Biotin For Hair, what is it for and Benefits?

Something many people don’t know about hair is that its health doesn’t solely depend on the varieties of hair care products used. Rather, its health depends on a variety of other factors, one of which is the consumption of a balanced diet that supplies necessary nutrients to the hair. Of all the nutrients the hair derives from food, biotin remains one of the most significant due to its effect and influence on many other nutrients.

Biotin is responsible for the metabolism of these nutrients, such that the hair can’t maintain its luster without it. That’s why it is one of the most dominant ingredients in many hair care products. Of course, you can also improve your hair health by using a decent amount of biotin. But before you start using it, you must know what it is, how beneficial it’ll be to your hair, and most importantly, the dosage you should take from time to time.

In this article, we’ll show you everything you need to know about biotin and what it is used for. In addition to this, we’ll discuss its benefits and the dosage your hair will need to maximize all these benefits.

What is Biotin?

As one of the many components of the vitamin family, biotin, also known as vitamin H, is an essential nutrient the body relies on to break down certain nutrients to get energy. It’s a water-soluble whose purpose is inherent in its name, which came from the Greek word “biotos,” meaning sustenance or life. So to put it simply, the purpose of biotin in the body is to sustain and continually give life to parts like the skin, eyes, hair, nervous system, liver, etc.

While the best of biotin is derived from food, it is also obtained through supplements and pills. This means that even though it’s rare to have a deficiency in biotin if a person needs it, there are inexhaustible sources to get it back. In addition, biotin became quite popular due to its ability to improve hair health and enhance its growth. So if you see anyone with thick hair with an incredible luster, you should know that the person has a good supply of biotin.

Research Conclusions about Biotin and Hair 

The fact remains that there is a handful of research on the relationship between biotin and hair. However, with the few available, it’s been established that the significance of biotin to the hair is not exclusive to other nutrients. That is, biotin relies on the presence of other nutrients to enhance hair growth and improve overall hair health. So except an individual lacks even the minimum supply of biotin, it cannot solely improve hair growth.

Another thing that grounds this conclusion is that manufacturers of hair care products don’t make products whose sole ingredient is biotin. Instead, they add it to other ingredients, which improves the hair. Similarly, food sources of biotin don’t solely have biotin, but they carry other nutrients, all of which combine to benefit the hair. So while research about the relationship remains inconclusive, we can base our knowledge on the inference that biotin isn’t individually sufficient for hair growth but thrives in the presence of other nutrients to show its benefits.

Benefits of Biotin to the Hair

With the activity of many other nutrients, the benefits of biotin to the hair include the following:

Strength and Thickness

As much as you have to observe gentle hair combing, sometimes, it’ll break off at the slightest touch of the comb if the hair is too weak. That is why you need a replete biotin supply to improve the strength of the hair and grow even stronger hair strands. In addition to this, you can also increase your hair density with an adequate intake of biotin.

Protection

Given that biotin makes the hair stronger, it is only deductive that it protects the hair from breakage and fallout. So the more you take it, the more you build walls against breakage.

Promotes Hair Growth

Biotin indirectly helps promote hair growth because it ensures the availability of the main nutrient that helps produce hair. This nutrient is known as Keratin. It also strengthens the hair and promotes the health of the hair scalp both in volume and in coverage.

Increase Hair Shine

In addition to the dominant benefits already mentioned, biotin also increases hair shine by intensifying the production of natural hair oil known as sebum. If there’s a healthy production of sebum, then the scalp constantly gets oily moisture which prevents it from dryness and the hair from brittleness.

Prevents Hair Loss

As biotin deficiency has been connected to the prevalence of alopecia, it’s only deductive that taking a decent amount of it will prevent hair loss. It also prevents inflammation which is another dreadful cause of hair loss.

Food Sources

Biotin can be derived from many food sources, including sweet potatoes, eggs, sunflower seeds, salmon, pork chop, broccoli, spinach, beef, plain yogurt, banana, cauliflower, mushroom, soybeans, etc. Adding all these to your diet can give your hair significant improvement in a short period, but it has to be taken moderately.

Recommended Intake of Biotin

While biotin deficiency isn’t common, it’s important not to take too much of it. That’s why we’ll suggest to you expert recommendations on how to take it. Children between the ages of 3, 6, and 9 years must take 20, 25, and 30 micrograms per day, respectively. Individuals who fall between age ten and above must take 30 – 100 micrograms per day.

This recommendation doesn’t eliminate the importance of speaking to your doctor about biotin intake because, given the knowledge of your medical history, it’s your doctor that can suggest the most suitable dosage that solely applies to you.

Takeaway

While there are further ongoing investigations to ground the efficacy of biotin for hair growth, its demand and popularity are good pointers about its benefits to the hair and overall health. Since you know the ideal dosage to take, you must make it a part of your diet, but you must take it moderately because too much biotin also has side effects.