

Also known as Vitamin H, Biotin is a water-soluble compound that belongs to the B class Vitamins and is very essential for the growth and development of your hair. The body also requires biotin vitamin to aid the metabolic conversion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into energy. Our body is incapable of synthesizing biotin on its own and we derive biotin from the food we consume like cauliflowers, cabbages, and carrots are some of the most potent sources of obtaining biotin.
Several hair experts have confirmed the positive effects of biotin for hair growth. It has been observed that the supplementation of biotin as a part of a healthy balanced diet can help reinforce its structural integrity of hair and possibly even make it thicker. This promotes and protects your hair while making it less likely to break off at its length. However, biotin takes a minimum of four months to display any visible changes and does not seem to do much to stop the thinning of hair.
Just following the optimal consumption is not enough, you must also make sure that your biotin intake is supplemented regularly and on a daily basis. That is the key to its efficiency. Being irregular in biotin consumption will tamper with your chances of getting healthy hair. It is especially important to make sure that you set your expectations low, as hair growth won’t happen overnight. However, in some rare cases, regular supplementation of biotin has provided visible differences in as little as two weeks, while also seemingly affecting nail and eyelash growth.
It is also a common misconception that the consumption of biotin causes an unstoppable growth of body hair. Unlike the hair present on our head, the hair on our body is signalled by the compounds in our body to only grow up to a specified length, which is actually why we do not need to trim our body hair as often. The only noticeable difference in body hair would be the fact that your eyebrows might be thicker, which let’s be honest, is more of a blessing in disguise.
Alternatively, intake of a reliable biotin supplement has been shown to be a great source of treatment for those diagnosed with diseases like eczema. Even alopecia have been shown to respond in a positive manner after a few weeks of regular intake of a biotin supplement. However, despite the many uses of biotin, it is vital to consult a doctor before using its supplements to avoid any drug interference with a pre-existing medical condition.
Recommened Dosage
The Food And Nutrition Board of the Institute Of Medicine does not have a fixed suggestion as to how much biotin one should be ideally consuming per day, as the biotin requirements of various individuals differ according to their gender, age, body composition, deficiency rates, etc. However, experts say that consuming 30-100 mcg of biotin can be beneficial for the optimal functioning of our body.
Given below is a table that depicting the biotin requirements of various individuals based on their age:
Category | Biotin: Adequate Intake (AI) |
0-6 months old | 5 mcg/day |
7-12 months old | 6 mcg/day |
1-3 years old | 8 mcg/day |
4-8 years old | 12 mcg/day |
9-13 years old | 20 mcg/day |
14-18 years old | 25 mcg/day |
19 years old and up | 30 mcg/day |
Pregnant Women | 30 mcg/day |
Breastfeeding Women | 35 mcg/day |
Being a water-soluble vitamin, any and all excess biotin is usually flushed out by the body through sweat and urine. However, it has been noted that in rare cases, an excess of biotin can have some serious complications such as low Vitamin C levels, a significant decline in the production of insulin, and low blood sugar levels.
Remember to be patient while taking any grow hair tablets of biotin as it can be quite some time before you actually see some change. In order to get the best out of your intake, try and get as much biotin as you can from naturally sourced foods. In case you fail to meet your recommended daily intake, you can always consult with your doctor and consider incorporating your diet with a natural biotin supplement like the HealthKart Biotin, designed to fulfill your biotin requirements in go.