Did biotin make your hair grow faster?

[Lilli]

Did biotin make your hair grow faster? How much of a difference did you see? Did it give you zits?

[amaiaisabella]

No to both, but my nails did grow in faster and stronger :)

[neon-dream]

No to both, it did nothing for me. :(

[ChrissieM]

Taking biotin has made my hair grow marginally faster, from 1/2 inch a month or a little more to about 3/4 inch a month or a little less. It has certainly helped my nails, which are growing like crazy, and I think that my eyelashes are a little thicker and longer, too. (I have the transparent, thin lashes common to redheaded coloring, so I'll take what I can). I've been taking about 6000mcg a day. I haven't had any zit problems from it.

[pixiedoo]

I've been taking it about a month now and my hair does seem to be on a growth spurt. It has grown over 3/4 inch in the last month which is a lot for me.

My nails are growing like crazy. I seem to be filing them down every 5 minutes. It has not caused me to breakout either :)

[Islandgrrl]

I voted No and No. I didn't really notice a speedup in my hair growth, although I DID notice that my nails got mucho strong and they grow like freaking weeds. I don't like them long so I find that I'm constantly filing them down.

No zits. Yay.

Oh, oops...I should have mentioned the eyelash thing....they are longer (a little), and thicker. Still totally transparent (the redhead thing), but if I put mascara on....wow!

[redneckprincess]

YES YES YES I started off taking 5000mcg per day and uped that a few months ago to 10000mcg, I dont break out from it and it took my growth speed from >(less then) 1/8"/month to OVER 1"/month...but its diffrent foreveryone I guess

[Aries_jb]

I don't really think it makes my hair grow faster. I still take it though. It feels like I'm doing something to help my hair grow faster, since the pill taking is more of an active conscious process, while the hair growing out of my head, well, not so much. :)

[Carolyn]

I take 5 mgs per day. It hasn't made my hair grow faster but I have better quality hair. I think the strands are thicker and I have less shedding. However my nails grow a lot faster. This is not the greatest thing since I have acrylic nails and I have to get fills more often. Some supplements will cause zits. I've read that it's your body adjusting to the new supplement. I've had it happen with several things. Biotin and MSM are 2 that I can think of at the moment. It wasn't a big deal. I stuck with taking the vitamin and eventually the zits went away. It takes the body time to adjust to something new being put into it. I think sometimes people are too quick to stop taking something before they give it a chance.

[Aeon F.]

There wasn't an option for me to vote (not faster, but more). I've not seen any real advancement of my length, but ever since I've gotten back on the vitamin kick every day and taking a 5,000 mcg biotin each day, I have noticed a whole new crop of baby hairs sprouting up all along my hairline- and I *know* for sure, they weren't there before!!

[kimtendo]

I don't know if it's just the Biotin, but now my hair grows ~2 inches a month. I didn't breakout from it so why not continue? ^^

[curls2grow]

I don't think it made my hair grow that much faster; I just started taking biotin at the point that I became hyper-aware of any change in hair growth, so I can't give biotin full credit. I did break out from it; got deep cystic acne. I was taking 5000 mcg per day. Would rather have slow hair growth than acne h3ll.

[akilina]

yes to both. It made my eyelashes nicer too. although, the horrible zits and headaches were not worth it...I'd get huge hard zits too, not just a little blemish that you pop and it goes away and unbearable migraines.

[Belisama]

It didn't make my hair grow faster, kept at it's usual pace of 1/2 inch every 3-4 weeks. My nails have always been rock hard and strong, but the biotin made them crack and shatter. I would smack them against things on accident and a crescent shape piece of shatter off. Not cool. Stopped taking the vitamins as I felt they weren't working and my nails returned to their natural hard as steal/no shattering make up they were before.

I don't think the biotin caused any zits.

[Shadow]

Taking Biotin had zero effect on my hair, skin or nails.

[Roseate]

I haven't noticed any difference in my hair; when I started at 3000 mcg I got some painful acne, but I cut back to 1500mcg and that went away. I'll probably finish the bottle and not buy more.

ETA: Oh, and the zits kept up for about 2 months, until I changed my dosage. There weren't a ton of them, but they were huge and very painful. I had heard that sometimes it's just an initial detox reaction and they'll go away, but 2 months was enough for me.

[RancheroTheBee]

I said no for both, because they were both inaccurate.

However, it did make me grow MORE hair. It's thickening up in places that were sparse, like my temples and crown, and I'm getting a lot of new baby hairs.

[JamieLeigh]

I can honestly say my hair has NOT grown any faster in the past two or three years I've been taking biotin, than it usually did before. :shrug: It did give me some zits at first, but that only lasted a few months until my body got used to it, I guess.

[LaurenH]

Where do you buy this at? :)

[Syaoransbear]

I just started taking 4200mcg of biotin two weeks ago so I can't say anything about faster hair growth(yet), but I definitely didn't get any zits.

