biotin

Biotin Benefits: What the Experts Have to Say

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Can biotin give you better hair, skin and nails?

questions about biotin

Biotin is a B vitamin that’s important for many body functions, including metabolizing food — the process of turning food into energy. And many people swear that biotin has improved their hair, skin and nail health, too.

But is biotin the magic solution to getting flowing locks, strong nails and glowing skin? Registered dietitian Courtney Barth, RD, explains the possible benefits of biotin and whether this nutrient could help you.

Benefits of biotin

Biotin plays an important role in converting carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy. It also helps your body’s cells function well. Biotin is essential, which means you can’t live without it.

But why does biotin get superhero status when it comes to hair, skin and nail health? Maybe because biotin deficiency — not having enough biotin — can lead to:

“But biotin deficiency is rare in the U.S.,” Barth explains. “So if you have thinning hair or brittle nails, it’s probably not due to a biotin deficiency. There’s usually another health condition causing these problems, such as iron deficiency or a thyroid issue.”

So don’t assume taking biotin supplements will cure hair, skin or nail problems. “If you notice sudden changes in your hair, skin or nails, see your provider,” says Barth. “Don’t self-treat with biotin supplements without knowing the cause.”

How much biotin do you need?

Adults need 30 micrograms of biotin each day to avoid a deficiency. Most people get adequate biotin through their diet.

“Biotin is in many of the foods we eat, such as fortified cereal, egg yolks, meat and legumes (like lentils, chickpeas and beans),” explains Barth. “And it’s always better to get your vitamins and minerals through a balanced diet rather than supplements.”

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you need more biotin, though — 35 micrograms per day.

“Pregnant or breastfeeding women often benefit from a prenatal vitamin,” says Barth. “Prenatal vitamins contain biotin, folic acid and other nutrients that are important for the health of the mother and baby. If you’re not sure which prenatal vitamin to take, ask your provider.”

Do biotin supplements help with hair growth?

Maybe you’re not worried about biotin deficiency but wonder whether a biotin supplement could help you get amazing hair. After all, many products advertise biotin as a hair growth booster.

“No studies have proven that biotin supplements will change the appearance of your hair, skin or nails,” Barth says. “But some people find that taking a biotin supplement helps them boost hair and nail growth. It’s usually not harmful to try biotin for thicker hair or healthier nails.”

If you decide to take a supplement, be patient. “It takes several months to see new hair or nail growth,” notes Barth. “Biotin may be worth a try if your doctor gives you the go-ahead. But it’s not a guarantee that you’ll see a major change in your appearance.”

Biotin supplement side effects

Biotin supplements have few side effects if you take them as directed. “Biotin supplements and B-complex vitamins are safe for most people, though they may cause a slightly upset stomach,” Barth says.

High-dose biotin supplements can also interfere with certain medical test results, so tell your healthcare provider if you’re taking them, advises Barth.

Biotin and other B vitamins are water-soluble, so it’s hard to overdose on them. “If you take in more biotin than you need, your body doesn’t store it,” Barth explains. “You naturally get rid of excess biotin and other B vitamins when you urinate.”

Still, more is not always better. Don’t take more than the dosage listed on the package and stop taking biotin if you notice side effects.

A healthy lifestyle builds natural beauty

You can enhance your hair, skin and nail health even without a supplement. A balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables and protein is important for all three. Drink plenty of water, too.

“Healthy food and proper hydration will help you feel and look your best,” says Barth.

Is Biotin as Good as Advertised for Your Hair Loss?

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There’s a difference between hair loss and hair growth when it comes to biotin’s benefits

woman checking thinning hair in mirror

If you find yourself browsing the hair care aisle or searching the internet for hair treatments, one thing that might pop up is biotin. This B vitamin has a reputation for helping your locks stay healthy, and it’s frequently recommended by dermatologists to help with hair loss.

But can biotin actually help your hair grow, too?

“We find biotin to be very helpful for hair disorders,” says dermatologist Wilma Bergfeld, MD. “It also makes nails thicker, and oral biotin is exceedingly safe.”

Does this mean it can also help your hair longer? Not quite. Biotin contains essential proteins that help with the development of your skin, nails and hair, but this doesn’t mean it’s a miracle product for your locks. Let’s brush up on what biotin can — and can’t — do for your hair.

Why does hair fall out?

If you’re dealing with hair loss, you’re likely wondering not only what you can do about it, but also why it’s happening in the first place. Hair loss has multiple causes, many of which are systemic. “If your hair is falling out at the roots, often something is going wrong in your body or in your life situation,” Dr. Bergfeld says.

