How much biotin for it to be effective?

**Shibe** · March 10th, 2014, 11:13 PM

Someone mentioned on another forum that any less than 6000mcg of Biotin a day is basically ineffective!

Her only source was that she heard it from her Aunt, who happened to be a nurse.

That would mean I would have to take 6 pills a day!

Please tell me this is wrong!

**furnival** · March 11th, 2014, 02:09 AM

The amount of biotin that you need to boost your hair growth is exactly the amount you are deficient by. Have you had blood tests to determine whether you are deficient or not?

Just because one of the symptoms of biotin deficiency is alopecia, it doesn't mean that taking more than your body needs will make your hair grow faster. This is, however, the reasoning used by purveyors of high-dose biotin supplements.

Biotin is produced by the gastrointestinal flora (bacteria in our digestive systems), making it unlikely that you are deficient unless you have been eating two or more raw egg whites a day for several months! It sounds mad, but this is the main cause of biotin deficiency. From Wikipedia:
"Biotin deficiency is mild, and can be addressed with supplementation. It is caused by the consumption of raw egg whites (two or more daily for several months) due to the avidin they contain, a protein which binds extremely strongly with biotin, making it unavailable. Such regimens have produced the only examples of biotin deficiency serious enough to produce symptoms.[3]"

The symptoms make it clear that if you were deficient, you'd know about it: (from the same article)
"Hair loss (alopecia)
Conjunctivitis
Dermatitis in the form of a scaly, red rash around the eyes, nose, mouth, and genital area.
Neurological symptoms in adults, such as depression, lethargy, hallucination, and numbness and tingling of the extremities[10]
The characteristic facial rash, together with an unusual facial fat distribution, has been termed the "biotin-deficient face" by some experts. Individuals with hereditary disorders of biotin deficiency have evidence of impaired immune system function, including increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections.[24]"

It's up to you if you want to take huge doses of the stuff, but I wouldn't recommend it. The best substance I've found to aid in the growth of long, healthy hair is patience...

**Shibe** · March 11th, 2014, 02:23 AM

I don't have any issues with hair thinning or baldness, is that what the primary use is for?

I thought it was an oral supplement that has similar effects to monistat.

**furnival** · March 11th, 2014, 02:47 AM

Biotin is a vitamin that your body needs that can cause hair loss if you don't get enough of it. It isn't a magic hair growth pill.

Monistat is an anti-fungal cream that has never been scientifically proven to have an effect on hair growth rates.

**HazelBug** · March 11th, 2014, 03:00 AM

I heard that 35 mcg was the recomended daily allowance. Of course it is a B vitimin so any that your body doesn't use gets peed out. My prenatals have 300 mcg and says it contains 1000% of the daily needs for a pregnant person.

**Shibe** · March 11th, 2014, 09:29 AM

I have found Monistat to give me a big boost. My normally .25" hair growth a month has gone up to .75", and the only thing I've been doing differently is the Monistat.

I think I'll lay off the Biotin for now, I don't want to put something in that I don't need. I take prenatals as it is.

**diddiedaisy** · March 11th, 2014, 09:37 AM

I take 5000mg in a single tablet, it doesn't seem to have increased my slow growth but my shedding is very low now and I have a lot of new growth. I have also put weight on but this was welcome to me as I was underweight.

I thinks it's a case of see what works for you, if it doesn't give you any benefits it's not worth taking.

**Fericera** · March 11th, 2014, 10:38 AM

Just yesterday I saw a thread where biotin made someone's scalp very tender. I don't think it's something that's good to supplement unless you have a deficiency.