[EtherealOde]

My hair grows a little bit faster, the main thing for me is that the new growth looks so nice. Healthier and seems thicker, though part of that might be illusion due to normal hair returning after a big shed where my hair got pretty thin (I could actually see my scalp in places yikes!!!). I don't care though, either way it is looking better so that's all that matters. :heartbeat

I do get pimples, however that was happening before the biotin, due to hormonal changes from a sudden surgical menopause (which also caused the hairloss I believe). The pimples are generally small, and certainly not any worse than they were before so I can't say biotin is to blame in any way.

I just wish they would go away as I never ever had pimples aside from the rare single one that would sometimes pop up, but now that I am 50 and in menopause suddenly I have them and it's quite disconcerting. I have no idea what to do to make them go away, so have been trying a multitude of different items from the sections of the beauty aisle for skin that I used to just breeze past. Ugh, gives me a whole new sympathetic feeling for when teens go through this phase.

*edit* forgot to mention my doseage, 7500 mcg

[Mary <><]

Where do you buy this at? :)

I get mine at Earth Fare! Should have it almost anywhere vitamins are sold.

ETA: Ooops, forgot to post my dosage! I use about 8mg a day (8000mcg). I grew 9" my first year using it, but I have been in a stall lately so I'm kinda discouraged right now. Although I did switch brands, so maybe that had something to do with it. I was originally using Earth Fare's brand, but switched to something else (can't think of name of it). I recently switched back to the EF brand, so I will see if that helps. I have some skin issues anyway, but I did not notice any increase in using biotin.

[drquartz1970]

I have been taking Biotin for 12 months, and haven't noticed any increase in hair growth spurt at all, and do not get any pimples or rashes from it. My growth has been regular 1.25cm per month with no noticeable increase or slow down in that time. 12 months ago the longest hair strand was 12cm now it's at 27.5cm so it more or less confirms that my personal growth rate falls within the normal range of 15 cm or 6 inches a year.

However I did notice that my nails are growing faster and are stronger then before. And based on the number of hairs found in the seive of shower the shedding rate is low. And I believe that my hair is a bit thicker then before.

Anyway I decided on 1st July 2009 to try a 60 day trial of 3000 mcg of Biotin daily up from my usual dosage of 600 mcg every 2 days so an 10 fold increase to see what happens. So far I have measure 1.5cm gain in a 5 week period which indicates that the growth level is still the same as before. I did hear that one great thing that Biotin does is increase the health and strength of the hair while extending the growth anagen (or life span) of the hair for longer, which of course is essential for being able to have longer hair.

[irishcurls]

It make my hair grow thick and strong and I grow and inch a month. My nails are alos strong and i have always had a problem with that. And I think it has actually helped my acne. Its for your skin. I have been having wonderful results with it.

[Lilli]

Well, it has been too short a time to see if it is helping my hair grow, but I have 6 (!) ouchy hard zits on my chin (and my skin is usually perfect.) I am going to try to wait them out. Also my nails are growing really fast - that I have noticed. We'll see how long I can handle the zits.

[Gingevere]

Yes, it absolutely made my hair grow faster! It used to grow less than 1/2" per month and now I usually see about 3/4" of growth. I used to take a Hair/Skin/Nails supplement once per day, so that was 1,000 mcg of biotin. I recently switched to a regular multivitamin along with straight biotin, for a total of 2,800 mcg per day.

As for zits... well, I always have zits, so I didn't notice anything. My nails did grow like crazy, though.

[Fethenwen]

Don't know about growth, but it sure got thicker and stronger. And my nails got stronger too. My supplements do not contain that much biotin though, it might be the silica which is making my hair thicker.

[82exoticbeauty]

Biotin did make my hair grow fast and it did not give me any acnes!:) The only think I get is only 1 acne when it's due to stress, but when I stress, my hair still grow fast!

[silverspun]

It worked, and i measured twice a month to make sure it worked. it grew my hair an inch every month for about 2 months in a row, but i stopped measuring ever since i cut my hair. it makes my nails grow more, which usually dont last at all.

I used hair/skin/nails vitamins, which includes biotin. At the time I took them everyday at different times with 3 meals a day. Even if it doesn't grow faster all the time, it will grow a better quality of hair. I did not notice more breakouts, though everyone is different. I think taking vitamins in general these days would be a smart move anyway.

ps. and idk if this is from the vitamins or not, but my hair never sheds... or at least that's how it feels. I may have short hair, but it's still supposed to shed... my hair feels pretty strong.

[Aer]

It made my hair grow, but I got a few break outs, but once I switched my skin are routine up alittle and I got used to it, my skin went back to normal, and my hair grew.

[Lilli]

Well, I cut back to one extra vitamin a day and then slowly built up to 2400 of Biotin. The acne went away and my hair is growing faster I think, but my camera is broken so I don't have proof.

[PrincessFurball]

I'm not 100% sure that it made my hair grow faster, because I'm not a frequent measurer, but I felt like it did make each strand thicker/stronger. Also, I had to shave my legs a lot more frequently, so I can only assume that the hair on my head was growing faster, as well.

