Calling all biotin users!

[sabrinaclrke]

Hi! I have been taking biotin for about 2 months now. Personally, i think it effects my growth rate. My hair is growing almost an inch a month! Whereas before I noticed hardly any growth at all.

So, ladies and gentlemen, have you noticed a difference? How much, and what brand are you using/ how much are you taking?

I use gnc hair skin nails, which I take 2 of realgiously every day.

[jacqueline101]

Ive noticed growth on my journey but I use multiple products.

[ravenreed]

Nada, zip, zilch, bupkis. It hasn't done a thing for my hair OR my paper-thin nails.

[sabrinaclrke]

Hummm that's interesting. Did it effect your skin? How long were you taking it for?

[AmberLouise]

I've been taking 5000 mcg of Spring Vally Biotin pills everyday for 3 months.... Honestly I haven't noticed a difference, I'm still at 1/2 inch a month. I plan to keep taking it anyways (maybe after time it'll start to help?) and I might add in a daily vitamin. I already eat healthy, drink only water and exercise daily so there is not much more I can do there to help with growth. It stinks too because I want my pixie gone! :P


I guess I should add that my nails do seem stronger and I haven't had any breakouts (but I never have breakouts).

[Firefox7275]

http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/infamous-biotin-rant.html

[ositarosita]

I take anywhere from 1000mcg to 5000mcg a day, I never take the same amount everyday, of Nature's Bounty Biotin. I have been taking it for the better part of a year and the quality of my hair has improved, it's not as coarse and is much shinier but at the same time I also take 1 Jamieson Prenatal vitamin daily as well exercise 6 days a week and try to eat healthily. Biotin is a must for me, it is a staple in my regimen lol not so much for growth as my growth rate has only increased by maybe a 1/4" but for quality. The quality of my hair, skin, nails and it helps with my weight as well.

[sabrinaclrke]

Thanks, firefox, for that article. I wasnt aware!

[ravenreed]

It made my acne act up, does that count? I took it for over six months, plenty long enough to notice a difference. I am no longer taking it because I don't think it is good to take random things unless they actually do something beneficial. I wasn't taking it for my hair, I was really, really hoping it would help my fingernails. I can't get anything to work for them. It is a problem that I have had my whole life. However, my hair still grows the same rate, within normal, seasonal fluctuations. I haven't noticed an increase in thickness, nothing. And as I said, my nails are still HORRIBLE. They are so thin that they bend, and they peel. I have tried about every supplement and hardener on the market.


Hummm that's interesting. Did it effect your skin? How long were you taking it for?

[jeanniet]

I have a question for those taking biotin. How many of you know what the daily recommended amount is?

[grungy haze]

I take a multi-vitamin for hair growth that I got from the health food store. It has 2,500 mcg of Biotin in it I believe, as well as Silica, Msm, choline, horsetail and a bunch of other stuff. My nails and hair are growing faster, but I have no direct evidence that biotin is doing this all on its own as I started eating much healthier at around the same time I began taking it. I also have started drinking more water and exercising lightly, so I think all of those things have had more of an impact. I just choose to take it as I haven't had any negative side effects (well, the first few weeks I took it I was breaking out like nobody's business, but now that I drink more water and eat less junk that hasn't been happening.)

[TheHowlingWolf]

Hmm....Tbh I don't know if it does anything for my hair or not lol. People were suggesting it to me when I started my long hair journey a few years ago, & I've been taking it ever since. I don't see anything wrong with taking it, so I just continue to take it. I don't have a specific brand but I'm currently using the NOW brand & it's 1000mcg, but I take 2 a day. Though, I am thinking of trying Country Life Maxi-Hair & that has biotin in it. I take MSM too, and I do notice that my shedding reduces when I take MSM. HOWEVER, I really noticed my hair growing faster when I started taking vitamin D3 about 3 months ago! Even my mom mentioned my hair was growing longer more quickly! So if you don't think Biotin is working for you, I'd try Vitamin D3!

[ebullience]

I have been taking Biotin for the last 8 months, but I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary in terms of growth. I switched earlier this week to spirulina to see if that makes any difference (I bought it more for its promised health benefits but I noticed it does benefit hair).

I'm glad to hear that you've experienced such great growth with biotin though!

[Tori Angeli]

What I've heard is that it takes eight or nine months for biotin supplementing to start affecting your hair growth, if indeed you don't already have/eat enough already. I started taking it a couple of months ago, really only because I noticed my nails were pretty flimsy, and I think it's helped there already.

[ositarosita]

I have a question for those taking biotin. How many of you know what the daily recommended amount is?

Daily recommended Biotin intake is 100mg, however doses as high as 200 mg have been used without adverse affects. Anything higher is only recommended under medical supervision.

