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View Full Version : Does biotin actually work?



Budgie
March 31st, 2015, 09:16 PM
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sarah.j.xx
March 31st, 2015, 09:32 PM
I haven't tried it yet (I'm a bit hesitant as well), but I heard that it works! Just make sure to drink plenty of water, and don't start off on too high/strong a dosage; I've heard it can cause some people to break out.

Haven't heard anything about biotin shampoos, though. Hope this helps! :flower:

Islandgrrl
March 31st, 2015, 09:40 PM
Looking at what information is quickly accessible via Google, I don't find any major studies that suggest that biotin is efficacious in promoting hair growth. There is evidence that suggests it can be beneficial for weak/brittle/thin nails, though. Anecdotal evidence points to benefits in hair and nail growth, but I personally need more than that to convince me. Also, there is no recommended daily dose for biotin. "Adequate intake" is 30mcg (that's micrograms) for adults. Most supplements I've seen on the market contain many times that amount.

It's good to remember that natural doesn't necessarily equal safe. I'd urge you to do your research before you make a decision to take any supplement. :blossom:

nicolezoie
March 31st, 2015, 09:46 PM
I can certainly vouch for the acne (cystic in my case) AND I can also vouch for the hair growth. In my case, it bump-started a stall. I hadn't had much growth for about 18 months (like less than 1/2"), but my ends were too thick to be at terminal, so I braved the acne and took 5 mg daily for about a month, and it started growing again. But, that's me and I'm not a 'normal' subject (seeing as I seem to have an extraordinarily long growth cycle).

Parisian Dozen
March 31st, 2015, 10:31 PM
I'll throw my 2 cents in:

I attempted to take biotin 2 times a week (2500mcg was the smallest). Keep in mind that I drink ungodly amounts of water - like, nearly 3 times the recommended amount. I still ended up with some bad breakouts which lasted awhile. And frankly that was the only measurable effect I had. No measurable growth or anything. Just acne. Take that as you will.

I don't want to discourage you from trying it, but it's not some miracle in a bottle.

kidari
March 31st, 2015, 11:50 PM
I've taken it almost 10 years ago and it caused my hair to grow faster... everywhere. I had more body hair growing everywhere too. I already had acne prone skin and it just made the acne slightly worse. I was sick of shaving so often so I just stopped taking it. Fast forward about 7-8 years later and I tried it again sometime last summer. This time I got different results. It didn't affect my body hair growth, didn't give me acne, and it didn't make my hair grow any faster. However, I feel like it's helped my nails and made my hair grow in thicker. I guess my body is very different to what it was almost 10 years ago. I say it doesn't hurt to try but don't take too large a dose as that can be potentially very dangerous to your body. Proceed with caution and stop if you get any undesired side effects or continue if you like your results.

Akville
April 1st, 2015, 12:54 AM
every "hair, nail and skin" supplements do has biotin in it.. I'm using these kind of supplements.. I cant say that it makes a huge difference on hair, but I can see the difference on my nails if I'm not taking my vitamins in about two month's my nails starts to slice..

MsVenus
April 1st, 2015, 01:44 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kahv8vcqiYE

Nique1202
April 1st, 2015, 04:24 AM
Firstly, no one product will work for everyone. There's no magic hair growth potion or supplement to make just the hair on your head grow with zero side effects.

Megadoses such as those 2500 mg or higher commercially available ones can be very dangerous, not only because of acne but there can be other side effects, and drinking large amounts of water long-term (in this case, to counteract the side effects of biotin, but just drinking that much in general) can cause kidney damage (http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=378f85de-27de-4046-815e-293b772666e5).

A good general rule to follow for supplements is that it won't help much if you're not deficient in it, and if you ARE deficient, the amount in a daily multivitamin will usually correct that, or you can see what foods have significant amounts (peanuts and leafy greens like swiss chard are a good bet) and eat a little more of those in your daily meals somehow. If you're already eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods (which, believe me, I know can be difficult, especially in winter) then chances are you won't see much or any benefit from a supplement of biotin either way.

Agnes Hannah
April 1st, 2015, 04:47 AM
I have taken boitin for 18 months now. I can't say for sure if it has helped my hair grow, although my baby hairs at the nape are growing better, but that could be for other reasons, using a silk bonnet at night etc. However, biotin is also good for diabetics, so this is my reason for taking it, anything to help the body!

maria_asa
April 1st, 2015, 05:37 AM
Please take the time to read this article (http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.se/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html) before trying large doses of biotin. While it can give better growth it's important to know the risks involved with it.

KellieKay
April 1st, 2015, 08:01 AM
I've been taking 5000mcg a day for a few months. It is definitely helping my growth and thickness. I have tried many things and biotin is the only thing to help.

I should clarify: I take a biotin chew with 5000mcg.

chen bao jun
April 1st, 2015, 10:19 AM
I like to make sure its in a multivitamin or a hair skin and nails even though I'm not deficient.
I won't take more than 750 mcg though. I used to take a hair skin and nails that had about this amount but they changed the formula to several thousands of mcg, so I ve gone to just a multivitamin, since I can't find a hair skin nails anymore that doesn't megadose.

I don't want the acne, I'm already diabetic and don't want to mess with that and I SURE don't want kidney problems. I also already have migraine headaches.

As growth aids, I drink rooibos tea and I started rubbing coffee oil on my scalp, which has really seemed to boost my growth. but I'm starting to wonder if it also gave me a lot more grey hair all of a sudden. both things happened at once, which may be a coincidence, I guess.. Not sure.

drinking lots of water and regular aerobic exercise make a difference, when my aerobic exercise goes down so does my hair growth.

Rapunzel_to_be
April 1st, 2015, 11:19 AM
I've been taking biotin 5000 mcg daily, since the beginning of February (2015), and so far I have not noticed any difference in hair growth .. or anything else for that matter.. I will continue using it though,at least until my two bottles are empty, and who knows maybe I will start seeing some results after some time :)