Whilst biotin is more common in the grocery store aisle for women’s hair and nail supplements, and the odd specialized shampoo – did you know that biotin could potentially help the growth of your beard hair too?
With beards proving popular in the last few years, it is no wonder that you are thinking about getting some growth back in the beard. It is not uncommon for some men to struggle to grow a full beard either, and this can cause unwanted stress.
One method of helping the beard hair grow is by taking biotin supplements. Basically vitamin B7, it is known to promote healthy nails, skin, and hair.
Whilst it might sound too good to be true right now, let us take a look if biotin can really help with the growth of beard hair, or if it is just a myth.
What Is Vitamin B7?
Whilst your intestinal bacteria will produce small amounts of vitamin B7, it cannot synthesize it on its own. So, it is extra important that a person consumes it every day. It plays an important role in helping to metabolize the carbs, fats, and protein inside the body.
Not only that, it also has a key role in the production of keratin. This is the biggest protein found in skin, hair, and nails. Fortunately, you can find it in food such as bananas, cooked eggs, nuts and red meat.
The Link Between Biotin And Beard Growth
Whilst biotin is linked with hair growth, you are probably wondering whether it can help you to restore a patchy beard, or help you to grow the facial fuzz into a flowing main.
Whilst this sounds too good to be true, it might just be. There have been limited studies specifying how it can help thicken hair on top of the head, but unfortunately no beard growth has been mentioned.
Also, biotin supplements may not be useful for those who are generally healthy. For any improvement on hair growth, only those who have been deficient in vitamin B7 have shown any improvement.
Vitamin B7 Deficiency
To be deficient in biotin is rather rare. It is all due to not having enough levels of the enzymes needed to regulate biotin levels. It can also come about with the overconsumption of alcohol, eating raw eggs and chronic antibiotic use.
There are early signs which can potentially point you to being deficient in vitamin B7. Some of these include having abnormal changes in the skin, hair, and nails. If it becomes advanced, this can affect the whole nervous system, which can then cause impaired vision and seizures.
Products That Include Biotin
If you have been on the hunt for something to help with beard growth, then you have probably noticed that a lot of hair products include biotin. This could be beard oils, serums, and even beard wash.
Whilst biotin is able to be absorbed through the skin, there is little data on whether this can actually help with the promotion of hair growth. This could also be why you have not noticed any dramatic changes since using a biotin infused product.
Biotin Via The Diet
Whilst you might want to buy a product with biotin in, there are ways to get it into the body naturally. This way, you likely will not even need to supplement as you will already be getting enough through food alone.
Some of the foods that have biotin in are: mushrooms, eggs, seeds, nuts, sweet potato, cauliflower, spinach, bananas, salmon, beef, cheese, pork, chicken, and cow’s milk.
How Much Biotin Is Recommended For Hair Growth?
You actually do not need that much biotin a day to hopefully see a difference. In studies, around 120mcg is used. That is 40% of your recommended daily amount.
You can go higher, but if you are needing expert advice, always speak to a dermatologist for a recommendation for a specific amount.
If you look at online forums, you will notice that some men choose to take around 5000mcg and higher to see any improvement in beard growth.
Because of the excess biotin being removed via the urine, taking a higher dosage should be fine, though as stated previously, there are no tests on how this may affect a person in the long-term.
Side Effects Of Taking Biotin
Currently there are no known side effects from taking biotin in any amount. Due to it being a water-soluble supplement, just like vitamin C, any excess that cannot be stored in the body is removed via urine.
With this in mind, a higher dosage does not necessarily mean it will make your hair grow faster. In fact, you are more likely to urinate most of it away, wasting all the money you have spent on the supplements.
In the future there are likely to be studies that have formed conclusions on how it may affect the human body due to the rise in biotin usage.
Final Words
If you are looking to take biotin for hair growth, then there is a good chance you might be disappointed in the final results. Whilst biotin can aid the body to produce healthier and thicker hair on the body, which also includes the beard, it will not necessarily give you length.
There is a good chance that you will need to research other areas of vitamins and nutrients that will aid the biotin in helping your hair grow, as biotin alone is unlikely to give you the desired results you are after.
Whilst it is not unsafe to consume biotin as a supplement – toxic levels have not yet been established and due to it being a water-soluble vitamin, any excess will come out in the urine – there has been no studies on how it can affect a person long-term.
Especially associated with beard growth.
With this in mind, it is up to you whether you feel the need to add in a biotin supplement, or to eat foods that contain a higher amount – or to forgo biotin completely and embrace the beard hair that you have.
Grooming should be encouraged and normalized for men as it is for women - why is there a stigma around a man who takes care of his appearance when women are expected to?
If a woman were to put as little effort into her appearance as men are supposed to, she would be called lazy or another harsher word. But men are expected to wash their face with body wash and call it a day.
- How To Trim A Beard With Scissors - February 28, 2022
- How To Make Your Beard Soft - February 28, 2022
- How To Bleach Tips Of Guys Hair - February 28, 2022