[Aemelia]

I took it for peeling nails, Nature's Own ( Australian brand) 300mcg once a day, which was the recommended dose. It did nothing for my nails but my hair was stalled at tailbone and went to classic while I was taking it. I have no idea if it was coincidence.It didn't do anything to my skin.

[aster66]

Sorry to hear that your fingernails are so thin. Mine used to be like that too, all my life they were thin and they peeled horribly. That was until I started moisturizing my hands with hand cream a couple of times a day because the soap at the at the ladies room at my work was horribly drying to my hands. After a while i began noticing a difference in my nails as they stopped peeling :). They also became stronger and not as 'bendy'. However, when i was on vacation for about a month and stopped moisturizing my hands i noticed at the end that my nails started to peel a little again. So i started moisturizing (only a few times a week) again and the peeling stopped pretty quickly after. I really recommend you try it and see if it works for you too :). When i moisturize my hands i now take extra care to rub the cream on my nailbeds and fingernails. Hope this helps you somehow!



It made my acne act up, does that count? I took it for over six months, plenty long enough to notice a difference. I am no longer taking it because I don't think it is good to take random things unless they actually do something beneficial. I wasn't taking it for my hair, I was really, really hoping it would help my fingernails. I can't get anything to work for them. It is a problem that I have had my whole life. However, my hair still grows the same rate, within normal, seasonal fluctuations. I haven't noticed an increase in thickness, nothing. And as I said, my nails are still HORRIBLE. They are so thin that they bend, and they peel. I have tried about every supplement and hardener on the market.

[ravenreed]

Thanks for the suggestion. I do moisturize quite a bit and use a cuticle cream at night on my nails. I wash my hands a lot during the day and don't always moisturize right after, so maybe I will try that...


Sorry to hear that your fingernails are so thin. Mine used to be like that too, all my life they were thin and they peeled horribly. That was until I started moisturizing my hands with hand cream a couple of times a day because the soap at the at the ladies room at my work was horribly drying to my hands. After a while i began noticing a difference in my nails as they stopped peeling :). They also became stronger and not as 'bendy'. However, when i was on vacation for about a month and stopped moisturizing my hands i noticed at the end that my nails started to peel a little again. So i started moisturizing (only a few times a week) again and the peeling stopped pretty quickly after. I really recommend you try it and see if it works for you too :). When i moisturize my hands i now take extra care to rub the cream on my nailbeds and fingernails. Hope this helps you somehow!

[MiamiPineapple]

Biotin is my favorite hair supplement. I swear by it for growth. I take it everyday, been doing so for 4 years.

[Night_Kitten]

I took Biotin for a couple of months about a year and a half or 2 years ago, but saw no change to my hair growth rate or my nails... I didn't experience any side-effects (that I noticed anyway), but as I saw no improvement I stopped taking it after a few months...

I don't remember what brand it was, I think it was 400mcg but not 100% sure...

[Quahatundightu]

I have just started mine, hoping to see some results. If not I will just finish off the bottle and stop taking it. I started with 300mcg but since it gave me a headache Iam doing 150mcg a day and will move back up to 300mcg soon.

[jeanniet]

Daily recommended Biotin intake is 100mg, however doses as high as 200 mg have been used without adverse affects. Anything higher is only recommended under medical supervision.

Not true. The daily recommendation is roughly 40-60mcg--that's micrograms, not milligrams. 100mg is 10,000mcg. That 1000-5000mcg you're taking is 10-50 times the recommended amount. It's also very unlikely that anyone eating a normal diet is deficient in biotin anyway, so just about anyone who's taking biotin is oversupplementing, never mind the typical megadosing. I don't think most people here who are megadosing actually know what the recommended amounts are.

[sabrinaclrke]

I have a question.
So, if we are mega dosing, are there any side effects? Like, bad for you're health?

My pills have MSM/ other things that may also increase my hair growth so I'd be bummed if I learned it was bad for your health.

[jeanniet]

I have a question.
So, if we are mega dosing, are there any side effects? Like, bad for you're health?

My pills have MSM/ other things that may also increase my hair growth so I'd be bummed if I learned it was bad for your health.

The bigger question really is, why do you want to megadose something that you're very unlikely to be deficient in? It's not like your body is going to say, "Oh, yay, more biotin, I'll use it all up!" Excess is excreted in the urine--which means basically all of it--but that excess has to be processed by your kidneys, so yes, there is potential for it to have a serious effect on your health if you have any hidden issues. But really, what it comes down to is, very few people need to supplement biotin. More is not better, and you're pissing the excess away. Might just as well throw the pills away and save yourself the trouble of taking them.

If you want to be healthier, eat better. It's more fun than taking pills anyway.

[sabrinaclrke]

I do seem to be unlucky when it comes to health issues...

I have a hard time eating healthy, to be honest.

So what I'm trying to say is, are there any other kind of supplement I can take for hair growth that is actually good for you?
Sorry if I sound like a broken record player.

