Intermittent Fasting Triggers Interorgan Communication To Suppress Hair Follicle Regeneration

December 2024 in “ Cell ”

Han Chen, Lei Zhu, Shiyao Cui, Yingqian Xia, Ke Zhang, Hanxiao Cheng, Jingyu Peng, Xiaoling Yu, Luyang Li, Hualin Yu, Jufang Zhang, Ju-Sheng Zheng, Bing Zhang

intermittent fasting hair follicle stem cells HFSCs hair regeneration apoptosis adrenal glands dermal adipocytes oxidative damage antioxidant capacity hair growth stem cells fasting

TLDR Intermittent fasting slows hair growth by damaging hair follicle cells.

The study examines the effects of intermittent fasting on hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and hair regeneration, revealing that fasting induces apoptosis in HFSCs, leading to inhibited hair growth. This effect is not due to calorie reduction but is linked to interorgan communication, particularly between adrenal glands and dermal adipocytes, which causes oxidative damage in HFSCs. A human randomized controlled trial with 49 participants confirmed that intermittent fasting significantly reduces hair growth speed by 18%. The study suggests that enhancing antioxidant capacity could mitigate these negative effects on hair regeneration, highlighting the need for further research on the impact of fasting on stem cell systems.

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