Why Does Biotin Make Your Hair Grow?

What Is Biotin?

Biotin is one of the B-complex vitamins and is also known as vitamin B7. B vitamins are crucial to the body's growth and energy production and to the health of bodily systems, like the skin and the digestive and nervous systems. Biotin in particular helps the body use proteins and carbohydrates and make hormones.

Hair Loss and Growth

Although no studies support the claim that biotin increases hair growth, many people believe that it works, not only because B vitamins are essential contributors to skin, hair and nail health, but also because hair loss is associated with a lack of biotin. Biotin deficiency is quite rare, but can occur from a genetic biotinidase deficiency or from biotin interference in people who take antiseizure medications or who eat raw egg whites. The hair loss caused by the deficiency is easily reversed by supplementing the diet with biotin.

Biotin Doses

No extra hair growth has been observed with higher-than-normal ingestion of biotin in foods or prepared supplements, but no side effects with additional doses of biotin have been reported. The adequate daily intake level of biotin for adults is 30 micrograms. This level is reached with the regular diet, because biotin is found naturally in foods like egg yolks, bananas and peanuts, and it is made in the intestinal tract. Biotin supplements with the recommended daily allowance of 300 micrograms are available in powder, capsule, tablet and lozenge forms.

References

• American Cancer Society Vitamin B Complex Overview
• eMedTV Biotin Supplements Review
• Medline Plus Encyclopedia: Biotin