[Magalo]

Biotin makes my hair grow VERY fast. I love it. 5000 mcg gives me acne but 2500 doesn't.

[jeanniet]

I do seem to be unlucky when it comes to health issues...

I have a hard time eating healthy, to be honest.

So what I'm trying to say is, are there any other kind of supplement I can take for hair growth that is actually good for you?
Sorry if I sound like a broken record player.

To be equally honest, if you need supplements, you need to eat better. Supplements are a poor substitute for a good diet. If you think you have deficiencies, you should visit your doctor and have a blood panel done to be sure. There's no point in supplementing what your body may not need.

[sabrinaclrke]

Okay, thanks.

[see_turtle]

It is in the multi I take daily ( I'm vegan so I supplement for iron and have a b-12 spray) my nails are much improved! Less bendy and growing faster. Not sure if it's helping my hair but my growth is up a bit from last year.

[BlondeWavyGal]

After the initial breakout I noticed only slight growth increase. I havent been using it for too long though, as for acne, barely anymore.

[butterfly_dream]

I have been taking Biotin (5000 mcg) everyday for 1 year… Sincerely I don’t saw any change to my hair growth rate or my nails. :confused:
I have not had breakouts, and I didn't experienced any other side effect as well.

[AnnaB]

within of using it I have notices spots, and I never have spots! But I have noticed hair growth so now instead of taking 5000mg every day, I take one every 3 days. Seems better balance.

[Firefox7275]

within of using it I have notices spots, and I never have spots! But I have noticed hair growth so now instead of taking 5000mg every day, I take one every 3 days. Seems better balance.

Please tell me you are not taking 5 grams every three days! Why don't you just spread the amount out each day? It's a water soluble vitamin so some of the excess will be wasted in your urine, plus you are still risking stressing your body with such megadoses. if you bought large dose tablets get a pill cutter from Superdrug or suchlike.

[Hootenanny]

Please tell me you are not taking 5 grams every three days! Why don't you just spread the amount out each day? It's a water soluble vitamin so some of the excess will be wasted in your urine, plus you are still risking stressing your body with such megadoses. if you bought large dose tablets get a pill cutter from Superdrug or suchlike.

Hopefully she means mcg and not mg. Otherwise, yikes!

[Foxylocks]

I started using biotin about three weeks ago to hopefully increase my growth rate and to help make my peeling nails stronger. I haven't been taking it long enough to experience results, but I hope I will get some soon.

[BlondeWavyGal]

Please tell me you are not taking 5 grams every three days! Why don't you just spread the amount out each day? It's a water soluble vitamin so some of the excess will be wasted in your urine, plus you are still risking stressing your body with such megadoses. if you bought large dose tablets get a pill cutter from Superdrug or suchlike.

The maximum reccommended dosage is twice that amount. as long as you drink enough water 5000 mcg is the dose most people take.

[jeanniet]

The maximum reccommended dosage is twice that amount. as long as you drink enough water 5000 mcg is the dose most people take.

The maximum recommended amount is 100mcg, which is 1/50 of 5000mcg (I assume that's what you meant). I think you're confusing mcg with mg. Just because people are taking 50 times as much as the maximum recommended amount--and even that amount is probably unnecessary--doesn't mean it's a good idea. Especially when you aren't aware of the actual recommended amounts.

[0xalis]

i get 300mcg in the multivitamin i take and i think that + all the other vitamins + scalp massages have definitely been helping me! my hair and nails are a lot healthier since i started taking this multivitamin like wow.

[catamonica]

Maybe the biotin works for some people. It didn't do a thing for me. I used original mane & tail horse
shampoo. And my hair grew to waist after years of no growth.

[BlondeWavyGal]

The maximum recommended amount is 100mcg, which is 1/50 of 5000mcg (I assume that's what you meant). I think you're confusing mcg with mg. Just because people are taking 50 times as much as the maximum recommended amount--and even that amount is probably unnecessary--doesn't mean it's a good idea. Especially when you aren't aware of the actual recommended amounts.

No im pretty sure 10,000 mcg is the maximum reccommended. Health stores usually carry up to that amount and a lot of people take that much. Sure, its way more than you actually need but its the most you can take before you even start getting side effects and you would need to take 1000 mcg before it even helped.

[ositarosita]

Not true. The daily recommendation is roughly 40-60mcg--that's micrograms, not milligrams. 100mg is 10,000mcg. That 1000-5000mcg you're taking is 10-50 times the recommended amount. It's also very unlikely that anyone eating a normal diet is deficient in biotin anyway, so just about anyone who's taking biotin is oversupplementing, never mind the typical megadosing. I don't think most people here who are megadosing actually know what the recommended amounts are.