Certain medical conditions are linked to hair loss. Among them are endocrine disorders, which include problems with your pituitary, parathyroid or adrenal glands, or your ovaries or testes. “For example, premenopausal women who bleed excessively may be losing iron, and anemia causes hair loss,” Dr. Bergfeld explains.

Anything that disrupts your gastrointestinal (GI) tract can also affect hair growth, she adds.

But one of the most common causes may surprise you: nutrition. “When we look at what our patients eat, we find they are often low in protein and essential vitamins,” Dr. Bergfeld notes. “Also, you need some carbohydrates to make hormones, and your brain needs fat.”

It’s important to understand what’s causing your hair loss, but this can take some detective work. Dr. Bergfeld says dermatologists start with a thorough physical exam. They consider not just your diet, but your exercise habits and family history as well. Then, they review your medications (because some can cause hair loss) and bloodwork.

Does biotin help increase hair growth?

Biotin is an essential vitamin that helps with the production of keratin (a protein that’s in charge of forming nails, skin and hair). Some research, including a 2016 study, has shown that a lack of biotin in your system can lead to hair loss.

In which case, you may be wondering if increasing your intake of biotin will lead to better hair growth. And any googling you may have done on the topic has likely brought up such claims. But first, it’s first important to know that there’s a difference between something that helps promote hair growth and something that helps prevent hair loss.

For now, there isn’t enough research to definitively state that biotin can help grow hair.

But biotin has been shown to help with preventing balding and hair loss.

In fact, biotin is primarily used for alopecia — a condition that causes hair loss in all sexes. “Biotin helps maintain hair growth and helps with inflammation,” Dr. Bergfeld says. “The hair follicle, the skin and the nails all benefit.”

In a small 2012 study, women with self-perceived thinning hair experienced improvement in their hair’s overall thickness and growth after taking a multivitamin that contained biotin. But as the multivitamin contained other ingredients, it’s hard to attribute it completely to biotin.

Without robust research, is biotin something you should try? The good news is that taking biotin in reasonable amounts won’t do any harm.

How much biotin should you take?

If you want to make sure you’re getting enough biotin, the daily recommended biotin intake is 30 micrograms (mcg) for adults, according to the National Institute of Health. If you’re pregnant, you need about 35 mcg a day.

If you’re experiencing alopecia, your doctor may recommend certain biotin supplements or a higher biotin-rich diet as a way to combat hair loss. They may recommend upping your dosage to 3 milligrams (or 3,000 mcg) a day.

What types of biotin are there?

There are a couple different ways to reap the benefits of biotin. Believe it or not, you may be already getting a decent dose without knowing it.

Here are some ways you can get biotin:

Biotin-rich foods

First, you may consider working some biotin-rich foods into your diet. This is the best way to get biotin into your system naturally. And you may already have some items in your pantry or fridge that fit the bill.

Biotin is present in many foods, including:

  • Beef liver (30.8 mcg).
  • Eggs (10 mcg).
  • Salmon (5 mcg).
  • Pork chop (3.8 mcg).
  • Sweet potatoes (2.4 mcg).
  • Almonds (1.5 mcg).
  • Broccoli (0.4 mcg).

Mega-B vitamins

If you have certain dietary restrictions or need an extra biotin boost, certain supplements may be used as alternatives.

For supplementation, many dermatologists favor a mega-B vitamin combination that includes:

  • 3 milligrams (mg) of biotin.
  • 30 mg of zinc.
  • 200 mg of vitamin C.
  • < 1 mg of folic acid.

“Occasionally, the mega B-vitamin combination gives some patients minor gastric trouble, but switching them to biotin alone relieves it,” Dr. Bergfeld notes.

And if you can’t find the mega B-vitamin combination, you can buy biotin, zinc and vitamin C separately.

Biotin shampoo

If your goal is for biotin to help your hair grow, you may consider adding a biotin shampoo into your wash routine. Sounds like an easy fix, right?

It’s true that many shampoo brands utilize biotin in their formulas as a way to combat hair loss. However, similar to the research around biotin supplements, the data to support hair growth from biotin-infused shampoo is limited. But there’s no harm really in giving this kind of shampoo a try if you want your hair to feel fuller — but don’t expect a magical regrowth of hair.

Possible side effects of biotin

Working more biotin into your system (whether through supplements or diet) is generally safe. But it’s important not to overdo it. In some rare cases, too much biotin from supplements can cause stomach issues, trouble sleeping and skin rashes.

Another concern surrounding biotin is that it may interfere with certain common lab tests done by your doctors. Best way to avoid this? Don’t take too much. Stick to the recommended amount and be sure to talk to your doctor before upping your dosage. And if you’re taking large amounts of biotin, be sure your healthcare provider knows before you do any lab tests.