It did give me some acne, but nothing really bad, and it went away.

I've been thinking about starting to take it again.

Oh, and I don't remember how much I took, sorry!

[CurlyMoo]

So far it's done nothing for me. I've been taking it for over a month now at 5,000mcg and some days 10,000mcg's but nothing but an occasional zit. I got a really big zit in my crotch area right now so I can't say I never got anything. :rolleyes:

[LaurelSpring]

I dont know if it made it grow faster. My nails are growing like crazy. I do have to say though that the gelatin is definately making my hair grown faster. I have noticed quite an increase since starting gelatin.

[polywednesday]

I've been taking 5000-6000 mcg per day for about a month and have noticed that my nails are growing more than usual. It's too soon to say about the hair growth on my head, but I'll take anything to make it grow back stronger!

I just started a new acne treatment and have only had a few minor breakouts, so it definitely hasn't caused anything major. I take a little bit of Zinc too though, which is supposed to help with acne.

[Qamar]

There was no option for me--I honestly can't tell if it's made a difference or not. I'm growing steadily...from waist to tailbone in nine months, but I didn't track my growth before that to have a basis for comparison. My nails are still as brittle as ever though, and snap off if I so much as look at them. No acne on this front, but I never was prone to it. I'm currently taking 1 mg (1000 mcg) per day. I may up it and see if I notice a change.

[tangocurl]

I'm taking 5mg per day just as a single vitamin. In the past I took "Ultra Hair Plus (http://www.evitamins.com/product.asp?pid=877#;)" which contains 2,000 mcg. I get a little more growth by taking these and my nails are stronger. I didn't notice any more or less acne with these products. I'm taking the biotin by itself right now because Ultra Hair Plus is such an expensive (but good!) multivitamin. Hope this helps!

[windinherhair]

I took Biotin for over a month. It was 1000 - 2000 mcg a day. I am so prone to getting acne, I don't know for sure if it was the Biotin that caused it to get worse, but I did stop taking it. My acne has improved, but not until I also stopped taking this other multivitamin that had "Iodine" too. Now I am just taking a women's multivitamin without Iodine, and focusing on my diet. I am not in a hurry for my hair to grow, and I know I can grow it out healthy without Biotin.

[Aeon F.]

(updating from my 1st post ~roughly a month ago) Still keeping up with the daily 5,000 mcgs of biotin (also taking 1000 mgs of MSM too) and my nails have been growing like weeds!! They're also much stronger than they normally are too. As for my hair? The baby hairs at my hairline have been joined by oodles of friends all over my head- there's so many new sprouts all over, that it's been making my scalp itch!!! I've been doing lots of scalp massages *scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch* ahhhhhh.... It's hard me for to see the length of the new hairs, since they're pretty much buried under all of the rest of my hair- but the ones I first saw all along my hairline/forehead/temples are all much longer now (at least a half inch).

Still can't say if I see much change in the length department, but even if it's not longer hair, I can't complain about having more hair... :D

[Qamar]

As long as its not beard, I would LOVE to have *more* hair. Mine has thinned by about half, so volume would be a beautiful thing. Day two of 2mg per day...we'll see how things look in a month or so.

[Aeon F.]

As long as its not beard, I would LOVE to have *more* hair. Mine has thinned by about half, so volume would be a beautiful thing. Day two of 2mg per day...we'll see how things look in a month or so.

LOL :rollin: No, definitely no beard! I'm just amazed at how much has sprouted up along my forehead -it's getting really long too. I honestly can't tell if my overall length has changed though. My hair is sort of wavy, so it often looks longer or shorter all the time. After washing it last night and carefully detangling and I had it all combed perfectly straight- I thought that *maybe* the longest parts (I have layers), look like it had started to move past BSL a little- it's currently at the top part of my bra strap, and I could have sworn it looked like it was more at the middle of my bra strap (definitely not past it yet though)...... but that could have just been wishful thinking. ;)

I need to measure it again, but I've been trying not to do that- so I don't get depressed when it hasn't grown much. :bigtongue: I think the last time I "officially" measured was in August and I'm trying to wait again til at least November. I think I started faithfully taking my supplments & mega biotin daily in either June or July too? Arrghhh. I hate waiting!!

[Marika]

Biotin didn't make my hair grow faster and it didn't give me any zits. It did absolutely nothing to me. I think it can help a little bit if you have a some kind of a biotin deficiency. I've always taken multivitamins which have biotin in them and that's why I probably don't have a biotin deficiency = no results. I'm just guessing here...

[RocketDog]

I noticed an increased growth rate, but even more than fast growth I loved the amount of new hairs that grew in after a month on biotin. I did not notice any change in my skin, but I also took zinc which is supposed to help skin... don't know if that made a difference.

[prittykitty]

I can't take too much biotin. I don't feel good if I get too much of any vitamin. I take a vitamin complex that has biotin in it. I do notice that my hair is growing in healthier than it use to but I haven't noticed how long it has gotten.

