Bangs, also known as fringes, are a hairstyle featuring short locks of hair that fall over the forehead. Recently, some sources have claimed that getting bangs can speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight. The idea is that having hair on your forehead causes your body to work harder to regulate temperature in that area, thus burning more calories. But is there any truth to this? Let’s examine the evidence.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes that occur in your body to maintain life. These include:
- Breaking down food and converting it to energy
- Building and breaking down body tissues
- Removing toxic waste products
Your metabolism determines how many calories you burn at rest and during activity. A faster metabolism means you burn more calories per day. Metabolism is influenced by many factors like age, gender, genetics, and body size and composition.
On average, men tend to have faster metabolisms than women. Metabolism also slows down naturally with age.
How bangs could theoretically boost metabolism
Hair, including bangs, provides insulation that helps regulate body temperature. When bangs cover your forehead, they may reduce heat loss through the skin in that area.
To maintain a consistent internal body temperature, your body has to work harder to generate more heat energy, which requires burning more calories. So in theory, bangs could cause a slight increase in metabolic rate.
However, any extra calorie burn from having bangs would likely be very small. Overall, bangs are unlikely to have a meaningful impact on metabolism or weight loss.
What does the research say?
There is limited scientific research specifically on how bangs affect metabolism or weight. However, some related studies provide insights:
- A small study in 10 young men found that cooling the forehead with an ice vest increased calorie expenditure. But the increase was less than 2% over basal metabolic rate.
- Another study had participants wear hats during sleep. Hat use did not significantly affect their metabolic rate.
- Research shows that changes in thermal environment can alter metabolic rate. But the effects tend to be transient as the body acclimates.
Overall, research related to head insulation suggests any metabolic boost from bangs would be minimal. There are no studies showing bangs meaningfully impacting weight or fat loss.
Other factors influencing metabolism
While bangs are unlikely to significantly affect metabolism, other lifestyle factors have a proven impact:
Exercise
Regular exercise, especially strength training, can increase your resting metabolic rate. It also burns lots of calories. Exercise helps build lean muscle mass, which raises daily calorie needs.
Diet
Eating adequate protein and fiber boosts satiety and helps sustain a faster metabolism. Very low calorie diets can slow your metabolism down over time.
Body composition
Having more lean muscle mass increases metabolic rate. Excess body fat tends to decrease metabolism.
Sleep
Chronic sleep deprivation disrupts metabolic hormones, contributing to weight gain. Getting enough quality sleep supports a healthy metabolism.
Stress
High stress levels raise cortisol, which can increase fat storage. Managing stress helps support metabolic health.
| Factor | Effect on Metabolism |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Boosts RMR and helps build muscle |
| Diet | Adequate protein & fiber sustain faster metabolism |
| Body Composition | More muscle & less fat increase RMR |
| Sleep | Enough sleep supports healthy metabolism |
| Stress | High stress may disrupt metabolism |
Conclusion
Based on the available evidence, getting bangs is highly unlikely to speed up your metabolism or cause meaningful weight loss. Any small increase in calories burned from having hair on your forehead would be negligible.
If you want to boost your metabolism, focus instead on evidence-based strategies like exercise, proper nutrition, stress management, and getting enough sleep. While stylish, bangs themselves will not have any significant metabolic effect or lead to fat loss. But they may give you confidence as you pursue healthy lifestyle changes that do help you manage your weight over the long term.