Whenever you go to shopping at a major retail store or supermarkets, you would like to browse their range of nutritional supplements to stay up to date on new products. You ,ight have notices that most of the products offer targeted health solutions, especially when it comes to hair growth and thickness.

Most products contain multiple ingredients. Biotin, a water-soluble B vitamin, is almost always included.Just like this, many shampoos and conditioners,  promising thicker and fuller hair often containsiotin in them. A recurring theme here is that whether taken as a dietary supplement or lathered into hair, biotin is said to promote hair growth. 

This article discusses the link between biotin and hair health and whether the vitamin is effective and safe for hair growth and preventing hair loss.  

Research results on biotin and hair growth

Biotin has many benefits for your body. Their main job is to convert what they eat into energy. It’s also needed for the production of keratin, the type of protein that makes up hair, skin, and nails. Many foods contain biotin, so a balanced diet and a deficiency in healthy people are rare.

Although rare, biotin deficiency can lead to skin rashes, brittle nails, thinning hair and hair loss. This is due to the role of vitamins in keratinogenesis. As such, biotin supplements and biotin-enhanced hair products are often advertised as supporting healthy hair growth or promoting thicker, more voluminous hair.

However, despite these claims, there is limited evidence that biotin supplementation and hair lathering promote hair growth in people without a deficiency.

An older study from 2012 gave women who were experiencing thinning hair a multi-ingredient hair growth supplement containing biotin or a placebo for six months.

Those who took the hair growth supplement reported a visible increase in overall hair volume, scalp coverage, and thickness after the treatment period. On the other hand, no significant change was seen in the placebo group. However, the hair growth supplement contained several ingredients, such as zinc and iron, which are also necessary for hair growth, so the research results cannot be attributed solely to biotin.

Additionally, the study was small and participants may have been deficient in one or more of the nutrients in the supplement that affect hair health. It can lead to hair growth. In another study, researchers found that all children who had improved hair growth or hair quality after taking biotin supplements had an underlying condition that caused biotin deficiency. Based on these researches and trials, it is now proven that biotin supplements or using biotin-enriched hair products to promote hair growth and reduces hairfall too. 

Taking supplements alone is not going to solve the problem, you will also need to take proper diet. This includes, high-protein, low carbohydrates, low fat and high fibre foods, to ensuregood health overall. 

Can biotin help prevent hair loss?

The answer is yes.”

The evidence supporting biotin alone for hair growth is limited, but the evidence for hair loss prevention is somewhat stronger. Still, biotin supplements may only prevent hair loss and promote hair growth in people with biotin deficiency. One study found biotin deficiency in 38% of women who complained of hair loss. Of these participants, 11% had a history of risk factors for deficiency such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or taking certain medications such as antibiotics.

Although this study did not evaluate the effectiveness of biotin supplements or biotin-enriched hair products in preventing hair loss, it does show a link between hair loss and biotin deficiency. 

Note: Biotin is safe to consume with other medications, still it is best to consult your doctor, if you are already facing some critical ailments.