Nofap Benefits for Hair Regrowth and Skin

Abstinence from masturbation or Nofap is not an entirely modern phenomenon. Celibacy has been a central practice in the major religions of the world. Even traditional medicine practices such as Ayurveda prescribe abstinence as a balancing practice. 

The modern Nofap movement has also become popular in recent days, with an active online community prescribing it. Of late, these online forums have been playing a major role in generating major buzz around Nofap benefits for skin and Nofap benefits in hair. 

What is Nofap?

Nofap is an online movement that promotes abstinence from porn and masturbation. 

Fap is a popular slang that refers to masturbation. So No – fap means No masturbation or practice of celibacy for self-pleasure. 

Alexander Rhodes was inspired by a study claiming that abstinence from masturbation resulted in a 145.7% boost in the testosterone levels of men. So, he initiated the conversation and the challenge about quitting masturbation as a post on Reddit. 

The Nofap movement received enthusiastic participation and engagement from people who wanted to quit porn and masturbation. Eventually, as its popularity grew, the community shifted to its website and trademarked the Nofap term. You can find many online forums and communities that act as support groups for people taking up the Nofap challenge.

Over time, Nofap has also evolved from just being about ejaculation or masturbation. Nowadays, the movement takes a more holistic view of personal growth and living a healthy and happy life. 

There is no significant scientific evidence about the advantages of Nofap. But you can find plenty of information online about Nofap benefits for skin and Nofap benefits in hair. These insights come mainly from people who take up the Nofap challenge and share their experiences online. 

Visible improvements such as a natural glow in skin and healthy hair are often assigned to the Nofap lifestyle. In this blog, let us have an in-depth look at the claims of Nofap benefits for skin and hair and try to understand the arguments behind them. 

Benefits of Nofap for Skin

There is no conclusive scientific or medical study that shows the benefits of Nofap for the skin. However there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from people who are practising Nofap. These benefits might have been correlated to Nofap rather than caused by it. Also, one can not deny the possibility of the placebo effect. 

Another possibility is improvements in skin health as an effect of overall improvement in health. When you quit an addictive habit such as excessive masturbation, you are likely to pay more attention to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle. As a result, your skin texture and appearance might improve.

Although there is no solid medical evidence, there are many popular theories about the benefits of Nofap for the skin.

One popular theory among Nofap followers is regarding the hormone testosterone. Specifically, higher levels of DHT or Dihydrotestosterone are linked to acne as the hormone affects sebaceous gland activity. In adult males, the body converts about 10% of testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone every day. 

Masturbation is believed to increase testosterone levels and, in turn, increase DHT levels, affecting the sebaceous gland activity. As a result, you will get more acne on your skin. Nofap is supposed to reduce the conversion of testosterone into DHT and help your body regulate the sebaceous gland.

Another well-known theory is about the reabsorption of nutrients. Nofappers hold that when you masturbate, you lose essential nutrients such as zinc, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and magnesium. When you abstain from masturbation, your body is able to reabsorb these nutrients. So, your skin gets a glow, and its health improves. 

Here are the major benefits of Nofap for skin that have been shared in various support groups – 

1. Improvements in skin complexion – a natural glow or brightness
2. Skin looking toned, fresher, and less tired
3. Clearing up of acne and pimples
4. Lightening of dark circles

Remember – These are personal experiences and theories shared by people who have taken up Nofap. There is no evidence to support these claims of Nofap benefits for skin.

Benefits of Nofap for Hair regrowth

There are no scientifically or medically proven benefits of Nofap for hair regrowth. But, you can see plenty of people sharing the improvements in their hair’s texture and thickness on the online forums. 