My mistake I want to apologise. However, there is no evidence of Biotin toxicity and seeing as how it is a WATER SOLUBLE B vitamin the body does not store it and it is excreted through the urine.....http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-h-biotin....http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219718.php.....http://dictionary.sensagent.com/Biotin/en-en/ ... again my apologises :)

[ositarosita]

http://dictionary.sensagent.com/Biotin/en-en/

[ositarosita]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219718.php ( sorry I had all my links but they did not send in 1 message)

[Panth]

To save confusion:

Grams = g
Milligrams = mg
Micrograms = ug (the u should technically be a greek mu character, but it is common to use a u character when you lack a keyboard with a mu on it).

1g = 1000mg
1mg = 1000ug

"mcg" is not a recognised abbreviation and, has been seen on this thread, only causes confusion.

(To re-iterate: http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/infamous-biotin-rant.html)

[Panth]

(Sorry - double post.)

[Ravenwind]

I'm taking a hair nails and skin supplement I got at Costco like... 2 years ago lol :x It's by Nature's Bounty. You're supposed to take 3 of these a day but I only take one when I remember to (that's why it has taken me a couple years :P). Each serving, which I'm guessing is the 3 tablets a day, is 5000mcg. Even when I take just one or 2 a month, I noticed more growth. I don't know exactly how much my hair is growing but I can tell how much longer it's getting when I do take biotin. It's like a growth spurt every month :)

[jeanniet]

I guess I just don't see the point of taking a supplement you don't need when it hasn't been scientifically shown to do what you're taking it for in the first place. It's a total waste of money, if nothing else. Im aware of the "no toxicity" argument, but why make your body process something that has no benefit anyway? Clearly the megadoses do have some level of negative affects, since so many people report acne and headaches. What I find most disturbing is that so many people are willing to take something without having any idea what the daily recommended levels are. If you're going to be taking 10-50 times what you need of something, shouldn't you at least do enough checking to know you're doing it?


To save confusion:

Grams = g
Milligrams = mg
Micrograms = ug (the u should technically be a greek mu character, but it is common to use a u character when you lack a keyboard with a mu on it).

1g = 1000mg
1mg = 1000ug

"mcg" is not a recognised abbreviation and, has been seen on this thread, only causes confusion.

(To re-iterate: http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/infamous-biotin-rant.html)

I know mcg isn't really correct, but a lot of people don't know what ug means, and seem to understand mcg. :shrug: But you are quite right!

[ravenreed]

Tell that to my pharmacy then. My thyroid meds have a measurement in mcg on the label. *shrug*


To save confusion:

Grams = g
Milligrams = mg
Micrograms = ug (the u should technically be a greek mu character, but it is common to use a u character when you lack a keyboard with a mu on it).

1g = 1000mg
1mg = 1000ug

"mcg" is not a recognised abbreviation and, has been seen on this thread, only causes confusion.

(To re-iterate: http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/infamous-biotin-rant.html)

[ravenreed]

According to Medline (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/313.html), which is one of the sites I trust, there is no RDA for Biotin.

"There is no recommended dietary allowance (RDA) established for biotin. The adequate intakes (AI) for biotin are 7 mcg for infants 0-12 months, 8 mcg for children 1-3 years, 12 mcg for children 4-8 years, 20 mcg for children 9-13 years, 25 mcg for adolescents 14-18 years, 30 mcg for adults over 18 years and pregnant women, and 35 mcg for breast-feeding women."


Not true. The daily recommendation is roughly 40-60mcg--that's micrograms, not milligrams. 100mg is 10,000mcg. That 1000-5000mcg you're taking is 10-50 times the recommended amount. It's also very unlikely that anyone eating a normal diet is deficient in biotin anyway, so just about anyone who's taking biotin is oversupplementing, never mind the typical megadosing. I don't think most people here who are megadosing actually know what the recommended amounts are.

[ravenreed]

You do realize that health food stores are not controlled by medical professionals and often carry things that are later proved to be harmful, right? I wouldn't use that as my basis for safety or efficacy.


No im pretty sure 10,000 mcg is the maximum reccommended. Health stores usually carry up to that amount and a lot of people take that much. Sure, its way more than you actually need but its the most you can take before you even start getting side effects and you would need to take 1000 mcg before it even helped.

[Tabitha]

Not true. The daily recommendation is roughly 40-60mcg--that's micrograms, not milligrams. 100mg is 10,000mcg. That 1000-5000mcg you're taking is 10-50 times the recommended amount. It's also very unlikely that anyone eating a normal diet is deficient in biotin anyway, so just about anyone who's taking biotin is oversupplementing, never mind the typical megadosing. I don't think most people here who are megadosing actually know what the recommended amounts are.


Biotin makes my hair grow VERY fast. I love it. 5000 mcg gives me acne but 2500 doesn't.


I have been taking Biotin (5000 mcg) everyday for 1 year… Sincerely I don’t saw any change to my hair growth rate or my nails. :confused:
I have not had breakouts, and I didn't experienced any other side effect as well.


