How do you use biotin for hair growth? This vitamin has many uses and top on the list is growing long hair naturally. Is biotin supplement good for growing thicker hair? Do you know how much biotin to take for hair growth? Here’s info on biotin dosage, the sources, reviews, and results with before and after photos of using biotin 1000 mcg and 5000 mcg pills or tablets, as well as possible side effects.
What is Biotin Vitamin?
Biotin is a vitamin B complex that is also called vitamin H. It is widely used to stimulate and promote the natural growth of hair and nails. According to Medical News Today and Black Girl Long Hair, biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that produces keratin in the body. How does keratin help with faster and thicker hair growth and nail growth?
Long, healthy, thicker and stronger hair looks amazing.
The structure of hair shows that it is made of keratin. Therefore, increasing the amount of keratin in the body means, in layman terms, promoting hair growth.
- SEE ALSO: How to reverse gray hair naturally
Best biotin sources or foods high in biotin vitamin
What are the best sources of biotin for hair growth? Other than supplements, pills and tablets, shampoos and hair oils, there are foods that contain high amounts of the vitamin. Eating the foods listed above, which are good sources of biotin will stimulate healthy, thicker hair growth. It is even claimed that eyebrows, eyelashes and facial hair can grow thicker and longer if you eat these foods high in biotin.
- Eggs – specifically egg yolk
- Milk and most dairy products
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Pork
- Liver and kidney meat
- Legumes
- Avocado
- Mushrooms
- Cabbages, broccoli, and kale or simply green leafy vegetables
If you are looking for good home remedies for hair growth, biotin rich foods should be on your list. In order to gain the most vitamin B for hair growth in a short time, most people turn to supplements with higher concentrations of biotin. Capsules, tablets and pill doses with 1000 mcg and 5000 mcg of biotin are sold as supplements. We have discussed these separately in this article.
Does biotin help hair growth? Is biotin good for hair growth?
Does biotin help or work for longer hair? The vitamin works by producing keratin. Keratin is a protein found in hair and nails. With its increase in the body, it will make hair grow long and thicker. Nourishing hair with vitamin B complex will help, stimulate and promote growth. Here are the reasons why it is good to use biotin for hair growth.
- It increases the elasticity of hair
- Protects your hair from becoming dry. Dry hair grows slowly.
- Biotin promotes thicker hair so that your hair can appear fuller and healthier.
Does biotin work for making your hair grow longer in inches? Yes, as a result of more keratin deposits, biotin thickens hair cuticles and increases the diameter of hair shafts. This is why biotin is said to make hair grow thicker faster or within a short period.
Diabetics sometimes have symptoms of hair loss, thinning hair and neuropathy. While biotin vitamin is primarily given as a treatment, it helps stop hair falling out in these patients and encourage the growth of thicker, stronger and healthier hair.
Biotin hair growth results, evidence, inches
What are the results of using biotin for hair growth? To get results, you will need to increase the amount of biotin in your daily diet. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, which means that you will need to intake biotin more frequently in order to get the best hair growth results with biotin.
The body only uses the amount of biotin it requires from the dosage you take in and excretes the rest through urine. To grow longer and thicker hair faster, replenish biotin vitamin in your body more often. That said, what are the results of using biotin to grow hair?
Results show that it really works, with many internet hair forums praising the vitamin for their thicker, longer hair. Natural hair growth using vitamins such as prenatal vitamins, supplements, and ingredients such as MSM, hair growth shampoos, niacin vitamin, collagen, sea kelp, gelatin, vitamin E and other products can be frustrating.
However, the biotin hair growth results are encouraging, almost as good as those of Jamaican black castor oil on hair. Posted results on bald hair, results on black hair and even for hair growth are promising. Below are before and after pictures to show the results of using biotin for hair growth.
Biotin hair growth before and after pictures
With the background information on growing hair thicker and longer using biotin vitamins and supplements in the right doses, let’s see the evidence and results. Before and after pictures of helping hair grow longer in different situations, including after chemotherapy and on African American or black hair.
Here’s are before and after photos of African American hair growing inches in a course of 8 months. The evidence of growing black hair thicker and longer with biotin in this image is compelling and interesting because the photos show an impressive increase in the length here.
Photo source – Lalet’s blog.
Here’s another image showing a significant increase in the length of hair after using biotin for hair growth.
