerals from the water, if there are any in it.

I have ever had hair loss, because I am a cautious faster. However I did try distilled water once and it tasted unnatural to me, so I went back to filtered tap water.

Note that with this type of hair loss the effect seems to be delayed, but I think if you don't have a history of poor eating and don't have any other problems, you should be OK. I did 27 days and I still have a full head of hair.

Others may have slightly different views, not sure, but I would also be interested in any other opinions.