The maximum recommended amount is 100mcg, which is 1/50 of 5000mcg (I assume that's what you meant). I think you're confusing mcg with mg. Just because people are taking 50 times as much as the maximum recommended amount--and even that amount is probably unnecessary--doesn't mean it's a good idea. Especially when you aren't aware of the actual recommended amounts.


No im pretty sure 10,000 mcg is the maximum reccommended. Health stores usually carry up to that amount and a lot of people take that much. Sure, its way more than you actually need but its the most you can take before you even start getting side effects and you would need to take 1000 mcg before it even helped.

I'm rather confused here!

I've just started a supplement which contains biotin. It's not targetted at hair but rather, is intended to calm eczema-prone skin: Selexir Peace Capsules (http://selexir.com/peace-capsules-90/) and biotin is one of its minor, rather than "star" ingredients. The daily dose of 3 capsules provides 150µg of biotin.

My skin is also prone to breakouts for which I have to use antibiotic lotion so I'm naturally concerned about whether this amount of biotin could make this worse. Should I take 2 capsules daily (=100µg biotin) to be on the safe side?

(the quantities in the link are percentages but on the side of the box actual quantities are given, from which I've taken this figure)

and you can find the µ (mu) symbol by going to Character Map on your computer, if you feel so inclined.

[jeanniet]

Tell that to my pharmacy then. My thyroid meds have a measurement in mcg on the label. *shrug*

Lol, I knew I'd seen on a label somewhere! My son's thyroid meds also say mcg.

[jeanniet]

Tell that to my pharmacy then. My thyroid meds have a measurement in mcg on the label. *shrug*

Lol, I knew I'd seen it on a label somewhere! It's on my son's thyroid meds as well.


According to Medline (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/313.html), which is one of the sites I trust, there is no RDA for Biotin.

"There is no recommended dietary allowance (RDA) established for biotin. The adequate intakes (AI) for biotin are 7 mcg for infants 0-12 months, 8 mcg for children 1-3 years, 12 mcg for children 4-8 years, 20 mcg for children 9-13 years, 25 mcg for adolescents 14-18 years, 30 mcg for adults over 18 years and pregnant women, and 35 mcg for breast-feeding women."

Yes, you're right. I said "recommended" when I should have said "suggested." Since biotin deficiency is uncommon where there isn't an underlying health issue, I think the main point is that additional supplementation is largely unnecessary.


You do realize that health food stores are not controlled by medical professionals and often carry things that are later proved to be harmful, right? I wouldn't use that as my basis for safety or efficacy.

This. If you want to take a supplement, at least research it beforehand so you know what the heck you're taking. And if you have any health issues, or take any medications, research whether that supplement is contraindicated.


I'm rather confused here!

I've just started a supplement which contains biotin. It's not targetted at hair but rather, is intended to calm eczema-prone skin: Selexir Peace Capsules (http://selexir.com/peace-capsules-90/) and biotin is one of its minor, rather than "star" ingredients. The daily dose of 3 capsules provides 150µg of biotin.

My skin is also prone to breakouts for which I have to use antibiotic lotion so I'm naturally concerned about whether this amount of biotin could make this worse. Should I take 2 capsules daily (=100µg biotin) to be on the safe side?

(the quantities in the link are percentages but on the side of the box actual quantities are given, from which I've taken this figure)

and you can find the µ (mu) symbol by going to Character Map on your computer, if you feel so inclined.

That dose is fairly low, so may not aggravate your acne. I'd just watch and see how your skin does. It seems like most people are having acne issues with doses 10 times what you'd be taking.

[jeanniet]

No im pretty sure 10,000 mcg is the maximum recommended. Health stores usually carry up to that amount and a lot of people take that much. Sure, its way more than you actually need but its the most you can take before you even start getting side effects and you would need to take 1000 mcg before it even helped.

You really need to do some reading. There are no (respected) websites recommending anywhere near that amount as a maximum. If you only need 60ishmcg a day, why on earth would 10,000mcg be anywhere in the ballpark? Just because health stores carry it doesn't mean you should take it. Health stores carry all kinds of products that most people don't need. Manufacturers of vitamins and supplements are in business to convince the public to take their products; it doesn't matter to them whether you actually have a need for the product or not.

And again, there is no scientific evidence that biotin helps hair grow unless you're actually deficient, and deficiency is rare--and even with deficiency, you'd still need much less than that 1000mcg you seem to think is a minimum.

[Panth]

Tell that to my pharmacy then. My thyroid meds have a measurement in mcg on the label. *shrug*

*shrug* The USA is quite well known for insisting on using outdated, non-standard ways of measurements. E.g.: http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/

However, the SI unit prefixes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units#Prefixes) are m and u, not m and mc.