[mira-chan]

No it didn't help and yes it gave zits, all supplemental B vitamins do that to me. They last way too long too, a month if not more.

[Medievalmaniac]

I have an interesting question - for those of us whom the Biotin is clearly affecting in terms of acne breakouts.

I also have gotten two of the hard, smooth, cystic pimples, one on my chin and one near my temple, along with a smattering of lesser bumps. I have, however, always been genetically prone to breakouts. Women on my mother's side (Irish/Celtic descent) and men on my father's side (British descent) have always complained of bad skin/acne.

SO - maybe there is a genetic predisposition that causes Biotin to affect some more than others in terms of acne?

If I "know" that my family heritage is predominantly British and Irish (Indo-European roots), that in my family there is a history of bad acne/ poor skin, and that I have had acne issues in the past that are now exacerbated by the use of Biotin, that can be a starting point...People of Indo-European roots (Celts, Britons, Welsh, Gaels, Scots, Cornish, Indian - and shoot, there are two more I can't remember) should also be experiencing acne issues on Biotin if my theory is correct.

Weigh in, anyone? This is fascinating to me...

[midnight.chime]

I'm Chinese/Korean and my family has a history of mild but persistent acne in late teens. I've been taking 1000mcg (1mg) of biotin for the past two weeks. I have deep blackheads on my cheeks. I'm not sure if biotin made it worse. There aren't any more of them, but I don't know if biotin made the plugs bigger. I (*knock on wood*) have never had zits, cystic acne, and otherwise painful pimples, and I don't think my family has had those, either.

Anyways, biotin hasn't done anything for me so far (hair/skin/nails). I'm going to finish up my bottle in about a month and I'll make the final decision then.

[CurlyMoo]

I just got 2 new bottles of Biotin. Switching from Natures Bounty Biotin to Finest Natural Biotin. Also increasing dosage from 5,000mcg's to 10,000mcgs.

Also, if you want to combat acne try drinking PLENTY of water and taking your Biotin with a multi-vitamin.

[Medievalmaniac]

midnight.chime - I have never had blackheads. Mine are always white heads, or the flat cystic type of acne. So this is interesting to me, also - I wonder if blackheads versus other types of acne are also a genetic predisposition?

Curlymoo...I take a multi-vitamin and drink about a gallon of water a day...but I'm still getting the acne...although I will say it seems to be slowing down somewhat, so maybe my body is adjusting to the biotin now.

[Sissy]

I take 600 mcg of biotin daily. I voted no because I have not noticed any increased growth with biotin. However, this doesn't mean that biotin hasn't actually given me extra hair growth... perhaps it has and I haven't noticed because I've been S&Ding split ends like crazy.

[fluffybunny]

I take 2000 mcg per day. Got more acne at first but it's now settled down. I've noticed loads more baby hair around my hairline and my eyelashes are looking thicker and longer.

[Centifolia]

I've always heard that when we take some suplements, we need to drink plenty of water, if not we can get pimples and so. Just my 2cent.

I've never tried biotin, though.

[Pacific]

After taking biotin for several month I don't think that my hair grows faster with it.

[Pumpkin]

I have been taking 5,000mcg's of biotin everyday for the past 9 months and can tell a huge difference in the texture and growth. It takes awhile to kick into your system, but the past 2 months, I can see a big growth spurt. At least an inch a month.

My nails have gotten stronger too, not diamond strength, but they do not peel anymore.

As for my skin, no break outs at all, but I have not had a pimple on my face for 20 years.

[clairenewcastle]

This is an interesting thread for although I've heard of biotin's properties I haven't actually tried it. Usually I don't believe in taking supplements but I've read enough to convince me I should really be taking it.

[girlcat36]

Did absolutely nothing for me, hair or nails. But I suspect I have an underlying malabsorption problem, so it's likely my body wasn't taking it up.

[losthistory]

I had a hair disaster in February of '07 that left me with - get this - 1 inch length hair (long story...I cried). I was letting it grow out but getting frequent trims. I kept my hair at ear length until I got engaged in February '08. At that point I started to grow my hair out. I was still getting very frequent trims and my hair was growing at about 1/2 inch a month. In October of '08 I started taking a prenatal vitamin and a h/s/n supplement. Within a month and a half my hair started growing at about 3/4 inch a month and my nails REALLY started growing.

I was (and still am) taking:
2 tbsp ground flax seed daily
3-6-9 Omega capsule daily
H/S/N supplement with 1000 mcg biotin (60 mg vitamin C; 500 mg hydrolyzed collagen; 30 mg of grapeseed extract, glycine, l-cysteine, and horsetail)
400 IU vitamin D
Prenatal tablet without biotin

I did not get excess acne until I traded the Nuvaring for a Paragard IUD. Actually, before the BC switch, I noticed an improvement in my mild acne about the time my hair and nail growth exploded. As Pumpkin noticed that her nails stopped peeling, my mom did also when she started taking a biotin supplement.

TL;DR:
Yes, it caused my hair grew faster (see supplements since they may have also had an affect).
No, in fact my acne improved.

