A number of factors go into creating healthy hair, including your genes, your hair care routine and even your habits. Your diet plays a role, too, and a healthy, balanced diet usually corresponds to healthy, shiny hair. Like protein and omega-3 fatty acids, biotin is one nutrient that can be associated with healthy hair.
Identification
Biotin, also known as vitamin H, is a type of B vitamin that helps regulate enzyme production in the body, including enzymes that affect the skin, digestive system and nervous system, according to Medline Plus, an online health information resource maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Like all B vitamins, biotin also plays a role in maintaining healthy hair, eyes and liver function.
Significance
Hair loss is a symptom of biotin deficiency, a rare health condition that's typically caused by intestinal malabsorption issues, long-term use of certain medications or intravenous feeding solutions that don't contain biotin, according to Medline Plus. There's some early evidence that biotin supplements may help improve the appearance of thin or brittle hair, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, but more research is needed to confirm this potential. Biotin combined with topical clobetasol propionate and zinc may also help treat alopecia for some people, but more research is needed.
Types
A number of foods are rich in biotin. You can increase your daily biotin intake without taking supplements by eating more egg yolks, cheese, liver, yeast, avocado and raspberries. If you want to take a supplement, ask your doctor for a recommendation--recommended doses for treating biotin deficiency range from 100 to 1,000 micrograms per day.
Considerations
Though biotin deficiency is rare and the Institute of Medicine recommends limiting your intake to no more than 30 micrograms a day, taking more than you need in hopes that it might benefit your hair probably isn't going to hurt you, says David L. Katz, M.D., in "O, The Oprah Magazine." Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so if you take more than you need, your body can flush the excess biotin out through your kidneys. And while biotin deficiency is associated with hair loss, Katz says there's not enough evidence to support the notion that biotin improves hair health issues not caused by biotin deficiency.
Warning
Though egg yolks are a good source of biotin, eating large quantities of raw egg whites can ultimately cause biotin deficiency. That's because raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that prevents your body from absorbing biotin, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. Since biotin deficiency can cause thinning and brittle hair, if you consume significant amounts of raw egg whites, you may want to ask your health care provider to check you for biotin deficiency if you experience these symptoms.
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