Image source – Denise Walsh
What about facial hair growth before and after pictures? Can biotin stimulate facial hair growth in a short period of time? For men who want to grow more facial hair such as a fuller beard, taking biotin can help according to the evidence in the before and after images below.
Facial hair – image source – Rebound Wow.
And can biotin help grow hair after chemotherapy? Chemotherapy cancer treatments are known to cause hair loss. The phase of regrowing hair can be difficult, with the process being slow and hair not growing to its initial lengths. Biotin can help speed up the growth cycle of your hair. Here are before and after chemotherapy pictures.
Hair growth after chemotherapy – image source – etopical
These images and photos are illustrations collected online from people trying to provide evidence and proof that biotin really makes hair longer and thicker. If you are going to use it, you are actually wondering how long it will take for your hair to grow longer.
How long does it take for hair to grow long with biotin? One week, month, year?
How long will it take for my hair to grow longer or grow back with biotin? According to Dr. Susan Stuart’s comments on hair growth on Huffington Post, “Biotin deficiency is rare and low levels may result in brittle nails and hair loss.”
However, taking more biotin might not fix the problem because hair loss and stunted hair growth can have other causes that should be addressed.
Therefore, while some people promise inches of hair growth in one week, one month or one year after popping pills of biotin vitamins and other supplements, you might not see any positive results even after a long period of eating biotin-rich foods and taking doses of tablets.
- The time it takes when using biotin to grow hair is not uniform. Different factors affect hair growth, including hydration, general health of the body, alcohol consumption, treatments such as antibiotics and most importantly, age.
- Denise Walsh’s website has images showing the quickest results of hair growth after taking biotin. She shows that you can get results in about 11 days, one month or just a few weeks.
- Reviews also show that the times vary a lot, with some people reporting that it took them too long – one year – to see visible results of hair has grown long.
Traci Ferguson, writing on Black Girl Long Hair says, “You can’t expect to see results in one or two months. I take 1000 mcg biotin and I didn’t start seeing real results until about 4 months in.” Therefore, how long it takes depends on many other factors.
Biotin dosage for hair growth recommended safe dose per day
Doctor Richard Scher, an expert in nail disorders and skin care notes that the recommended dose of biotin is 2500 mcg per day. Mayo Clinic, on the other hand, recommends between 30 and 100 mcg per day as the right dosage for adults. On the safe dose of biotin vitamin to take every day, there is no official minimum and maximum or highest dose other than something ranging between these figures.
However, when it comes to biotin for hair growth dosage, some people recommend taking the highest amounts in the tune of 1000 mcg, 7500 mcg, and even 10000 mcg. Even though the excess will be passed out of the body through urine, there are some side effects of too much biotin for hair growth. Below are the recommended doses of biotin according to the National Library of Medicine.
| Age | Adequate biotin intake in Micrograms of biotin per day |
| 0 months to 6 months | 5 mcg daily |
| 7 to 12 months | 6 mcg per day |
| 1 to 3 years | 8 mcg per day |
| 4 to 8 years | 12 mcg per day |
| 9 to 13 years | 20 mcg per day |
| 14 to 18 years | 25 mcg per day |
| 19 years or older | 30 mcg per day |
Other than recommending these as the safe and strongest doses of biotin, they go ahead to advise that the best source of these essential vitamins is a balanced diet as opposed to maximum strength pills, tablets and capsules. But when it comes to boosting and stimulating hair growth, how much biotin mcg should you take?
How much biotin for hair growth, thicker and longer hair faster
Do you want to know how much biotin to take for hair growth? According to Durable Health, there are no particular dietary limitations, but taking about 5000 mcg of biotin per day will make your hair grow faster, thicker and healthier.
If you have thinning hair, weak nails or brittle nails, you can strengthen them by taking more biotin every day, but as a starter, taking smaller amounts first, such as 1000 mcg will help reduce any possible side effects.
Biotin 1000 mcg and hair growth
There is quite a lot of anecdotal evidence that shows that the intake of 1000 mcg of vitamin B7 biotin increases the rate of hair growth. However, there’s no scientific evidence to prove this.
As a matter of fact, this dosage exceeds the daily recommended allowance for people with lower concentrations of biotin, also called biotin deficiency. If you are planning to take pills or supplements of 1000 micrograms, do so under the supervision and prescription of your physician.
