By Vitality Rx Staff

What Are the Benefits of Biotin for Hair Health?

There’s been some buzz about the benefits of biotin in certain men’s circles. Guys at the gym and the bar have been sharing their experiences about what biotin has done for them. Some have boasted that biotin has done wonders for their hair, but are they just bragging?

If you don’t have anyone in your circle of friends using biotin and feel left out, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll clue you into what biotin is, what it does, and if biotin is right for you. So let’s dive in to learn the benefits of biotin.

What Is Biotin?

Biotin is the name given to the B7 vitamin. Its main role is to assist the body in breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Biotin is also needed to help metabolize amino and fatty acids. So, in the broadest sense, this B7 vitamin helps the body turn some foods we eat into energy.

The benefits of biotin are plenty. Aside from assisting in nutrition, vitamin B7 also helps to maintain healthy nerve, cardiovascular, and digestive functions. When taken as a supplement, it benefits and helps to maintain many of our body’s functions.

Supports metabolism – As a part of the B-Complex vitamins, biotin assists with the breaking down of food to help supply the body with energy.
Helps to balance blood sugar – Vitamin B7 is known to help lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. In addition, Biotin is helpful for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Influences memory function – Biotin plays a part in neurotransmitter activity and nerve signaling. As a whole, the family of B vitamins can help to improve memory function and cognitive abilities.

Helps to maintain healthy skin, nails, and hair – Biotin is needed to keep skin, nails, and hair healthy and can assist in kick-starting hair growth and helps to eliminate shedding.

What are the Benefits of Biotin for Hair?

Men with thinning or slow-growing hair could benefit by adding a daily biotin supplement to their diet. Despite the lack of clinical trials with indisputable proof that biotin can regrow hair in men, thousands have had positive results by adding a biotin supplement to their morning routine. Although scientific evidence is scarce that biotin benefits hair health, it has helped many men improve their hair’s health.

Biotin helps with the production of keratin, a protein that helps to form skin, nails, and, yes, hair. A lack of biotin in your body can lead to skin and nail issues, loss, or slower-growing hair. Although many healthcare professionals argue about the effects of taking a biotin supplement as a hair loss aid, many dermatologists recommend it.

Adding biotin to your daily regimen can help to promote healthier hair. It’s known to help reduce scalp inflammation, promoting healthier hair follicles. Scalp inflammation can hinder the growth of strong and healthy hair. Many men have reported the following after using biotin:

Stronger, thicker hair
Less hair breakage
Shinier hair
A reduction or elimination of excessive hair loss

What Should I Expect Once I Start Taking a Biotin Supplement?

Each individual’s experience with the benefits of biotin will vary, but many men do have a positive response. Guys looking to use biotin for hair loss prevention or hair growth and who aren’t comfortable taking medications and don’t want to resort to invasive treatments should try this supplement. Here’s a deeper look at some of the benefits of biotin for hair health.

Shinier Hair

Biotin can help guys with dry and brittle hair. But, for hair to have a healthy shine and glow, it must be healthy. Adding a biotin supplement can ensure your body has what it needs to promote healthy, shiny hair.

Less Shedding

Damaged or unhealthy hair follicles can’t produce healthy and strong hair strands and cannot produce any hair. Biotin can help improve hair follicles’ health, encouraging the growth of stronger, fuller hair. This essential vitamin can help not only to decrease shedding but also to stimulate the growth of new, healthier hair.

Healthier Scalp

Adding a biotin supplement to your daily regime can help improve your scalp’s health. Our scalp has a unique community of bacteria necessary for a healthy scalp and hair growth. Biotin can help to improve the health of the scalp’s microbiome community, and a healthy scalp will, in turn, promote healthy hair growth.

What are the Side Effects of Biotin?

Since biotin is water soluble, it would be rare to have an overdosing situation. If too much is taken, the excess will be eliminated during urination. The National Library of Medicine reports that although possible, it would be extremely difficult to overdose on biotin. However, symptoms of a biotin overdose could include excessive thirst, an abnormal increase in the frequency of urination, and insomnia.

Fortunately, the cure for a biotin overdose is simply stopping the supplement. Any biotin that the body can’t absorb will be filtered and removed during urination. Although rare, some men who have taken high dosages of biotin have reported experiencing stomach discomfort and skin rashes.

However, taking a biotin supplement could affect some types of tests for thyroid disease by producing false positives. Therefore, guys with thyroid issues undergoing testing should inform their physician that they are taking biotin supplements and the dosage amount.

Does Biotin Affect Hormones?

A recent study has determined that the use of biotin can cause an increase in testosterone production in mice. Although there hasn’t been a sufficient study of how biotin affects testosterone levels in adult men, there is a correlation between rodents and humans. They often produce similar test results. Therefore, if biotin affects testosterone in mice, then there’s a high likelihood it’ll produce the same results in humans.

