Last Updated on November 9, 2023 by Fasting Planet
If skin woes get you down, then you’ve probably tried all the latest skincare products on the market. What you put into your body can be just as important for clearer skin as what you put on your body though. That has you wondering, can fasting improve your skin at all?
Intermittent fasting can help your skin, but it depends on the condition. If it’s acne, autophagy may remove damaged cells for a clearer complexion. You can also combat wrinkles and other signs of aging through intermittent fasting. For eczema and psoriasis though, it’s believed that fasting may create deficiencies that could cause flareups.
In this article, we’ll explain more about which skin conditions intermittent fasting can help with and which it may be best to speak to a dermatologist about. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know whether a fast will benefit your skin.
Intermittent Fasting for Healthier Skin: Which Conditions Can Fasting Help With?
Wound Healing
When you get a wound, does it feel like it takes forever to heal? Part of this could relate to age, as our body’s healing abilities diminish as we get older. Some diseases can also retard the speed of wound healing.
Through fasting, it may be possible to speed up your wound healing time. A 2019 report in the journal Nutrients found that when mice fasted for four days in a row in two-week increments over two months and were wounded, they healed faster than non-fasting mice.
The study authors deducted that it was the mice’s lack of calories that was responsible. The mice also had a healthy boost in macrophage activity that allowed for the accelerated healing to occur.
Dull Skin
It’s no secret that an intermittent fast causes more autophagic activity within the body. Autophagy, as we’ve explained on this blog, is a process where your cells recycle old and damaged parts. This ensures only the healthiest cells survive, keeping you in great shape.
Skin cell turnover through autophagy could leave you with a glowing visage. So too can resetting the system as you do through an intermittent or longer-term fast, as the cleanse removes toxins that may make your skin look lifeless.
Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Premature aging can occur if you get too much sun exposure, eat a bad diet, smoke frequently, or consume excessive amounts of alcohol.
If your diet regularly consists of processed foods, sugars, fats, and carbs especially, by cutting these foods out during an intermittent fast, you’ll lessen inflammation. This is important, as inflammatory damage can wreck your skin’s elastin and collagen, causing those wrinkles you don’t want.
To keep your skin looking great even when you’re not fasting, make sure you eat balanced, nutritious foods.
Acne
Remember how we said before that fasting cleanses the body and acts as a reset button? That’s a crucial component when combatting acne. Through both autophagy and the removal of waste, some fasters with acne may see a reduction in pimples.
Two studies have linked fasting with less acne, this 2011 report in the American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology and a 2016 article in the journal Autophagy.
Not only can autophagy and detoxing erase in fasters, but so too does omitting foods that can contribute to the skin condition. Whey protein powder, chocolate, fast food, and dairy can cause or worsen acne in some people, especially if it’s hormonal acne. When you don’t eat these foods, you can expect better skin.
Which Skin Conditions Can Fasting Worsen?
Intermittent and longer-term fasting has been proven to have a whole host of benefits outside of clearer skin. These include weight loss, a potential increase in metabolic speed, and even a longer lifespan as autophagy keeps your cells healthy.
That said, fasting is not a cure-all for every skin condition. If you have an autoimmune disease, your skin condition might not disappear like acne or dull skin does when fasting. In some cases, it even worsens.
If you have the following skin conditions, speak to your doctor and your dermatologist before starting a fast.
Eczema
Eczema causes rough, cracked, red patches of skin that get quite itchy. In some cases, the skin patches worsen to the point that they become blisters. Eczema can happen in certain areas or all over the body.
Science has found a link between consuming dairy and nuts and worsening cases of eczema. However, according to a 2019 article on MSN about fasting for skin health, fasting could cause nutrient deficiencies that can cause eczema flareups.
For short-term intermittent fasts that last a day or two, you shouldn’t have to worry about such deficiencies. If you’re a longer-term faster with eczema though, then you might want to consider shortening your fasts.
Psoriasis
Fasting and psoriasis also don’t necessarily mix. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes a skin rash on parts of the body or across its entirety. This rash is red, itchy, splotchy, and multiplies quickly. Cold weather, stress, and infections can worsen psoriasis.
The MSN article notes that fasting can affect those with psoriasis the same way as eczema sufferers, that if the fast lasts long enough for nutrient deficiencies to develop, it will hurt your skin more than help it. That said, since fasting can bolster your immune system, it could be a way to reduce eczema flareups. You may want to reach out to your doctor and dermatologist to see if fasting for psoriasis is right for you.
Conclusion
Skin maladies are common, but many can be treated or lessened by intermittent fasting. By avoiding trigger foods, detoxing your system, and lessening inflammation during a fast, you may notice your skin looks better than ever. You’ll have a younger-looking, glowing visage and even less acne and other blemishes.
If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis or eczema, fasting in some cases can cause nutrient deficiencies that worsen these conditions. We always suggest seeking medical advice before starting a fast in these cases.
Best of luck with your fast, and here’s to healthier skin!