Biotin - how many mcg.?

[TinaDenali]

Hello -
I am new! :)

I was reading through the very huge, very long '1.2" in 4 days' thread and got some really great ideas for supplements to take to increase my hair growth.

However, I couldn't find (and I do apologize if someone mentioned this and I missed it!) anyone listing how much of these supplements to take?
I'm looking at Biotin on the Puritan's Pride website and they offer anywhere from 300 mcg. to 7500 mcg.!! I don't want to over do it, so I'm not sure which to get.
They only have a few options for the Silica, so I've got that covered - I just have far too many options for biotin, so I'm confused!! Help!

Thank you kindly for any help! :o

[Liss]

I only started taking Biotin at the beginning of the year, so I haven't really experimented with it much. I'm taking 1000mcg daily and don't really have much desire to take any more than that, although I know that others on this site do take larger amounts.

My hair growth hasn't really been anything out of the ordinary (1" in January and 0.5" in Feb) but I have barely shed any hair at all. It just seems to stay stuck in my head. So I've gone from a ponytail circumference of less than 2" in Dec, to about 2.5" at the start of March. To me that's a huge difference!

Although I do wonder if I stop taking the Biotin, if all the hairs that would have normally shed, suddenly start falling out at once. That would feel a little freakish for me.

[steff8ryan]

I take 1000 mg of biotin, i've just started a million things at once, i had just over 0.5" last month and i've had that in the past 2 weeks!! but being impatient and trying everything means i dont know whats helping and whats not !
I read that people generally take between 1000 and 3000 and that any more than that can cause quite bad spots on some people. since taking msm my skin is so much better i dont wanna risk coming out in loads of spots by upping my biotin.
Steff

[Kirry-Folk]

You might want to dig around in the "articles" section of LHC, there are some really stellar bits of information regarding vitamins.

But to answer your question...

It seems like many folks here on LHC that do supplement with biotin tend to take anywhere from 1500mcg to 10,000mcg.

[Alcenaia]

I too am interested in the answer to this question. :) I've been taking 1000mcg/day too, but just because that was what was in the bottle. I haven't had any growth to speak of, but my hair seems to shed less, and my hair has typically grown at about the pace of a burdened turtle in molasses. :P

Maybe I should look into this msm stuff. /goes to research! :D

[jera]

Presently I take 4000 mcgs. Some people take as much as 10,000mcgs to 5 mg.
I'd start off slow to make sure they don't give you headaches. Biotin can do that because it elevates blood sugar levels. :)

[TinaDenali]

Wow, thank you all so much for the advice!!
I think I'll start at 300 mcg. I am prone to headaches, so better safe than sorry.

Thanks again!! :D

[curlylocks85]

I take 500 mcg of Biotin, which is half of the tablet. If I take the full dose I break out.

[Qamar]

I take 5000 mcg daily. Less than that and I see no difference in my hair and nails. More than that and I break out....and I NEVER break out normally.

[Gothic Lolita]

I take 5 mg since Decembre. I started it because I shed like hell, but it has gotten much better after a while. I also notice white nails, which are much harder than before. For me, it was a good thing. At first I took it daily, now I sometimes don't but it is okay and the shedding doesn't increase anymore.

[elina333]

I take 5000 mcg daily. Less than that and I see no difference in my hair and nails. More than that and I break out....and I NEVER break out normally.

Wow, so too much biotin actually makes you break out?? :hmm: Good to know, since Im quite acne prone... :rolleyes:

[Anje]

I started breaking out before with 1000 mcg, but I think individual tolerance for biotin varies. I may attempt taking the stuff again in a few months, but I'm waiting for a small bout of going-off-hormonal-birth-control acne to go away before I think about taking that stuff again.

Then again, I got nasty cystic acne from Zoloft. I may be a bit prone to medications causing it.

[Bellatrix]

Biotin definitely makes me break out. Thankfully I'm on some great acne meds now, so that's not really an issue. I take 5000 mcg and it seems to be working on my nails/hair a bit.

[Suszi]

Wow! I think I just found the cause of my recent break outs... I've been taking around 3000 mcg a day for a few months now. Too bad, because it is great for my hair... I'm going to cut back to 500-1000 mcg a day and see if it makes a difference.

[masa_inn]

5000 mcg daily. I stopped for 2 months (wanted to rule out Biotin as a possible cause of my breakouts) and noticed a difference in my nails/hair by the end of a 2nd month.

[duckish]

I take 5000 mcg daily, it does make me break out and gives me headaches if I don't also boost my vitamin C intake, so go figure on that one. My hair hasn't moved yet, but it's stalled anyway. My nails are happy, though!

[geosangel]

I take 5000 mcg daily, its one of 4 supplements I take every morning. There is also biotin in my vitamin, 1200 mcg, so I guess I'm actually at 6200 mcg daily. I don't break out and my headaches have not gotten any better/worse. Guess I'm lucky on that note.

[TXbarbie]

I take 3000mcg of biotin - worked up from 1 pill to 3 pills daily. And I'm seeing about an inch of growth a month now.

Of course I've implemented multiple experiments at once: no more blowdrying, CO washing, more updos, and biotin.

So who knows what the growth is due to! :)

Edit: I'm 5' and 85 pounds, so I don't think I'll go over 3000mcg. Some people don't see a difference til they start taking more biotin, but my nails and hair are way stronger than they were beforehand.