The supplement industry promotes the use of biotin, a B-complex vitamin, as a treatment for thinning hair. Biotin is so widely associated with hair growth that supplement manufacturers have nicknamed it "vitamin H," and it appears in most specialty multivitamin formulas. Despite biotin's extreme popularity, there is no evidence to support its use as a remedy for male pattern baldness (alopecia areata), dandruff or any other condition affecting hair health.
Theories
According to Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, biotin deficiency is extremely rare and tends to occur only in people taking specific prescription drugs on a long-term basis. Specialized flora in the colon produce abundant supplies of biotin, and dietary sources of biotin are unnecessary. Symptoms of severe biotin deficiency include hair loss, dry skin and brittle hair. Some naturopaths have speculated that subclinical, undiagnosed biotin deficiency may be responsible for some cases of unexplained hair loss and skin disease. Biotin supplementation can treat hair loss caused by severe biotin deficiency; however, no scientific studies have demonstrated that biotin can enhance hair growth in low-risk groups.
Biotin Marketing
By the mid-1990s, supplement manufacturers began aggressively advertising biotin as "the hair vitamin," and it became a popular component of multivitamin formulas designed to encourage hair growth. Marketing campaigns were so widespread that some nutritionists and physicians accepted claims that biotin improves hair growth in non-deficient populations. Some consumers have claimed success using biotin to improve hair growth, but these cases are anecdotal and may be explained by the placebo effect. Before an unbiased recommendation can be made, scientists must conduct further research about the benefits of biotin supplementation.
Biotin Shampoos
Because of the pervasive notion that biotin improves hair growth, cosmetics manufacturers often include biotin in specialized shampoos and conditioners. These products are extremely popular and may contain compounds that can improve the strength or structure of hair; however, biotin itself is an ineffective shampoo ingredient. B vitamins are poorly absorbed through the skin, and topical biotin treatments cannot address biotin deficiency. As of December 2009, no peer-reviewed clinical trials have investigated biotin's usefulness as a shampoo ingredient.
Safety
Fortunately for people who are interested in using biotin to improve hair growth, this water-soluble vitamin is essentially free of side effects or drug interactions. Michael Murray, author of the "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," notes that doctors have administered extreme megadoses of biotin to newborns with metabolic disorders, yet none of the infants showed any symptoms of side effects or toxicity. The National Institutes of Health concur with the notion that biotin supplements are safe in moderate doses. Additionally, there are no negative drug interactions associated with biotin supplementation. While biotin is unlikely to improve hair growth, biotin supplements are ultimately harmless and risk-free.
Dosage
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration assigns a recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 300 micrograms daily. Adults can tolerate 200,000 mcg per day with no known risk of toxicity. Because of theoretical risks to the fetus or nursing child, mothers who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid taking more than 300 mcg of supplemental biotin each day. The National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine gives separate recommendations for children under 18, who should not take more than 25 mcg of biotin each day. People with clinical biotin deficiency may require specialized supplementation to restore hair growth and eliminate other symptoms of deficiency.
References
- Medline Plus: Biotin
- "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Michael Murray and Jospeh Pizzorno; 1997
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