Biotin 5000 mcg and growing your hair faster
The amount of vitamin H or B7 in a bottle of pills, each 5000 mcg is very high. Most people think that the higher the concentration, the longer the hair will grow longer and faster. Reported side effects for starters who have taken pills of 7500 mcg, 10000 mcg and 5000 mcg of biotin include breakouts on the face, accelerated hair growth on the face, fast growth of nails and even worsened acne.
These are high concentrations and can cause side effects on the skin and general functioning of the body even with the positive, desired results on your natural hair.
How to take biotin for hair growth
How often should you take biotin tablets, supplements, and products for hair growth? For how long can one use biotin vitamins to enhance hair growth? The first thing you should do is to learn how much biotin is too much.
As a safe way of taking biotin for hair growth, stick to food and natural sources. There are many foods listed above that are rich in biotin. By eating them, you will be consuming the most natural form of the vitamin and in adequate amounts. Popping pills, tablets, and capsules of high concentrations of biotin can cause risks and side effects that are more undesirable.
Side effects of biotin and risks of taking too much
What are the side effects of taking too much biotin for hair loss, hair growth, thinning hair, and nails? Everyday Health reports that there are no major side effects associated with biotin vitamin intake, including weight gain.
From forums to authoritative sources, there are reported side effects of biotin that you should be aware of before starting to use it to stimulate hair growth on the face, legs, beard, eyebrows and even eyelashes. Here are the major side effects reported with too much intake of this vitamin.
- Allergies and allergic reaction are minimal or rare, but they do occur. If you have any known reactions to vitamin B12 or elements such as cobalt, you are likely to be allergic to biotin. The symptoms of allergic reaction as a side effect include itchy rashes, nausea, swelling on the throat and face. Tightness in the chest is also a side effect related to biotin allergy.
- Slower production of insulin and high blood sugar are also reported as side effects of biotin overdose.
- Cystic acne breakouts and pimples may be reported as well. These breakouts are likely to be on the skin around the chin and jaws for reasons that are still unknown.
- When overdosed, a patient may show signs of mild nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramping according to studies by the University of Washington Medical Center.
- What of the side of biotin for hair growth during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Vitamin B7 or H in high amounts is known to increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women. There could also be serious reactions to babies who are still breastfeeding.
In order to prevent these risks and cons of biotin for hair growth, MD Health recommends that you “experiment with different doses until you find the amount that works best with your skin.” In case of any serious reactions, get emergency medical attention. In conclusion, any toxic symptoms of biotin vitamin are not known.
What kind of biotin is effective for hair growth – lotion, liquid or oil?
Biotin vitamin comes in different forms on the market. Creams, liquid forms, capsules and even lotions are available. But which one is the best and most effective as a hair nourishment to promote growth. Hair tonic lotions and spray on’s are popular in India.
Biotin Lotion and Cream: Scalp creams for growing hair long are applied on hair and massaged in. This nourishes the hair directly, making it healthier, thicker and darker. Biotin lotion and hair cream are preferred when there are certain interaction problems with people who see side effect symptoms after taking too much of the vitamin supplement.
Liquid spray on Spray-on is also used the same way spray shampoos and conditioners are used. If you prefer a dry conditioner for hair growth, then this is the right product to help with hair growth. When using biotin oil, cream or hair lotion:
- Focus on the areas where hair is thinning to encourage it to grow thicker.
- Massage thoroughly into the scalp to stimulate blood flow and increase the effectiveness of the product on the growth of your hair.
- Some creams and oils help improve the structure of your hair besides nourishing it.
Biotin Supplements and products for hair
Food sources are definitely the best and the most recommended for people who want to grow longer hair, stronger nails, and thicker follicles. If you do not want to get the vitamin from foods because of some reasons, there are other sources of the vitamin in high doses. These include tablets, shampoos and hair oils.
Biotin pills for hair growth, capsules, and tablets
Pills and tablets are the most potent and are dominant in the market. Biotin pills for hair growth are the most tolerated and easily used except for some capsules and tablets that are hard to digest.
Most people will prefer gel capsules because they are said to be the easiest to digest and supply the body with the vitamin nutrient that helps with keratin production. Capsules and biotin tablets for hair growth can be found in doses of 1000, 5000, 7,500 and 10,000 mcg. Brands include Natrol, Nature’s Bounty, GNC and many others, from 100 tablets and more.
Biotin shampoo for thinning hair growth
If you have thinning hair or your hair is falling off, using a biotin shampoo will nourish your hair and help it grow thicker, stronger and healthier. Shampoos have moisturizing, cleansing and even volumizing properties.