[Rapunzal2Be]

Yes, I believe it helps my hair grow faster (but I can't be 100% sure since I do a lot for it - MN, MegaTek, other supplements, etc.) and no it hasn't done anything to my skin.

[rach]

i'm guessing it has as my nails have grown stronger and faster and it's basically the same stuff really but it's harder to tell with hair as it visually doesn't have such short millstones as it does on a nail bed, also my leg hairs seem to be growing more :laugh:.

zits i can't say a i've been on Isotretinoin (commonly known as Roaccutane) which has sorted my acne problems mostly anyway.

[steff8ryan]

I was thinking about biotin and spots this morn and i was thinking you know like you wee out all the biotin you dont need. If you dont drink enough water to flush out the excess would your body excrete it differently causing spots?

[littlenvy]

I was thinking about biotin and spots this morn and i was thinking you know like you wee out all the biotin you dont need. If you dont drink enough water to flush out the excess would your body excrete it differently causing spots?
Hmmm … this is just a guess, but I don’t think so.
You have to pee eventually, so all the “unused” biotin will just come out then making your pee have a high biotin concentration. Lol
I think (and this is just my personal experience) that everyone metabolizes vitamins and minerals differently.
I have been taking biotin for years! Not for hair or nail but for energy and appetite control. And while it does give me even energy throughout the day and makes me less hungry it does nothing for my hair or nails. (I also don’t have any spots or break outs)
I guess I have genetics that don’t put much importance into hair or nail and distribute the biotin to the places they think it should go not the places I think it should go. LOL

[Loreley]

I take hair vitamins which contain biotin and they make my hair grow a bit faster. :)

[Crazycatlady]

Hmmm … this is just a guess, but I don’t think so.
You have to pee eventually, so all the “unused” biotin will just come out then making your pee have a high biotin concentration. Lol
I think (and this is just my personal experience) that everyone metabolizes vitamins and minerals differently.
I have been taking biotin for years! Not for hair or nail but for energy and appetite control. And while it does give me even energy throughout the day and makes me less hungry it does nothing for my hair or nails. (I also don’t have any spots or break outs)
I guess I have genetics that don’t put much importance into hair or nail and distribute the biotin to the places they think it should go not the places I think it should go. LOL

Wow, Littlenvy! I never knew Biotin could help with appetite control. I usually take 1300 mcg daily. How much do you take? Maybe I should increase mine. I'm needing some help in that department right now. :p

[littlenvy]

Wow, Littlenvy! I never knew Biotin could help with appetite control. I usually take 1300 mcg daily. How much do you take? Maybe I should increase mine. I'm needing some help in that department right now. :p
LOL. I only take 500. (if I take any more I know I will just pee it out)
But I do have a pretty big sweet tooth and Biotin helps me control that. It helps to metabolize sugars and keep an even level throughout the day. Without it I feel like taking a nap around 3 pm, when I take it, I can keep going all day long.
It does not help you skip a meal or feel no hunger, but it does help you say no to that little voice that says "come on, have some icecream, it will make you feel better" :eyebrows:

[ScarlettAdelle]

My hair grew quite a bit faster when I took biotin, and my skin is usually pretty clear, and I didn't notice a difference. One of the main things people don't realize with biotin is that it takes about a month for it to really start working, so I've seen a lot of people stop taking it in 3 weeks because they didn't notice a change... some have even given me their leftover biotin, to which I say "Sweet, free biotin" :)

[buzzlegum]

I never found out whether it made my hair grow because I just finished one pack (maybe 60 pills?). It made me break out like hell and it stayed that way, I guess. :(

[handsclean]

I'm not sure if it makes my hair grow- I've been taking 5 mg daily since the beginning of July, but it's hard to tell with my curly hair. It definitely has grown this summer, but I don't keep track much- it's nice to feel like I'm doing something to help it grow faster, though, even if it's not doing anything. I haven't had any breakouts, but I also take 30 mg of zinc for my face (and 2 mg of copper in my multi, so I don't get deficient :) )

[LovingLongHair]

I am taking Spring Valley's Biotin, 5000 mcg. So far I'm pretty sure that I was Biotin deficient because I had noticeably better looking hair after the first week! It was amazing! I have had no acne from it at this point. My hair growth has increased dramatically!

[Elysium]

I take a multivitamin/mineral with ginseng everyday. This has 50mcg biotin in it. My hair has been growing faster and looks healthier but that might also be due to taking better care of it in general.

[clairenewcastle]

I took a supplement containing 900ug of biotin for ten days only to find it caused digestive upset, insomina and a few other TMI symptons I'd rather not mention here.

No surprise to say that I'd no extra hair growth.

[Firefox7275]

I am taking Spring Valley's Biotin, 5000 mcg. So far I'm pretty sure that I was Biotin deficient because I had noticeably better looking hair after the first week! It was amazing! I have had no acne from it at this point. My hair growth has increased dramatically!