While there’s still a lot of research needed on the effects of biotin on hair growth, as well as preventing hair loss, it has been shown to work for some. But it’s best to first make sure you’re eating a well-balanced diet of biotin-rich foods before considering too many supplements.

Treatments for Thinning Hair: Do They Work?

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So you’re never going to have a thick, lush head of hair again. But at least you’d like to hang on to what you’ve got. Short of a transplant, is there anything you can do to stop thinning hair?

Yes. With some treatments, you can slow down or stop hair thinning — and maybe even grow back some hair you thought was gone forever. Read on to see what works and what doesn’t.

Minoxidil

This is the only over-the-counter medication for hair loss approved by the FDA for use by both men and women. It won’t rescue a receding hairline. It does stimulate hair growth, although scientists aren’t quite sure how it works.

Minoxidil is available as Rogaine or Theroxidil, or in generic form. It’s sold as a liquid or foam and in two strengths: 2% and 5%.

  • Effectiveness: Minoxidil works for about 2 out of 3 men. It’s most effective if you’re under age 40 and have only recently started to lose your hair.
  • How to use it: Twice a day, when your hair is dry, apply minoxidil on your scalp where the hair has started to thin. Then be patient. You may not notice changes for 4 months or more.
  • What it doesn’t do: Minoxidil does not cure baldness. If you stop using it, you will start losing hair again. Your hair may fall out faster than before.
  • Side effects:You may have redness, itching, dryness, flaking, or other scalp irritation, though this is uncommon. It’s more likely if you use the stronger 5% solution.

 

Finasteride

This medication stops your body from making the hormone at the root of male pattern baldness, DHT (dihydrotestosterone). It is available under the brand name Propecia.

  • Effectiveness: Finasteride is very effective. It slows or stops hair loss in nearly 90% of men. About two-thirds of these men also regrow some hair.
  • How to use it: Finasteride is a pill. Usually, you take it once a day. Your dermatologist may recommend using it in combination with minoxidil.
  • What it doesn’t do: Like minoxidil, it doesn’t cure hair loss. If you stop taking it, you will lose hair again.
  • Side effects: Finasteride can cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual side effects, though this is unusual. If it happens to you, it will likely clear up once you stop taking finasteride. But for some men, that can take 3 months or more.

Biotin and Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

Biotin is a B vitamin that is essential for your health. You most likely get plenty of it in your diet in egg yolks, yeast, liver, and other foods. That’s good news because too little biotin can cause hair loss. Does that mean that taking mega-doses of it will give you more hair? Probably not. No scientific studies have shown biotin to prevent or treat hair loss.

You may have heard that laser combs, brushes, hoods, and caps can help halt hair loss. The theory is that when hair follicles absorb laser light at a certain level, it stimulates hair to grow. But there’s not enough evidence that any of these devices restore hair or prevent balding.

When to See a Doctor for Hair Loss

If you lose hair suddenly, see your doctor. It may be caused by illnesses, medicine, or your diet.

Firm Claims Biotin Drug Improves Function in Progressive MS

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One-year study meets primary disability-based endpoint, company says.

Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis showed improvements in standard measures of disability after taking large doses of biotin in a phase III study, the product’s developer announced.

Paris-based MedDay SAS said the 154-patient, placebo-controlled trial met its primary endpoint — either a decrease in Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) of at least 1 point for baseline EDSS ≤5.5 and 0.5 points for EDSS ≥6, or an improvement in 25-foot walk time of at least 20% — but the firm did not indicate what proportion of patients achieved these outcomes.

 MedDay promised that full results would be presented next week at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting here.

The drug, called MD1003, delivers 300 mg/day of biotin — a massively greater dose than the usual recommendation of 30-100 mcg/day. Patients in the trial received the drug for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was assessed at 9 months, with another assessment at 12 months.

According to the published abstract for the AAN presentation, biotin acts “as a coenzyme for carboxylases involved in key steps of energy metabolism and fatty acids synthesis. Among others, biotin activates acetylCoA carboxylase, a potentially key-enzyme in myelin synthesis.”

Demyelination and resulting neuronal dysfunction and death is thought to be the main basis for progressive MS. Consequently, agents that prompt new myelin synthesis are considered one way to slow, stop, or even reverse disability progression.

The abstract cited a 23-patient pilot study, in which open-label biotin doses of up to 600 mg/day “resulted in progressive and sustained improvement of disability in primary and secondary [progressive MS] patients.”

MedDay said the phase III trial design had been “discussed with U.S. and European regulators” and that it was “pleased” with the results. But the firm didn’t indicate whether it planned to seek marketing approvals on the basis of the trial findings. Aseparate trial is currently underway with visual endpoints in patients with MS-related optic neuritis. A third trial in the adult form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy has also launched, the company said.