A shampoo with biotin vitamin as an ingredient can help promote thicker hair strands. It is good for stubborn hair that seems to be weak, dry, dull and thinning hair. Before you buy a shampoo or conditioner, check to see if this vitamin is one of the ingredients.
Biotin hair growth reviews and testimonials, rating
How effective is biotin for hair growth? There are tons of positive reviews from people who have used biotin to grow longer hair faster. In a general sense, a huge chunk of the reviews endorses it as a successful vitamin that works. However, how long it will take to make your hair grow into visible results is majorly the point of discussion.
I sampled out a few random reviews and testimonials to provide evidence on whether it has been working for people and to what extent. Here are reviews and ratings of biotin treatments to grow hair.
“My friend suggested Biotin when we were talking about my hair loss. I started taking soft gels and within 5 weeks had new hair growth (including thicker eyebrows).”
“I started at 500mg and I’ve slowly increased the dose to 10,000mg. My hair was always falling out and many of my friends were telling me how thin my hair was. I started taking biotin pills and since then, they have really helped; people now tell me how fast my hair has grown.” Source – WebMD rating and reviews of Biotin supplements for natural hair.
Many more reviews on different products such as capsules and pills happen to be positive. With proper use, you can increase the length and thickness of your strands until you get to the desired length. However, as a word of caution, avoid exceeding the recommended dose for your age even if you want quicker results.
Sources and references
- http://blackgirllonghair.com/2014/02/my-results-of-taking-biotin/
- The National Library of Medicine https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002410.htm
- Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/08/05/biotin-hair-skin-nails_n_4016804.html
- MD Health: Biotin Side Effects
- Live Science: What is Biotin (Vitamin B7)?
Here’s a video of Dr. OZ explaining how to use biotin to grow your hair healthier, darker, thicker and longer.
20 comments
My husband always liked my hair to be long. He died February 13, 2013 from a heart attack at age 53. In spite of being so devasted from his death, I lost from 169 lbs down to 104 lbs which was very detrimental to my body and illness because of my Multiple Sclerob. You see, I take what is considered high doses of pain medication. I’ve nearly died from complications of taking those high doses since they were prescribed for a person who weighed 169 lbs and at my new weight of 104 lbs they were almost lethal. After cutting my pain doses down by almost half, i realized that my body was in terrible shape in all other forms so I began a self-prescribed regimen of vitamins & supplements. My hair at the time of my husband’s passing was very fine but thick-looking because it was a bit dry, kind of frizzy on the bottom inch or so and it was about 4 inches below the top edge of my shoulders. It had stayed there throughout the previous decade with only minimal trimmings of once or twice a year and its growth was so slow, it was almost nonexistent. While I didn’t start taking Biotin for my hair, I had worried about my thinning and fragile nails that were breaking weekly and that was my only thought or reason for even taking it in the first place. I started taking 5000 mcg biotin (only once per day) every morning. After about 6 months of seeing no improvement with my nails (around early to mid-summer last year), I increased the dosage to 10,000 mcg once in the morning with water. I’ve been taking that ever since. It is now November 7, 2015 and I’ve had to have 4 inches cut off once since that time and most recently in late-July of this year I had 6 inches cut off plus I’ve noticed that my hair is much thicker than it’s ever been and already back down to the top edge of my derrière! I’ve only had side effects that were related specifically to my newer prescription medications for neuropathy and none of the ones listed above. My neurologist just shrugged after checking my long list of medications over when I told him what OTC’s I was taking so no problem there. So anybody who says that taking the higher doses of Biotin are bad for you are wrong as they relate to me specifically. And I have to cut my nails now for the first time in my life (I’m 53 yrs old) and they are about 10 times stronger than they have ever been for me. I also take just the brand that I get at my local Walmart. Spring Valley, I think, or something like that. They look like a little white football and they’re rubbery feeling. Nothing expensive. So while I didn’t start taking them for anything to do with my hair, they have worked incredibly. I only started taking them in January 2014 almost a year after my husband’s passing and then only because I was trying to improve my health (I started taking other supplements/vitamins and started trying to remember to eat too). I quit taking all my other vitamins/supplements in July of this year except for Biotin, Fish Oil and Phytoceramides due to their expense but I’ve seen no difference in my hair or nails. I only wish my husband could see my hair now. He would have loved it. We always said we were soul mates and we loved each other so much during our 32 year marriage. I decided last January to try and go on living for the sake of my two children and my two little grand-kids which is why I decided to try and get healthy again, gain weight, etc. I’m 5’7″ and now a much healthier 125 lbs. So that’s my story for anyone wondering about taking Biotin for their hair or nails. It works slowly…but it works!!
