DOES BIOTIN REALLY HELP WITH HAIR LOSS?

The demand for nutritional supplements and vitamins is huge, and if you are into wellness and health, it is very possible that you have heard of biotin. Known by many names, including vitamin H or vitamin 7, biotin is a vitamin that helps the body convert ingested carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into energy. Since biotin typically comes from the foods we eat, it needs to be consumed in order to be effective.

In recent years, the popularity of biotin has grown due to claims that a little extra biotin can help strengthen thinning hair, slow hair loss, and even regrow lost hair.

So, is this claim really valid? Does biotin have this alleged power they say it does?

A lot of hype

You will find thousands of websites touting the benefits of biotin for hair regrowth. These websites also credit biotin for improving skin and brittle nails.

Going by these websites, some of them owned by medical establishments, it is easy to believe that biotin works for hair loss.

The official word

The US National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements’ official word on the biotin issue is that there is very little scientific evidence to support the hair regrowth properties of the vitamin. It states explicitly that there is a need for more research before biotin can be recommended as a hair regrowth supplement.

Mixed reviews

While the official word is that there is little scientific evidence to support the hair regrowth properties of biotin, the issue of biotin still remains a polarizing one. Some doctors and dermatologists are pro-biotin, while some are not.

For instance, a 2019 Cleveland Clinic article claimed that dermatologists have quietly prescribed biotin as a hair loss treatment for many years because they believe it works and is harmless in all other health respects.

On the other hand, doctors like Sandra Marchese Johnson, MD, FAAD and Deirdre Hooper, MD, believe that the science is contradictory. Johnson says research shows there is no benefit at all or very limited benefit. In contrast, Hooper says that several studies have shown that biotin interferes with many blood tests, including cardiac function and thyroid tests.

Gary Linkov, MD, a facial plastic surgeon, says that biotin supplementation may be helpful for people who are truly biotin-deficient. However, biotin deficiency is quite rare amongst the general population.

Make your own decision

At the end of the day, the decision to take or not to take biotin is yours. I, however, always advise that you make informed decisions when it comes to products and supplements that you ingest or apply to your body.

Choosing biotin

If you choose to use biotin, it is important to know as much about biotin as you should.

The recommended amount of biotin needed each day is up for debate and depends on age. It is said that newborn babies need about five micrograms (mcg) daily, while adults need about 30 mcg. Breastfeeding women should aim for 35 mcg or more.

Getting a biotin intake of 30 mcg per day for adults can be achieved through a well-balanced diet that contains biotin-containing foods, such as broccoli, potatoes, spinach, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, and meat. This means that someone who consumes a balanced diet will not require a biotin supplement, under normal circumstances.

However, if you are attempting hair regrowth through biotin, you may want to look into supplements. You can take a biotin supplement all by itself or pair it with other B-complex vitamins in multivitamin form.

Most websites that recommend biotin for hair growth recommend taking between two to five milligrams (2,000-5,000 mcg) of biotin supplements every day. While this is much higher than the daily recommended dose by doctors, there is no recorded case of biotin toxicity. Some shampoos will claim to have biotin added to them to reduce hair loss, but there is no evidence that this works.

Home remedies for hair growth

So if you choose to pursue a more traditional approach to hair regrowth, I will advise you to focus on certain home remedies that have been proven to help. In fact, you should still use these home remedies even if you are on biotin.

Change your lifestyle/diet: It is important to eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These foods include salmon, tuna, and walnuts. You should also limit or eliminate cigarettes as smoking damages the human hair. One other recommended lifestyle choice would be to limit the use of heat in hair styling.

Avoid trauma: You also want to avoid trauma to your hair and scalp, so no hair tugging or hair twirling,

Massage your scalp often: Doing this will increase blood flow to your scalp, which can spur hair growth. Massaging can be done with just the fingers or with massage oils and creams. You can use coconut oil, fish oil, or castor oil to unclog hair follicles and make hair more lustrous.

Apply essential oils: Essential oils like lemon oil, geranium oil, and rosemary oil are said to help hair grow. Onion juice also treats conditions like alopecia areata (patchy hair loss) and stimulates hair regrowth.

Explore a medical route

It is a good idea to determine the cause of your hair loss, if severe, so that you can treat it appropriately. Common causes of hair loss include certain medications, genetics, and some underlying conditions such as stress and depression.

So, talk to a doctor if your hair loss is causing you concern.

Some medications have been shown to contribute to hair loss, so your doctor will check if your hormone-related medicines like birth control and testosterone, antidepressants, or blood pressure and cholesterol medicines are the cause of your hair loss.

Whichever route you choose to take to hair growth, this is wishing you a safe, fruitful journey. See you on the other side of beautiful.