Before examining the benefits of Nofap for hair regrowth, let us understand the process of hair growth itself. Your hair grows in four distinct stages – 

1. Anagen or active growth – This phase lasts anywhere between 3 to 5 years. During this stage, the hair strands push through the skin of your scalp. The hair follicles take the shape of an onion and your hair grows at the rate of half an inch per month. 
2. Catagen or degeneration – Your hair growth slows down by 50%, and the hair follicle at the base begins to shrink. The root of the hair turns into a bulb shape and begins to move up. 
3. Telogen or rest – The hair stops growing, and this phase lasts for 3 to 6 months. 
4. Exogen – This is the final stage where the hair falls out, and the process begins all over again. 

These four stages are repeated throughout your lifetime. The growth, shedding, and regrowth rates of your hair depend upon many factors, such as nutrition, hormones, stress, sleep quality, inflammation, and medication. 

There is a lot of guilt, shame, and taboo associated with the habit of masturbation. So, someone with an excessive masturbation habit can feel stressed and anxious about the habit. The elevated stress hormones such as cortisol can impair the cell generation that affects hair regrowth. When one takes up Nofap, the resulting relief from stress and anxiety may stop the hair loss.

There are two popular theories (without any conclusive scientific proof) about the benefits of Nofap for hair regrowth. 

The first one is about the hormone DHT or Dihydrotestosterone. DHT is a potent androgen that is linked to male pattern baldness and body, facial, and pubic hair growth in males. Excessive DHT has been linked to male pattern hair loss in men as they age. Many Nofappers believe that abstaining from masturbation reduces the conversion of excessive testosterone into DHT. Lower levels of DHT prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.

The second theory is about nutrient loss and nutrient absorption. Masturbation causes nutrient loss in trace amounts (This is not significant enough to affect your health, according to research.) However, Nofap followers believe that abstaining from masturbation can result in the reabsorption of these nutrients. So, when your body is nourished, your hair health also gets a boost. 

Does Nofap Cause Hair Thinning or Hair Loss?

There is no evidence to connect hair thinning or hair loss with Nofap. Hair loss is usually caused by factors such as genetics, poor nutrition, aging, and hormonal issues like low testosterone. 

However, in the initial stages of Nofap, people usually experience Nofap flatline or Nofap depression. During this stage, people experience symptoms similar to that of withdrawal from addictive substances. Stress, anxiety, and insomnia are some of the common symptoms of Nofap depression. 

All three of these factors have been linked to hair thinning and hair loss. Specifically, the elevated levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) prematurely initiate the telogen phase of hair growth. As a result, a large number of hair follicles enter the resting state earlier, and the rate of shedding is accelerated. 

The Nofap flatline usually lasts for 3 to 5 weeks. So, once the underlying stress is resolved, the hair thinning should also come under control. 

There have been some anecdotal instances where people have shared that the increase in testosterone due to Nofap caused hair loss. But there is no evidence to support this. In fact, many Nofappers have shared that their hair quality improved after taking up the challenge.

Also Read: NoFap for 30 Days Benefits and Side Effects

Other Benefits of Nofap

We do not have enough evidence to conclusively link specific benefits to Nofap. However, the followers of the Nofap challenge have shared the following benefits of Nofap – 

1. Mental health – Enhanced mental clarity as less mental fogginess and improvement in memory and concentration.
2. Energy levels – Better energy levels upon waking up, No energy slumps and stable energy levels during the day.
3. Emotional regulation – Minimal mood swings along with a decrease in stress and anxiety.
4. Confidence boosts – confidence in social situations, increased comfort in making eye contact, ease and flow in the conversation. 
5. Productivity – Better concentration and cognitive skills.
6. Self-discipline – Improvement in self-regulation and willpower.
7. Improved relationship – Better emotional intimacy and connection with the romantic partner.
8. Other hobbies – Replacing masturbation and porn time with constructive hobbies.

If masturbation or porn is becoming a compulsive habit for you, then the Nofap challenge can give you a kickstart to your recovery. The Nofap community refers to this process as rebooting. The idea is that by abstaining from porn, masturbation, and orgasm, we reset the brain and free it from compulsions. The official Nofap community provides rebooting challenges where you have to pick a certain Nofap period and stick to it!