Today we will explore the question: How does biotin help with hair growth?
We are going to take a look first at what it is, and then we will take a look at 5 specific reasons to take this vitamin as a daily supplement because the fact is, biotin is absolutely imperative to take, not just for hair growth but also skin health.
Let’s go ahead and start with the basics…
What Is Biotin?
Biotin is a member of the Vitamin B family. Its nickname is actually said to be vitamin H (confusing, yes) because it is used by the body to keep your hair, skin, scalp nervous system and liver all healthy and vibrant. In short, this vitamin has a lot of benefits in keeping many functions of the body healthy. In addition to this:
It is also very important for proper healthy embryo growth in pregnant women.
It also helps the body turn fat into energy so it plays a very important role in the human body and things like weight loss!
Having a biotin deficiency can cause hair loss, hair thinning, rashes around the eyes, nose, mouth and anal area.
It can also cause pink eye, brittle nails, acidic urine, nervous disorders and skin infections.
In other words, it is very important to have the right amount of this vitamin in your system!
How Does It Help Hair Grow?
Since this site focuses on the subject of hair growth, let’s emphasize this section of the article and explain how biotin helps it grow:
Biotin causes protein synthesis which in turn creates keratin, the main ingredient of the makeup of hair. More keratin = more, healthy hair growth. More on keratin here.
It also is a key ingredient in making Vitamin D which the body uses to maintain good the health needed for healthy hair. So that’s at least 2 MAJOR reasons you want to take this vitamin. In fact, here is the best one we recommend.
Now let’s move on to 5 other, good reasons to use this vitamin!
5 benefits of Biotin and reasons to take it:
1. It regulates the body’s blood sugar levels:
In two separate studies conducted at the Alpha Thermopy Center in Texas, it was found that chromium and biotin combined can help lower glucose levels which can be used to help overweight and obese patients manage type two diabetes. Of course you will also need to look at chromium.
2. It supports your bodies metabolism:
It is a key ingredient in elevating the body’s metabolism which helps keep one’s weight in check and is key to breaking down food and turning it into energy the body needs to stay strong and healthy. It’s simple: More biotin = faster metabolism = faster weight loss.
3. It keeps nails and hair strands strong:
It will strengthen hair follicles and nail cuticles making both much healthier and healthy looking not to mention shiny! Many companies are now putting this vitamin in their hair products because of the proof of hair growth it brings but studies show it should also be taken orally. As we said before, this supplement is highly recommend and it is taken orally, which arguably provides better results for hair growth as well as the other benefits listed here.
4. It lowers cholesterol:
Studies have shown that this vitamin helps reduce bad LDL levels that can play a huge roll in having healthy cholesterol levels in the body.
One thing to note is raw egg whites have been shown to negate the biotin in both the egg yokes (Which are rich in it) and any supplements you may be taking so it may be wise if you have high cholesterol to avoid the raw egg whites entirely.
5. It improves the health and look of your skin:
Surprisingly enough, the skin tells no lies! The sure way to tell if you may be deficient in this vitamin is to keep an eye on your skin quality.
When problems arise in our hormone levels and functions and our nervous system becomes affected by the lack of Biotin, (remember, this vitamin plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy nervous system) our skin may become dry, itchy, rashes an break out around our eyes, nose, mouth, and we can even develop acne, dermatitis, and or psoriasis!
Where can I find biotin?
You can find this vitamin in many of the foods you eat including egg yolks, almonds, cauliflower, cheeses, mushrooms, spinach, sweet potatoes, liver, red meats, avocados, salmon, and the list keeps going!
As you can see many foods are rich in B vitamins and usually, most people will get all they need out of eating properly, but there are times when the body needs a boost!
For example, damaged hair from repeated washings and exposure to wind and sun or chemicals in swimming pools and the likes can be treated with products such as shampoos and cream rinses rich in B complex vitamins.
You can also find oral supplements that contain the B vitamins and it is strongly recommended to be taking a daily multivitamin that includes Biotin and all the other B complex vitamins. As we’ve said before, this supplement is the best as it contains the most potent amount of natural biotin in pill form, that is taken orally.
Is it possible to take too much biotin?
Biotin has gotten the nickname “The Wonder Drug” because of the great results people get when taking it but there is a small risk of taking too much of it, but it is very small.
There are no recommended daily allowances for his vitamin because everyone’s diet is different and so many foods are rich in biotin but doctors have come up with an acceptable daily amount they can agree on as safe to take in most cases.
The number they have come up with for an oral supplement is 2.5 mg or 2.500 mcg daily. Most of the supplements come in 10, 50 and 100 mcg counts.
This amount should ensure you have enough of this supplement in your system combined with a good shampoo (here’s one which has biotin in it) or cream rinse enriched with biotin to give you the results you are looking for in growing and maintaining strong, shiny healthy looking and feeling hair!
Keep in mind you can take too much of the b complex vitamins and there are warning signs to watch out for:
If after starting your supplement regimen, should you develop a rash or repeated cases of acne, you will want to lower your intake to adjust for too much of it in your system.
Summary
We have covered all aspects of Biotin and how it can help with restoring and reviving your hair and how to apply it to your daily diet to maintain an all-around healthy body!
We hope this article helps you in your quest for healthy looking and feeling hair!