Assuming that ingesting a biotin supplement will affect hormone production, especially testosterone, you can purchase a hormone test kit if you’re concerned about your T-levels. Once analyzed, you’ll receive a report outlining your hormone levels. You can also schedule a telemed consult with a men’s health professional to discuss the test results and receive guidance on how to proceed next to improve your hormone balance and overall health.

How Much Biotin Should You Use for Hair Growth?

The recommended daily dosage for a biotin supplement is between 30 to 100 micrograms (mcg). However, since there’s very little chance of taking too much, it’s common to see supplements containing much more than that recommended dosage. For example, some supplements contain anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 micrograms per dose. High dosages like these won’t harm or cause any severe side effects.

Even when taken in high doses, most men don’t experience any negative reaction. However, in rare instances, some men have reported minor stomach discomfort.

What Foods Are High in Biotin?

Biotin is found naturally in many foods you’re probably already eating. If you want to rise your biotin intake organically, thankfully, you won’t have to locate and purchase some strange, expensive, and hard-to-find algae or yak’s blood. Common foods that contain biotin include:

Sweet potatoes
Pork chops
Beef liver
Egg yolks
Spinach
Salmon
Almonds
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Bananas
Avocados

In addition to taking a biotin supplement, men looking to improve their hair’s health should also consider consuming foods high in biotin. For the best results, a combination of a biotin supplement and a healthy and well-balanced diet high in vitamin B7 could be the answer to your hair’s lack of luster and overall health.

What Are the Most Common Signs of Biotin Deficiency?

Biotin deficiency isn’t very common, but it can happen. Many of the foods we eat do contain some biotin. If your diet is well-balanced, you’re probably getting a sufficient amount. Our gut bacteria also produce a small amount of biotin. However, some people do suffer from a biotin deficiency. Symptoms are generally mild but can increase in severity over time. The most common signs of a biotin deficiency are:

Thinning of hair
Loss of body hair
Scaly rash around the eyes, nostrils, and mouth
Conjunctivitis (Pink eye)
Brittle nails
Skin infections
Depression
Loss of appetite

Long-time use of some anti-seizure medications can result in a severe reduction of biotin in the body. The same holds for those taking antibiotics for an extended period. This type of medication can eliminate the bacteria in the digestive tract that naturally produce biotin. In addition, Crohn’s Disease can cause a biotin deficiency, as can excessive daily consumption of alcohol. Smoking can also cause the body to increase the absorption of biotin, which could result in a deficiency.

Who Shouldn’t Take Biotin?

Biotin is safe for daily use and doesn’t cause any harm to the body. Men being tested for thyroid conditions should inform their healthcare professionals that they’re taking a biotin supplement since it can affect test results. It doesn’t have any known dangerous drug interactions.

How Long Does Biotin Take to Work for Hair Health?

Each guy who adds a biotin supplement to their daily diet will respond differently. While some may see some benefits relatively quickly, it could take much longer for others. This could be happening due to other factors, such as other health issues. Individual results will vary and won’t be immediately noticed overnight.

Most men who take a biotin supplement see positive results around two to three months. However, seeing positive results could take longer for men with damaged hair or significant hair loss. Not following a healthy hair hygiene regimen can also slow down the results.

The Benefits of Biotin: The Bottom Line

Guys with thinning, dull, unhealthy hair could benefit from biotin. It’s not a huge investment in time or money and requires taking an easy-to-swallow daily pill. However, the benefits that can be gained far outweigh the inconvenience of swallowing a pill. Biotin is a necessary B-complex vitamin that can not only enhance and improve your hair’s health but also help keep the rest of your body healthy and functioning properly.

Since it’s water soluble, there’s no fear of taking too much. The body will take what it needs and eliminate what it doesn’t each time you pee. As a result, the body easily tolerates biotin, and it’s incredibly rare for men to experience any side effects.

In conclusion, biotin benefits men’s hair health in several ways. For example, it can help strengthen hair strands, prevent breakage, and even promote new hair growth. However, it is important to note that biotin is not a magic cure for hair loss or other hair-related issues. Instead, it is just one of many factors that can contribute to healthy hair.

Men experiencing hair problems should not rely solely on biotin supplements to solve their issues. Getting tested to determine the underlying cause of hair loss or other hair-related issues is important. You can do it by talking to a medical professional or dermatologist who can accurately diagnose the issue and recommend the appropriate treatment.

In addition, caring for overall health is important for maintaining healthy hair. It includes getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating a well-balanced diet. Men experiencing hair loss or other hair-related issues may also want to reduce their stress levels, as stress can contribute to hair loss.

You should seek professional medical advice, go through some medical checkups, and care for your overall health to help maintain healthy hair. With proper attention, it is possible to achieve strong, healthy, and vibrant hair.