If you’re researching hair growth, one of the most prominent supplements you’ll likely come across is biotin. Biotin is an incredibly important element in your body, and it’s popped up repeatedly in commercial beauty products in recent years, leading people to ask whether it may be helpful in their hair growth journey. Here’s what you should know about biotin’s relationship to hair growth, including whether or not you should add it to your diet.
What is biotin?
Biotin is one of the names for vitamin B-7, which is also called vitamin H and coenzyme R. As a member of the B vitamins, biotin is a required vitamin for your body, as it helps with metabolization, the process of turning food into energy. While it is naturally created in your gut, your body can’t create enough of it to survive long-term, which means you need to add it to your diet in some way.
How does biotin deficiency impact your body?
The adequate intake (AI) of biotin for the average adult is 30μg (micrograms) per day, which means you should get at least 30μg of biotin per day in your diet to ensure healthy function. If you don’t get at least this much biotin, you could experience symptoms of biotin deficiency, which is fairly uncommon, but more common in people without balanced diets, people who are on specific types of medication, or people who are pregnant or lactating. Low biotin levels can cause symptoms including:
- Scaly, red rashes
- Brittle nails and hair
- Thinning hair and hair loss
- Skin infections
- Neurological issues
Can biotin help my hair grow?
Because biotin deficiency can definitely cause problems with hair loss, some scientists have been studying whether adding extra biotin into an already healthy diet could result in stronger, healthier hair. The good news is that there are a few studies that show there could be a connection.
One study showed that women experiencing thinning hair saw improvement in both thickness and growth when taking a multivitamin that included biotin. Another study showed that in women who were experiencing hair loss, 38% were found to have low levels of biotin, upon investigation. Research is ongoing when it comes to the use of biotin in healthy individuals without biotin deficiency, but, as there is no established upper limit or toxicity level for biotin, you’re unlikely to see issues even if you supplement with a very high level of biotin.
What foods can I eat that are high in biotin to support hair health?
Most people are able to get a significant amount of biotin just by eating a healthy, well-rounded diet. Eggs, for example, have about 20μg of biotin per 100 grams, which means you can get your full daily intake of biotin just from eating two eggs with breakfast. Here are some other foods that are high in biotin:
- Chicken and beef liver
- Salmon in water
- Roasted peanuts
- Roasted sunflower seeds
- Strawberries
- Pork chops
- Soybeans
- Sweet potatoes
However, if you’re looking to add significant amounts of biotin to your diet, up to the 1,000μg and up range, you’ll probably want to consider a supplement. The HAIRLOVE Growth Complex multivitamin, for example, has a whopping 2,000μg of biotin per two capsules, which means you’ll get a significant amount of supplementation when you take these hair capsules.
Other ways to improve hair growth
There are lots of ways to improve hair growth outside of supplementing with biotin. There are other supplements, for example, that can improve hair growth; supplements like selenium, vitamin B5, and Bioperine have all shown potential for helping thinning hair.
In many cases, you can also improve hair growth by simply treating your hair better. On top of supplementation, consider adding an argan oil serum, derma rolling, regular scalp massaging on dry or wet hair, and a hair brush that won’t snag and catch on your hair while you brush. Any of these things individually can seriously improve hair growth, and adding them all together can completely rejuvenate your hair.
Bolster hair growth today
If you’re looking for a better way to bolster your hair growth, you’ll probably want to start with the HAIRLOVE Growth Complex multivitamin. Not only does this provide all the biotin you could ask for, but it also provides other hair growth supplements, like vitamin C, Cynatine HNS, and Bioperine. Instead of having to take multiple supplements in the morning, you can just take two capsules with a full glass of water.
For healthier, stronger hair, biotin may be an extremely helpful supplement. Add it to your supplement mix in the morning to start seeing results, especially if you’re currently worried about hair thinning and loss.