If you think your diet is deficient in one nutrient, chances are it is deficient in others. Why not overhaul your lifestyle to make it healthier all round? And/ or take a complete multi-vitamin and multi-mineral which contains the RDA of each micronutrient? :confused: Since hair is dead, biotin alone cannot give you better hair is one week.

[Ostelot]

One of my iron supplements for anaemia included also biotin. When I took them 2 years ago, my hair grew a little bit faster. Maybe 0.3 inch faster or so. But my skin didn't like biotin and got pimples. So I just stopped taking those supplements after the iron levels had cured. The faster growth speed disappeared with them during couple of months or something. My natural growth is enough me right now.

[LaceyNg]

i've been taking 7500 mcg daily for 5 months.
i got some acne during the 1st month (i'm acne-prone), but then they went away, and no problems since!
as for increased rate of growth, yes, but only by a little bit. the most benefots have been seen in my nails (WOW!) :)

[shawty]

I took about 520 mcg per day. It increased my growth a tiny bit. =)
I haven't kept up with it. Maybe I should try again.

[lyria]

Did not make my hair grow faster.

Zits lasted for months after I stopped taking it.

[misomercy]

I'm taking 6000mcg's a day of Hair, Skin and Nails.... 2000 a day when i take just straight Biotin.... and I'm having to have my hair colored once every three weeks now instead of once every four to six weeks... crap, this might get expensive.....

[AcornMystic]

I would say yes, it has made my hair grow faster. It used to only grow the average half an inch but now it grows about .75. It is also more resilient. I also never suffered from zits. I do wonder though how much of my growth and resiliency is due to the daily scalp massages, as I massage every morning, night and during washes. I'd have to do a controlled test to know for sure, but all I know is that whatever I am doing, it is working and I don't wanna stop :D

I've been taking biotin for the past 4.5 months or so. I use Natural Factors 300mcg per tab; 90 tablets. I take 1 pill a day, as directed, so it lasts 3 months. It was about 7 bucks CDN. I say it's def. worth a try if you want to explore your options.

EDIT: For those who are interested, this is it: http://naturalfactors.com/ca/en/products/316/biotin-300-mcg

[TheMechaGinger]

I take i think 1000 micrograms, it says it's 333% the daily recommended dose. But it took my growth rate from a half inch to about .75 and no zits either. In fact I didn't even know it could give people zits

[Amber_Maiden]

Didn't make my hair grow faster, and it gave me zits- so I stopped taking it.

[lolot]

I didnt see any diference in grow rate, but my face started to break out a lot, so i stop taking it

[turquoisedays]

I do take biotin, but I don't take it in larger amounts because I'm very afraid of cystic acne. I take 300 mcg a day (100&#37; recommended value) and make sure to stay as hydrated as possible to minimize the acne. It's also made my hair grow about 3/4 inch a month as opposed to 1/2. I've always had occasional acne so I honestly can't tell if my dosage impacted it.

[Avaya]

I used to take Biotin, but I didn't notice that my hair grew any faster. It did give me Cystic Acne though, but I was also taking Super Potency Biotin 5000 mcg a day which is probably way to much. I stopped the Biotin and the Cystic Acne went away. I haven't experimented with taking a lower dose because with the higher dose I didn't notice faster growth and I'm afraid I will get Cystic Acne again. :(

[Pinkster8]

No zits; my skin got better. My nails are growing crazy fast and my hair is growing a little faster, I may have a small amount of new growth too. I'm taking hair skin and nails vitamins with 3,000 mcg biotin per day.

[Apriori]

I voted no and no. I took biotin for half a year, and my hair grew awfully slow in that periode.

[UP Lisa]

I started taking it about 3 months ago, probably. For the first month I took 2000 mcg/day. Lowered that to 1000/day. I don't notice any breakouts, and I don't actually know if it's doing anything for me.

[nala89]

I used to take Biotin (a couple of months back in 2010 I guess) and I didn't really notice a difference. Mair nails didn't grow any faster either and my hair quality wasn't improving so I stopped taking it.

[catamonica]

Biotin did not do a thing for me. Using horse shampoo & wearing my hair in a bun five days a
week has made it grow longer to my hips.

[crazyladyk]

I don't really measure because my hair is pretty short and seeing how far I have to go is depressing lol, but I definitely feel like my hair is growing faster. I am going to continue taking it for a while. Maybe I'll even start measuring.

[Becky9679]

I voted yes but it's really more of a maybe. I've only been taking it for just over a month so I honestly don't know if it was the biotin or some other factor but here is the difference in my length between December 2011 and January. This is the most growth I've ever had in one month since I joined LHC. I take 900 ug per day and I also take spirulina

ETA: My nails also seem to be growing faster and they aren't breaking like they usually do at this length.

December:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8088&pictureid=121566

January:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8088&pictureid=124373

[sarah061]

Big difference with my nails, no real difference with my hair - maybe I should have taken it for a few more months? Only took it for about 3... :shrug:

I stopped taking it because I just didn't want to be on any more pills or supplements, even if they were vitamins.

