You aren't alone in your never-ending quest for the magic diet that will melt body fat and give you perfect skin. You also aren't alone in wanting that diet to be as quick and effortless as possible. Celebrities like Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Hathaway (to name drop a few) have been known to try temporary fasting or detox diets in order to clear up skin, rid their body of toxins and lose weight. But before you jump on the trendy bandwagon by swearing off solid foods or downing large quantities of lemon water, you should know what short-term body starvation actually does to you.

Skip to see if cleansing diets are worth starving your body for.

It's common knowledge that what you feed your body is going to affect your skin, hair, mood, weight and overall health. With Americans spending upwards of $60 billion a year on weight management products, books and services according to "The New York Times," it's safe to say dieting is a national pastime. Fasting or detox diets have gained relatively recent popularity with countless websites and books promoting quick starvation regimens as a fast way to drop pounds and rid the body of toxins.

Of course, not all body cleansing diets are alike, they vary in length of time, what can and can't be consumed, and the severity of calorie cutting; but they all have a similar end goal: To re-invigorate your health and beauty. To find out what these popular cleansing diets do and if they are actually beneficial to the body, we went to celebrity nutritionist and formulator, Paula Simpson and Wendy Albovias, a registered dietician specializing in Medical Nutrition Therapy. Together they share the most popular cleansing techniques and why these diets may or may not be helpful or even harmful in your quest for a healthier body.

Now, see if detox diets are worth starving your body for.