Grammie0304, thank you for sharing your story…. it is helpful to me because I started taking Biotin 10.000 mcg and I only see the different s in my nails, not my hair growth as yes. Be happy and enjoy life…..
Hi Grammie0304,
Thank for sharing your personal story, I hope all is well and all the best!
Please help. My hair has always been my pride and joy. I figured since it is pretty damn healthy, it could deal with some extensions. I was wrong, and now I want to burst into tears every time I look at my natural hair. I just don’t know what to do. my hair has also NEVER been shorter than this and it breaks and falls out. What should i do to regrow hair?
Hello Nicole,
Sorry to hear about the damage your hair suffered. I would strongly advise that you start on biotin-rich diet to regrow your hair and make it long again. These include lean red meat, eggs, leafy dark green vegetables, oyster, beans, sweet potatoes etc. Be consistent and your hair will grow long again.
I am 27 years old I am about to take 10,000mcg of Nu U Biotin Tablets for making my skin glow flawless from my dark pigmentation, my weak nails due to using nail extensions and damaged hair due to harsh chemicals like hair dye to make both my hair and Nails grow faster..So how many can I take per day and how often? So,how long can my hair grow per month? Thank you.
Have seen a tremendous change in my hair. Biotin has made my hair more manageable, and thick. My hair has grown 2 inches in 3 weeks
How much biotin r you taking ??
I went online trying to find a solution for my paper thin nails. This is when I came across biotin. I was a little hesitant but tried anyway.
I am here to give a positive response on what biotin did to my nails and hair. I wasn’t really taking it for my hair but after a month it looks so full and dark. My nails look great. They rarely break these days. I’m so excited to have known biotin supplements. I’m hoping that it helps someone else out there. I used GnC
Just to add on my one month amazing change with biotin i take only 1000mcug a day
the first pic is by no means an african american (see her back) and it does not affect our hair that fast. i guess it is possible but i been african american all my life and i take a pretty good amount of biotin and it has never made my hair grow that fast in the time space of 3-4 mos. it did thicken my hair a bit but i don”t think it grew any faster lenth-wise. but it does have benefits.
Why would you say that when African Americans come in all colors and different hair textures like my sister who is lighter than the girl in the picture and she has the exact same hair texture. That’s an ignorant comment.
please don’t be fooled. the first pic is not of an african american (see her back!). i take biotin and my hair is definitely thicker but no where near as long as i want it to be. i will increase the amount for a few months to see what happens. it works for some and not for others. it works enough for me that i will continue to take it. my nails are definitely stronger.
Sometimes you say biotin 1000 mcg, 5000mcg, 75000 mcg, 10000mcg are safe, there is no side affects..now you are saying taking high amount of dose is not good to health..then what mcg do I have to use for my hair? My age is 35..can 100 mcg is best for my hair to grow?
Hi Sameera,
The best way to use biotin to grow hair is to start with a low dose and observe if you can increase it a little. It is not advisable to start with a high dose right away. We also recommend you see a doctor for proper medical advice.
Hello.
Am 24yrs old. I am having hair fall for past 8 years still no patches or bald but have lots gaps and visible in sun light n thining of hair and hairfall everyday for no reason. How can i prevent this ? Will biotin helps to grow back those hair which fell or helps to maintain current or helps to thicker the current hair or does all the listed. If i need to take biotin suppliment whats the best dosage ?
Hi,I’m 27 years’ old and I was suffering with the same problem from last 10 years but onion juice and biotin 10000 helps me lot .hope it will hepl you.
If I wanna grow my beard thicker.. how much biotin should I take ?
I m 25 year old man. I have bad cut on my hair by barber through thinning scissor. Now my hair is thin in middle section as well as both of side section. My hair become thin. I have thick hair in middle section. Bt now thin.
I see lots of review of biotin. I take biotin 5000 mcg. It can make my hair thick? It give me volume and thickness on my hair
Sir i am hema 20 years old my hair is falling out too much i am vegetarian my thyroid levels are in normal range my hair is falling too much i am really sad with my hair problem i am studied about biotin i had a doubt how much i have to take dose