[jbn]

I take 5 mg biotin and Omega 3 6 & 9 daily plus synthroid and a few other meds. I'm almost 70 years old and started growing form collar length 2 1/2 years ago. I have noticed some increase in growth and thickness, but my eye brows have gone wild. I need to trim them once a week. The nails have grown stronger too.

John

[diamantenstaub]

I have to say: Yes, it did!
I use a mix of biotin, zinc and millet (I hope that the correct translation..) and it really helps a lot! My hair grows faster and also stronger. I think you can see that my hairline is pretty strong and shiny!!! :) Plus it also helps my nails. They are usually very thin and frail and now they are also kind of stronger than before! So I think it helps!

[SC]

Last time I tried biotin I took 5mg a day and it really helped, well at least with my nails. I can't remember what it did to my hair but I think that it did grow a little faster. Now I started taking 7,5mg a day which is 2500&#37; of daily recommendations of biotin. My hair will grow and my nails will be strong again. If I wouldn't have stopped using biotin at one point my hair could be so much longer by now...

[Pumpkin3826]

I think it has helped with so much!!! I take 10,000 MCG a day. I have noticed it helps my hair grow quicker from about a half an inch a month to 3/4th of an inch sometimes more in the summer. My nails also grow quicker but I have very thin nails, my mom did and her mom did as well so I think that might just be genetic. I have not noticed the biotin strengthening my nails, I just keep them clipped short. I notice body hair grows so much quicker as well.. In the winter months you are so covered that you don't notice then when you happen to wear a tank top you notice how hairy your armpits have gotten in a matter of 5-6 days. Lol. Well at least that is what happens to me. :o I have not noticed any more acne then usual. I have been taking biotin for about 2 years now. I am one of the lucky people who got adult acne when I was in my early 20's. It is getting better the older I get and the biotin does not make it flare up any more then I normally break out. So I would say don't let that scare you away from trying it out!

[peachyleshy]

I take it now and have in the past. It has never given me zits or made my hair grow faster as far as I can tell. It does seems to help my nails a bit. But I rarely polish them now and that has made quite a difference over the years as well. Maybe I should try the 10,000 MCG?

[lapushka]

I have biotin in my daily multivitamin (a *very* *very* conservative dosage, not even in the thousands) and I have never noticed my hair growing in spurts. I get 1/2 inch a month, and I'm happy with that!

[Aredhel]

No. All it gave me was cystic acne, which I never get otherwise.

[Suze]

No. All it gave me was cystic acne, which I never get otherwise. Oh, yes!! Me too. Didn't realise it was the biotin at first. Gave me no extra hairgrowth.

[ontheway]

Super high doses of biotin makes me break out. It helps a bit with hair but not a TON. I take about 3-4 mg per day now but don't go higher than that because it definitely breaks me out.

The month where I went hard on it though I did notice my hair grew a bit faster, but maybe my hair always grows that fast? I gain about 1-2 inches per month in the summer and over the last 2 months I've been getting a solid inch per month. I'd love it if it helped thickened up my strands.

[Lizabeth94]

My hair's natural growth (no supplements or special diet), is 1/2 an inch a month, but with 10,000mcg of biotin a day, my hair grows a little over 3/4 inch a month. If I eat a high protein diet as well, 100g+ a day, my hair grows an inch a month, sometimes even more certain times of the year.

[Aredhel]

Oh, yes!! Me too. Didn't realise it was the biotin at first. Gave me no extra hairgrowth.

Glad I'm not the only one! :agree:

[ontheway]

My hair's natural growth (no supplements or special diet), is 1/2 an inch a month, but with 10,000mcg of biotin a day, my hair grows a little over 3/4 inch a month. If I eat a high protein diet as well, 100g+ a day, my hair grows an inch a month, sometimes even more certain times of the year.

Wow 100g or protein a day? What are you eating??

I don't do protein shakes because I think a lot of them are loaded with chemicals. I'm struggling to figure out how I'd get that much protein in a day without going to protein shakes. I know vegetables technically have protein in them also, so if you count all of that, you may be over 60g a day.. but 100g is more than I've heard of.

[Hexen]

Oh my jeeez....reading all of the personal variations is ripping my mind apart. *insert some kind of Hellraiser visuals here*
Obviously there is a real factor between ones current and congruent body chemistry and the administering of the biotin itself. I myself think to have observed a noticeable change in growth rate (for the better) while adhering to a somewhat specific diet. And strangely enough I had no prior idea of the kind of diet that might be conducive to hair growth. But after reading some of the posts here...it seems to make much more sense now. Twas high protein, and under normal carb intake. However I did get my protein from whey shakes....in which i blended in things like coconut, almonds, and plain oats. My Dr...even acted kinda surprised when she told me about my LDL count. As if her normal routine was to blast her patients Cholesterol levels all to heck lol. Which is understandable as im referring to an indian clinic. I do have to admit though that being able to walk into someplace and get prescripts and med care for free is mighty nice. Its almost cult like...in that you have to have a documented membership to take part. And you would be surprised at who you see there. Long haired injuns....and executive suits. Side by side. :)
Anyhoo...maybe supplements can be a welcome kick in the rear....but(t)...I am pretty sure they are not meant to be relied upon solely, and work better with a good frame of mind. If plants can benefit from affection, why cant ones own hair? :)

[yamsha23]

Wow 100g or protein a day? What are you eating??

