Is Biotin Really The Miraculous Hair Loss Treatment It’s Made Out To Be?
The low-down on the hyped up vitamin
Ever combed your hair, only to find more strands stuck to the teeth than on your head? How about finding strands of yourself in each and every corner of your house? Heartbreaking, isn’t it? Hair loss and hair fall is a major issue a lot of people face –– and once you’ve gone through a lot of oil massages, serums, and masks, you eventually give up hope. The other alternative? Biotin. This raved about vitamin is hyped up to prevent hair loss –– but, is it worth being the talk of beauty town? We find out more.
What is biotin and why is it so important?
Biotin is part of the vitamin B family and also goes by vitamin B7 and vitamin H. Your body uses its natural biotin to convert nutrients into energy. It breaks down carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids in your body. It’s also responsible for the health of your skin, hair, and nails. A lack of this vitamin leads to poor hair and nails.
Consuming biotin-rich foods like egg yolks, sweet potatoes, liver, mushrooms, bananas, broccoli, and avocados, help with your daily intake of the vitamin. However, sometimes that’s not enough –– that’s where oral supplements step in.
The truth – Does it really work in preventing hair loss?
Okay, here’s a mini science class for you. Your hair is made of keratin, a protein that is consistent across your hair, skin, and nails. Biotin is generally known to improve the structure of your keratin.
We’ve heard the murmurs and the whispers about how amazing biotin is when it comes to helping with hair thinning and hair loss. And that’s true. A biotin rich diet really does work wonders when it comes to filling in those bald patches. However, biotin supplements seem to tell a contradictory story.
For some reason, biotin supplements have gained the ‘crowning glory’ title -– according to many, it’s the answer to all your hair loss woes. However, there is very little evidence supporting what seems like a fan based theory. While some studies show participants reaping the benefits of biotin, the data is rather far and few.
…And why is this?
Hair shedding is part of your normal hair life cycle. The American Academy of Dermatology says we lose 50-100 strands every day. However, the moment it happens in excess, it’s alarming. There are several underlying issues that can cause hair loss –– biotin only scratches the surface. In order to treat hair fall and prevent hair loss and thinning you have to figure out what’s causing it to happen.
Stress is one of the most significant causes of hair loss, especially if you’re under 30 and are shedding like a Collie. Hormonal imbalances that are caused by pregnancy or menopause, unhealthy diet, genetics, anemia, hair colouring and styling, auto-immune disease, just to name a few, are all different pathways that lead to this conundrum.
That’s why the data found on this is rather inconclusive. Proper blood work carried out by a doctor would be able to detect what exactly is causing your hair to fall and how to prevent it from thinning. Biotin is rather dramatic for something that doesn’t produce dramatic results! According to the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, a 2017 study showed no scientific evidence to support this hyped up cure for hair loss. It isn’t the hair growth elixir it puts itself out to be. But that doesn’t mean it’s harmful for your body –– it just means that you won’t get the miraculous results you were promised to begin with.
What you can try…
No, it’s not worth the hype. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t knock it. Just don’t rely on it entirely. If you think you’re not getting enough of this vitamin from your diet, then there’s always an option to incorporate these supplements in your daily intake. Try and figure out the other causes for your hair loss and thinning –– and find solutions for those simultaneously, while chewing on this recommended biotin supplements.
The silver lining
Along with improving your hair and nail health to a certain extent, biotin is also known to manage diabetes. Studies show that biotin supplements could help regulate blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Along with that, biotin is great as prenatal care. Its deficiency is quite common amongst pregnant women, and therefore taking supplements will help boost health in unborn babies.
Here are a few biotin supplements worth giving a try!
#1 – Bare Anatomy Biotin Gummies
#2 – Oziva Plant Based Biotin
#3 – TrueBasics Biotin
#4 – HK Vitals Biotin
#5 – Jamieson Biotin SoftGels
The alternative
Ashwagandha – This Indian herb is loved in Ayurveda and is known to normalise your body’s response to stress by controlling its cortisol levels. This helps manage hair loss, to a certain extent.
Amla – Gooseberry is rich in proteins and amino acids, which helps strengthen your hair from the root.
