Biotin Dosage

[lll_Alice_lll]

What works better 10,000 mcg or 20,000 mcg for hair growth.
Any thoughts? o:

[Nique1202]

Unless you're deficient in biotin, supplementing won't help your hair growth at all, and biotin is a VERY common vitamin. Also, medical guidelines generally call for a daily dose (including food sources) of about 30 mcg per day for health. Megadoses of biotin can cause severe acne, headaches, and skin rashes, and drinking more water reduces those side effects because you're flushing all that biotin out in your urine.

If you REALLY think you need a supplement, if you can see a doctor first and have them check for nutritional deficiencies that would be best because lots of things contribute to hair growth (thyroid, iron levels, b-vitamins, etc.) and they'll be able to tell if you need anything or not.

[Anje]

That sounds REALLY high, and since we've had some members suffer kidney damage from megadosing on biotin, I'd suggest you consider doing less. 1000 mcg or 5000 mcg would be a wiser place to start, IMO.

[Panth]

Unless you're deficient in biotin, supplementing won't help your hair growth at all, and biotin is a VERY common vitamin. Also, medical guidelines generally call for a daily dose (including food sources) of about 30 mcg per day for health. Megadoses of biotin can cause severe acne, headaches, and skin rashes, and drinking more water reduces those side effects because you're flushing all that biotin out in your urine.

If you REALLY think you need a supplement, if you can see a doctor first and have them check for nutritional deficiencies that would be best because lots of things contribute to hair growth (thyroid, iron levels, b-vitamins, etc.) and they'll be able to tell if you need anything or not.

This!

Random supplementation is ineffective, expensive and has potential to be dangerous. Your hair is not worth your health!

[jeanniet]

Neither--that is WAY megadosing. If you absolutely have to take vitamins, and don't intend to have a blood panel done first to see what you might be deficient in, just take a basic multivitamin. Better yet, eat a better diet with fresh whole foods.

And just to add to what Nique said, while drinking more water to help flush out excess biotin will reduce the side effects of megadosing, drinking large amounts of water is hard on your kidneys. Contrary to what most people think, more water is not necessarily good. Enough water, good. Excess amounts of water, not so good. It all has to go through your kidneys, and overworked kidneys are stressed.

[arr]

I did just 5000 mcg of biotin a day and i had bad side effects - my scalp became rashy, tender and sore to the point i couldnt put my hair up or let a brush touch my scalp. I only took it for a month so i cant say anything as to increased hair growth, but it wouldn't have been worth it anyway. Now i just take a simple multivitamin daily; i really think that's enough.

[gthlvrmx]

http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html?m=1
I really don't recommend taking too much biotin, it can lead to complications in your body. That blog post was from a former member.

[lapushka]

http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html?m=1
I really don't recommend taking too much biotin, it can lead to complications in your body. That blog post was from a former member.

Ha! Good one. I was reading the OP and was just about to suggest this blogpost. :)

[Rapunzel_to_be]

I took one 5000 mcg capsule of biotin a day for several months, and it honestly did NOTHING for my hair..like Nique1202 said, unless you are deficient, you will not see any difference when it comes to hair growth, and also those dosages are way too high.. I actually stopped taking them after seeing the blog post gthlvrmx posted above, I saw it on another biotin thread and I decided to stop. My skin has calmed down and gone back to normal now, and I'm just focusing on having a good hair routine, no heat, lots of moisture, oiling and of course exercise and a healthy diet is very important as well ! :)

[Aderyn]

I'll chime in to agree with the above posters, too!

The infamous biotin rant is a great place to start, and to realize that mega-dosing, and even over-dosing is completely unnecessary. Biotin won't do a thing unless you are deficient.

Save your time, money and health by not trying to find a miracle pill and just focus on healthy hair habits.

[Silverbrumby]

I've been taking 5000 mcg most days for the past six years and my hair wont get much past BSL. BUT my nails are long and strong and my wrinkles far less for a woman my age. Biotin has helped my skin, nails and I think my hair be a better quality but it has done nothing for my terminal length or rate of growth. I'm sticking too it as biotin has helped solve my fatigue I sometimes get. I feel better on it than off it so I'm keeping it. I do eat very healthy btw so it's not that I'm making up for a bad diet.

I think try it and closely track hair, nails and skin plus energy. It might not be something you need.




I took one 5000 mcg capsule of biotin a day for several months, and it honestly did NOTHING for my hair..like Nique1202 said, unless you are deficient, you will not see any difference when it comes to hair growth, and also those dosages are way too high.. I actually stopped taking them after seeing the blog post gthlvrmx posted above, I saw it on another biotin thread and I decided to stop. My skin has calmed down and gone back to normal now, and I'm just focusing on having a good hair routine, no heat, lots of moisture, oiling and of course exercise and a healthy diet is very important as well ! :)

[Remi]

I think the 20,000 mcg is excessive. I noticed a good growth when I started taking it several years ago and I gradually and slowly increased it. Very slowly, like several years of going slow. I have already had my food intake diary evaluated by a health care practitioner and that's why I take it. I have never had a negative side effect from it.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Why don't you just eat a banana every day, they have biotin and many other healthy things in them. And it's hard to overdose on bananas!

[lll_Alice_lll]

No it's really easy to overdose on bananas because of the patassium. O-O
Too many can cause heart failure.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Well, but why would you eat more than one or perhaps two a day? They would fill you up too much.

[lll_Alice_lll]

One of my old science teachers had a student who loved bananas so she ate quite a few. Then she died from cardiac arrest.. :c

Thats how i learned that >_<

[Aderyn]

You would have to eat way more than two bananas a day to get a potassium overload. Think more like 50 bananas eaten within one minute to be having a potassium overdose. Maybe even closer to 100.

A very small portion of the population needs to be concerned about a potassium overdose - mainly those who are in the hospital with renal failure or someone with Chronic Kidney Disease, and I doubt they're thinking about eating 50 bananas in a day, let alone 3.

[lll_Alice_lll]

No all you have to eat is about 12 in 30 minutes.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Now, why would anyone eat 12 in 30 minutes? Whatever happened to eating in moderation?

[lll_Alice_lll]

This girl really loved bananas ;-;
She deserves the title "the bunana king"! …references…

[KellieKay]

5000 mcg really helped my hair thicken up.

[Aderyn]

12 bananas in 30 minutes? Maybe 12 bananas in 10 seconds. :P

Recommended daily intake of potassium is 4.7 grams. There are ~425 mg of potassium in one banana. You'd have to eat 11 bananas just to reach the recommended daily intake.

Again, setting aside people who are in renal failure or have some serious medical condition, I don't even think it's possible to eat bananas quickly enough to get the level of potassium in your bloodstream up to dangerous levels as the excess is filtered from the bloodstream and into the urine as you are eating them!

Maybe if you blend up 20 bananas and chug it down!