Biotin for hair: does it prevent hair loss?

Using biotin for hair has been common since many years due to its benefits and qualities; it is a type of B vitamin commonly used in cosmetic treatments to treat problems such as dermatitis, or weak nails and hair. If you are looking for information on hair transplant cost in Turkey to solve your alopecia problems, know that biotin can help your hair although you should take it under a specialist’s supervision… Let’s see why.

Is biotin good for hair growth?

Does biotin make hair grow? Biotin, also known as B₇ vitamin (and formerly H vitamin), is a soluble vitamin linked to carbohydrates, fats, amino acids and purines metabolism, and that also favours blood circulation and hair growth; therefore, biotin will not just allow us to have a healthy and well nourished scalp: it will also provide strength and elasticity to our hair, making it shiny, too.

Once we know the benefits of biotin for hair loss and to boost growth, it also becomes easy to deduce that lacking this fundamental vitamin will have consequences for our hair, which will become finer, more fragile and brittle, dull and lifeless; in addition, hair will fall out more, and its growth will slow down. That is why it is so important that this vitamin is present in our diet.

So, where can we find it? Basically in foods of animal origin such as meat, fish or egg yolk; but also in vegetable products such as mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, whole grains, seeds, nuts … If for any reason we cannot intake any of these foods, or we do not eat enough quantity, there is also the option of taking biotin tablets for hair.

These biotin supplements for hair are usually sold in capsules and include other additives for hair, such as collagen or hyaluronic acid; however, due to the proliferation of this type of pills and supplements we must warn you about the risks of consuming them without the supervision of a specialist: if not, we could exceed the maximum recommended daily dose – which in adult women is 30 μg (micrograms) a day – and then side effects will appear.

Side effects

Although the benefits of biotin for hair are well known, it is also important that we know the dangers and side effects of biotin for hair growth if we exceed the maximum recommended dose, which include:

• nausea (especially during the first stages)
• stomach problems and diarrhoea
• allergic reactions (including swelling of the face and throat, rashes on the body, etc)
• appearance of acne on the lower part of face
• increased risk of abortion in pregnant women

Is it OK to put biotin in your hair?

Despite some risks, if taken under medical supervision biotin can stop hair loss. Bear in mind that just as an excess of biotin intake has its side effects, a deficiency of biotin also has consequences for our body – rashes, hallucinations, depression… – and, as scientific studies have shown, it also causes a weakening of hair, affecting hair growth and pigmentation.

Besides, in certain patients it may be advisable – always under medical supervision – to consume higher doses of biotin, since it may provide other benefits for them such as:

• condition improvement in people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS)
• reduction of nerve pain in people with diabetes
• reduction of blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes (if combined with chromium)
• decrease in muscle cramps caused by dialysis
• shortening of altered mental status and motor control problems episodes in patients with basal ganglia dysfunction (if combined with thiamine)

In general terms, using biotin for hair is safe in aesthetic treatments if administered in the recommended dose and under medical supervision. At Clinicana we are specialists in all types of hair treatments and we have the most skilled and experienced medical team: just take a look at the reviews on hair transplant in Turkey left by our patients, and see by yourself why we are the best-rated clinic in Istanbul. Ask for your free consultation now!

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