[10000days]

I've gone through 2 bouts of using biotin.
The first I was taking the Natrol brand 10,000 mcg of biotin once a day; I was using this at the same time that I was taking MSM. My growth rate increased.
The second time is right now and I'm using the same biotin but without MSM and I have noticed no increase in growth rate.
I also have a protein shake after exercise which has biotin in it, so I'm getting about two doses of biotin a day, and I still observe no difference.

I have to conclude that MSM speeds up my growth rate and not biotin (or maybe the two in combination... I've never taken MSM without taking biotin).

[stachelbeere]

I bought a hair supplement with biotin, there is 300 mcg in a pill. Now, it also says on the box that this is 600% of the recommended daily intake! Well, I don't really want to produce expensive urine. If I take half of that it will still be 300%.

Does it sound reasonable to cut a pill into quarters and take 1/4 every day?

[10000days]

I'm no chemist/biologist but I think it has something to do with the body absorbing only a fraction of what you consume anyway... So I take 10,000mcg once a day but I think my body is only capable of absorbing a tiny fraction of it... I'm mostly skeptical of supplements anyway. I take them because places like LHC influence me :)

[stachelbeere]

same here. Thanks, LHC. it better work! :P

[Silverbrumby]

Taking it for three years. Better hair and nails but no increase in growth rate or reducing shredding.

[ravenreed]

I am going to leave this (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751263) here. Before taking things without thought, consider that studies are showing that supplements can be harmful. One study tracked almost 40k older women and found that, "Vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc were associated with about a 3% to 6% increased risk for death, whereas copper was associated with an 18.0% increased risk for total mortality when compared with corresponding nonuse." Keep in mind that some of those are water soluble... You would think the excess would just be excreted, but apparently not.

I am on the fence with taking supplements these days. I take things cautiously, and try very hard not to megadose. If I don't see an improvement for why I am taking something, I stop taking it. The only reason I am going with herbs and supplements at all is that I do have some health issues that are not really addressed well by western medicine at this time. However, it is important to realize that some of these things can kill us if we are not careful. So I research everything first. I look to see if there are any scientific studies that have been done to back up the use of a supplement. I see if there are contraindications or potential conflicts with medications or supplements that I am already taking. I admit that biotin was a stretch for me, but I really was hoping it would help with the finger nails. It seems silly but I am constantly ripping the darned things.

That said, I have had some great results with some of the herbs and supplements that I am taking. I can actually tell when I forget to take them because both my allergies and my pain level are a lot worse. However, I am mindful that as my doctor said to me- Any supplement potent enough to have an effect is potent enough to have a side effect.

[Firefox7275]

I am going to leave this (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751263) here. Before taking things without thought, consider that studies are showing that supplements can be harmful. One study tracked almost 40k older women and found that, "Vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc were associated with about a 3% to 6% increased risk for death, whereas copper was associated with an 18.0% increased risk for total mortality when compared with corresponding nonuse." Keep in mind that some of those are water soluble... You would think the excess would just be excreted, but apparently not.

Great post.

Medscape links are notorious PITA which is a shame because they are excellent. the article is entitled "Vitamin, Mineral Supplements Linked With Increased Mortality Risk" if anyone plugs that into Google it pops right up, click through won't require logging in. HTH.

[stachelbeere]

ravenreed and Firefox7275 I now regret not having done more research and I usually do. I have actually never been taking any supplements, because why should I if my diet is well-balanced and I'm overall healthy. I guess I just felt tempted to try because of LHC and also because I've been shedding more recently (I'm not in a good place mentally at the moment :/) and I wanted that hair to grow back... faster?

[ravenreed]

Understandable! Don't feel badly. After all, we have been told for YEARS that vitamins are good for us. I am just trying to point out that there can be dangers too. After all, I am still taking some myself. :blossom:


ravenreed and Firefox7275 I now regret not having done more research and I usually do. I have actually never been taking any supplements, because why should I if my diet is well-balanced and I'm overall healthy. I guess I just felt tempted to try because of LHC and also because I've been shedding more recently (I'm not in a good place mentally at the moment :/) and I wanted that hair to grow back... faster?

[ravenreed]

I usually find the source article when possible and read it through myself, but I realize that not everyone is so persistent. Sometimes a news article on the topic as about all some can handle in terms of info overload.


Great post.

Medscape links are notorious PITA which is a shame because they are excellent. the article is entitled "Vitamin, Mineral Supplements Linked With Increased Mortality Risk
" if anyone plugs that into Google it pops right up, click through won't require logging in. HTH.

[Firefox7275]

ravenreed and Firefox7275 I now regret not having done more research and I usually do. I have actually never been taking any supplements, because why should I if my diet is well-balanced and I'm overall healthy. I guess I just felt tempted to try because of LHC and also because I've been shedding more recently (I'm not in a good place mentally at the moment :/) and I wanted that hair to grow back... faster?