I don't do protein shakes because I think a lot of them are loaded with chemicals. I'm struggling to figure out how I'd get that much protein in a day without going to protein shakes. I know vegetables technically have protein in them also, so if you count all of that, you may be over 60g a day.. but 100g is more than I've heard of.

Have you heard about Spiru-tein (https://il.iherb.com/pr/Nature-s-Plus-Spiru-Tein-High-Protein-Energy-Meal-Vanilla-2-4-lbs-1088-g/7678)? I have the same concerns as you and I like using this supplement. I have to find some sort of protein source since I'm vegetarian and this one tastes super good as a morning drink + has spiruline, biotin, zinc, vitamin A&B&C, iron, calcium, everything you'd want for you hair :)

[ontheway]

Have you heard about Spiru-tein (https://il.iherb.com/pr/Nature-s-Plus-Spiru-Tein-High-Protein-Energy-Meal-Vanilla-2-4-lbs-1088-g/7678)? I have the same concerns as you and I like using this supplement. I have to find some sort of protein source since I'm vegetarian and this one tastes super good as a morning drink + has spiruline, biotin, zinc, vitamin A&B&C, iron, calcium, everything you'd want for you hair :)

I was actually looking into spirulina (havent tried it yet, I'm very cautious about introducing new things). That supplement looks great! I'm just weary about the high Vitamin A content because I know too much Vitamin A causes hair loss? Or am I wrong on that?

[akurah]

Wow 100g or protein a day? What are you eating??

I don't do protein shakes because I think a lot of them are loaded with chemicals. I'm struggling to figure out how I'd get that much protein in a day without going to protein shakes. I know vegetables technically have protein in them also, so if you count all of that, you may be over 60g a day.. but 100g is more than I've heard of.

It's easy to get high protein:
eat meat
eat yogurt (specifically greek)
you must eat protein at every meal (meat or yogurt are the best sources on a gram by gram basis)

Today, I had approximately 82 grams of protein, and if I had tried, I could have hit 100 grams. I didn't eat an unusual amount of food either, I had greek yogurt (18 grams protein for the amount i ate) for breakfast, a lean cuisine with 15 grams protein for lunch, a lean cuisine with 15 grams protein for dinner, and at some point I ate a hamburger patty as a snack, and some various fruits as snacks. (the lean cuisine is because I'm in the middle of moving, and have no time to properly cook, normally i cook). At no point did I ingest anything resembling a protein shake. And I may yet hit 100 grams before bed if I get up and snack on more yogurt like I've been considering. I've also only eaten about 1300 calories so far, so I can eat more protein without exploding my diet, if I wanted to.

[Anmaeva]

I drink a green tea with added biotin. When I've had a cup a day my nails are stronger. When i don't have it my nails break. Not sure it has an effect on my hair but my friend who bleaches it (we dye each other's hair) says my hair grows a like a weed anyway!

[shaluwm_agape]

No it didn't change my hair, my nails grew a bit but I beoke out like crazy and it did in fact delay my menstrual cycle. :confused: which was honestly random lol

[christinamaria]

It did not, but I actually ended up getting a biotin overdose ...

[megthehennahead]

I quit taking biotin last summer because I didn't think it was doing anything, but looking at my growth chart, I think it was. I think I'll pick some up and start back up with it!

[emptyque]

I used one bottle of biotin, but I was always skeptical that it would do anything. My hair did grow a lot, but it might have done that anyway. The gummies were delicious though.

[Natashap]

I am inconsistent in taking biotin so cannot say for sure.

Once taken everyday then will give my observation in 3 months or so.

[Margrit]

I never took it, so I can not say something about it.

[lapushka]

I never took it, so I can not say something about it.

A very small amount is in my multivitamin, which I find normal, but it's nowhere near the amounts you hear about!

[Begemot]

I don't think biotin has ever made my hair grow faster but I still take it regularly because I believe it's good for the quality of my hair, nails and skin. The brand I take also has zinc and vitamin c in it.

[Fiorentina]

No, it didn't make my hair grow faster.

[foreveryours]

I take 10 milligrams every day (300X the USRDA). It does DOES NOT make my hair grow faster (I don't think). But it DOES greatly stengthen my fingernails

[GoatLady]

I haven't noticed any difference but I'm not very consistent in taking it. Maybe I'll do better in 2023.

[vampyyri]

No, it doesn't make my hair grow faster, but it certainly has helped my nails be stronger!

[Garnetgem]

Can't say i have noticed any difference, but a few years ago i experienced some hair loss and scalp issues and my doctor prescribed B6 and it grew rapidly and my scalp calmed down somewhat so i have stuck with the B6 but biotin i have taken but saw no changes.