Manipulate your diet to contain more of nutrients you feel you need to focus on. Oily fish is a wonderful example, great source of protein, long chain omega-3s, biotin, bioavailable vitamin D, B12, various minerals. Cocoa powder is packed with nutrients and obviously rather delicious, seeds like pumpkin, chia and ground flax are nutrient dense also. There is a great search function on the Self Nutrition Data site under the 'tools' tab. The National Institute of Health factsheets for health professionals are also useful.

Sorry to hear you are not in a good place mentally. Nutrition and physical activity are surprisingly effective self treatments for various disorders of mental health from mild to moderate clinical depression, stress/ anxiety, insomnia and even proven beneficial in more severe conditions such as schizophrenia. For depression consider your intake of foods rich in long chain omega-3s, vitamin D and B group vitamins, for stress/ anxiety and insomnia the same plus magnesium, ideally eat low glycaemic index, limit stressors lie sugar, white refined carbs, caffeine and alcohol. The same nutrients are also useful for healthy hair, skin and other organs, and many do find it helpful to be able to take some control of their own destiny. Ditto daily physical activity (at least 10,000 steps) can be useful for many disorders of mental health, especially if you get either a little daylight or social interaction - the increased circulation may be useful for hair growth too. The nice thing is that sensible eating and sensible physical activity is virtually side effect free, can be inexpensive and doesn't interfere with most mainstream healthcare treatments, but do run any changes past your doctor just to be in the safe side.

[Firefox7275]

I usually find the source article when possible and read it through myself, but I realize that not everyone is so persistent. Sometimes a news article on the topic as about all some can handle in terms of info overload.

Sorry if that read as critical it was not in any way shape or form, I was adding to your great post only because the hyperlink doesn't work (Medscape is weird like that). I do often link to trusted secondary sources so that they are readable.

[stachelbeere]

Manipulate your diet to contain more of nutrients you feel you need to focus on. Oily fish is a wonderful example, great source of protein, long chain omega-3s, biotin, bioavailable vitamin D, B12, various minerals. Cocoa powder is packed with nutrients and obviously rather delicious, seeds like pumpkin, chia and ground flax are nutrient dense also. There is a great search function on the Self Nutrition Data site under the 'tools' tab. The National Institute of Health factsheets for health professionals are also useful.

Sorry to hear you are not in a good place mentally. Nutrition and physical activity are surprisingly effective self treatments for various disorders of mental health from mild to moderate clinical depression, stress/ anxiety, insomnia and even proven beneficial in more severe conditions such as schizophrenia. For depression consider your intake of foods rich in long chain omega-3s, vitamin D and B group vitamins, for stress/ anxiety and insomnia the same plus magnesium, ideally eat low glycaemic index, limit stressors lie sugar, white refined carbs, caffeine and alcohol. The same nutrients are also useful for healthy hair, skin and other organs, and many do find it helpful to be able to take some control of their own destiny. Ditto daily physical activity (at least 10,000 steps) can be useful for many disorders of mental health, especially if you get either a little daylight or social interaction - the increased circulation may be useful for hair growth too. The nice thing is that sensible eating and sensible physical activity is virtually side effect free, can be inexpensive and doesn't interfere with most mainstream healthcare treatments, but do run any changes past your doctor just to be in the safe side.

Thanks a lot for this long reply, I bookmarked it and will take special care to increase my intake long chain omega-3 (welcome back flaxseeds), I should definitely have more fish! I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and eggs. A lot of blackberries nowadays too. I need more seeds and nuts in my diet and buckwheat/ rice. And fish.

And you are so right about physical activity. Back when I was running I was feeling so full of energy. Nowadays I feel like I'm just stuck in this place that I have trouble getting out of. It's all in my head, I know that. I'm dragging myself down, I have negative thoughts all the time. I don't even have a reason for them!

So. back to running, I was loving it. I have to start somewhere.

[Brittany]

I use biotin everyday and have been for about a year. I used to use Nature Made hair skin and nails, but those are too expensive so for probably the last 7-8 months I've just been using the Target brand (Up & Up) because they're only $3. I've noticed more of a difference in my hair having most of my vitamins separate (a B-complex, a biotin, a fish oil, etc) than having just one pill with everything--mainly because of cost, but I can also up my intake of a certain vitamin if that is my choice.

[Firefox7275]

Thanks a lot for this long reply, I bookmarked it and will take special care to increase my intake long chain omega-3 (welcome back flaxseeds), I should definitely have more fish! I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and eggs. A lot of blackberries nowadays too. I need more seeds and nuts in my diet and buckwheat/ rice. And fish.

And you are so right about physical activity. Back when I was running I was feeling so full of energy. Nowadays I feel like I'm just stuck in this place that I have trouble getting out of. It's all in my head, I know that. I'm dragging myself down, I have negative thoughts all the time. I don't even have a reason for them!

So. back to running, I was loving it. I have to start somewhere.

Ground flaxseeds are short chain omega-3s, tho useful the conversion can be as low as 10%: oily fish, omega-enriched eggs and marine algae extract (for those who cannot eat fish) are the only realistic sources of long chain AFAIK. Running sounds great if you enjoyed it, the Zombies Run! apps look fun if you have a smartphone.

[Loribelle]

Ditto!
I have been taking biotin for months. Nothing.

[akilina]

Firefox and ravenreed thank you for your postings here and reinforcing this information. More people need these things to be known to them IMO. A member here has experienced renal failure from biotin in the past.

Mega dosing vitamins completely perplexes me to no end, and I too, lately haven't even been taking any. I'm with the group that believes to get your vitamins from a well balanced diet.

[stachelbeere]

Ground flaxseeds are short chain omega-3s, tho useful the conversion can be as low as 10%: oily fish, omega-enriched eggs and marine algae extract (for those who cannot eat fish) are the only realistic sources of long chain AFAIK. Running sounds great if you enjoyed it, the Zombies Run! apps look fun if you have a smartphone.

I don't really have a functional smartphone :/ but I am usually good it motivating myself to run, I just have to start. Tomorrow evening! Yes!

You got me interested in marine algae extract - I googled it but couldn't find anything useful, I was directed to cosmetics websites. I know about kombu and nori which I both really like, I'm not sure this is what you meant though.

[jeanniet]

I am going to leave this (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751263) here. Before taking things without thought, consider that studies are showing that supplements can be harmful. One study tracked almost 40k older women and found that, "Vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc were associated with about a 3% to 6% increased risk for death, whereas copper was associated with an 18.0% increased risk for total mortality when compared with corresponding nonuse." Keep in mind that some of those are water soluble... You would think the excess would just be excreted, but apparently not.

I am on the fence with taking supplements these days. I take things cautiously, and try very hard not to megadose. If I don't see an improvement for why I am taking something, I stop taking it. The only reason I am going with herbs and supplements at all is that I do have some health issues that are not really addressed well by western medicine at this time. However, it is important to realize that some of these things can kill us if we are not careful. So I research everything first. I look to see if there are any scientific studies that have been done to back up the use of a supplement. I see if there are contraindications or potential conflicts with medications or supplements that I am already taking. I admit that biotin was a stretch for me, but I really was hoping it would help with the finger nails. It seems silly but I am constantly ripping the darned things.

That said, I have had some great results with some of the herbs and supplements that I am taking. I can actually tell when I forget to take them because both my allergies and my pain level are a lot worse. However, I am mindful that as my doctor said to me- Any supplement potent enough to have an effect is potent enough to have a side effect.

Great post. I don't have an issue with supplements taken in a targeted, thoughtful, researched way, or those taken for a diagnosed deficiency. I take vitamin D (per my doctor for a deficiency) and milk thistle (for gallbladder, also per doctor) myself. And sometimes we have to go outside the conventional medical route. But taking supplements just because you heard they might do something, especially in megadoses, and especially for cosmetic use--when you don't actually have any idea of what your body needs--doesn't make any sense to me. It's not just biotin, but all kinds of supplements I see people using because they're under the impression that pills are somehow magical. We're a pill-popping culture looking for an easy fix. It's alarming.

[jeanniet]

I bought a hair supplement with biotin, there is 300 mcg in a pill. Now, it also says on the box that this is 600% of the recommended daily intake! Well, I don't really want to produce expensive urine. If I take half of that it will still be 300%.

Does it sound reasonable to cut a pill into quarters and take 1/4 every day?

Unless the pills are scored to be split, this won't work. The reason is that if a pill is meant to be whole, the medication isn't necessarily distributed evenly throughout the pill; whereas if the pill is scored and therefore meant to be split, there is even distribution of the medication. At least this is what I was told when I asked about splitting.

[ravenreed]

My hens are not laying yet, but I am hoping that by feeding them flaxmeal that their eggs will have more omegas. For a treat I often mash up a banana and mix in flaxmeal and hemp seeds. My chickens are a little spoiled.


Ground flaxseeds are short chain omega-3s, tho useful the conversion can be as low as 10%: oily fish, omega-enriched eggs and marine algae extract (for those who cannot eat fish) are the only realistic sources of long chain AFAIK. Running sounds great if you enjoyed it, the Zombies Run! apps look fun if you have a smartphone.

[ravenreed]

Nope, not a criticism, just a comment. :)


Sorry if that read as critical it was not in any way shape or form, I was adding to your great post only because the hyperlink doesn't work (Medscape is weird like that). I do often link to trusted secondary sources so that they are readable.

[deja]

I do other things with my biotin use so I never know what benefits or is just whatever. It definitely has positive effects on my nails. It did have a bad effect on my skin but I found that taking it with a meal cleared up the problem it created.

[MoominPaige]

I took it for 3 months but it gave me horrible break outs all over my face and even on my scalp so I have had to stop using it :( it didn't really affect my growth rate but it did help my nails grow!