Let's take a moment to talk about something that many have heard about but only a handful have actually taken the time understand what it is: biotin. Sure, you've probably heard all the major vitamin companies boasting how their product includes it, and you've probably even heard stories of woman who live by ingesting it every single day. Should you believe the hype? Keep reading to find out the truth about biotin.

Source: hbfit.com

Although the natural hair world knows the word biotin, biotin is actually a nickname for Vitamin H. Vitamin H is good for hair and nails, but it also helps with other bodily functions like regulating blood sugar. If you’re diabetic or trying to lose weight, adding biotin to your diet could give you some excellent health benefits. Ready to hear more?

Is biotin good for you and your hair?

The simple answer is yes, it is. However, it does not do exactly what you may have heard. While most attribute their hair growth to the use of biotin, in actuality, there are not a lot of studies out there that support this notion. However, that’s not to say that biotin doesn’t do wonder for your hair in general. Because it is a water-soluble vitamin, it helps make your hair both appear and feel healthier.

The best part about biotin is that you don’t even have to take a lot. Just using the minimum recommended value of 2500 mg gives you some of the benefits that you’re wanting. Now, if you do decide to hop on the biotin train, understand that too much of a good thing is not always good for you. Biotin has been known to give some its users a bad case of acne. This does not happen to everyone. But if it’s going to happen to you, you’ll usually notice within the first seven days of taking it.  

If you do break out into acne, a couple of different things could be happening to your body. One is that you could just not be drinking enough water. More vitamins means more fluids needed to allow the vitamin to synthesize correctly in your system. If you can chug at least a gallon a day, you’ll be in great shape! Another thing that could be occurring is an allergic reaction. No matter how much you want to reap the benefits of biotin, do not risk your health just to get more luxurious looking hair. It’ll only hurt you in the long run. The last explanation for an acne outbreak from taking biotin is that you’re taking a knock off version of the real thing. Although this isn’t common, we definitely can’t dismiss it as not being a possibility. While there is nothing wrong with being frugal about how you spend your coins, make sure you do you research and check the nutrition label on these products that claim to contain biotin.  Some will scream biotin, but use something else in its place. Also, pay attention to reviews. If other customers are saying it’s crap…it just might not be best for you. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about that with Shedavi products. Only the best is put into our products which guarantees you amazing results!

What does biotin do for hair ?

We’ve discussed a little bit about what biotin does for your hair. Let’s get a little deeper into how it works specifically. Have you ever heard of the protein called keratin? In a nut shell, keratin is responsible for making your hair both stronger and elastic (aka able to snap back into place). Supposedly, biotin helps to produce keratin, which makes sense why people have had great results from taking it. With stronger hair comes less resilience to break off. Remember, reducing breakage and excess shedding is vital for growing long healthy locks.

Best Ways to Get Biotin

So, have we convinced you that you should be reaping the benefits of biotin yet? If you want to get the most out of it, the simplest way is to take biotin pills or vitamins that contain a good bit in it. Iconic Hair Growth Vitamins are a great way to get the recommended dose of biotin into your system. Like we mentioned earlier, just drink a good bit of water throughout the day so that it reacts well to your body. Also, you don’t want to make yourself sick by ingesting too much biotin, or any vitamin for that matter, at once.

Although taking vitamins or pills is the most common way, you can also add biotin to your hair care regime by using products like oil or shampoo that contain it. This works best for those who may sometimes have a hard time remembering to take the vitamin every day.

Not a big fan of taking vitamins or using products but still want to get some biotin benefits? We have a solution for you. Vitamin b7 is yet another way of saying biotin. When people talk about food, they use the term vitamin b7, whereas when they speak of skin, hair, or nails, they use the term biotin. With this in mind, you can look at your diet and see how you can naturally incorporate foods that are rich in vitamin b7.

Take a look at some of the most common below:

• Salmon
• Yeast
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Mushrooms
• Cauliflower
• Raspberries
• Peanuts
• Whole-wheat bread
• Cheddar cheese
• Pork
• Egg yolk

Now, you’ve learned a good bit about biotin and how it can help aid you in your hair journey. Use this knowledge and let us know how biotin worked for you in the comments.

Authored by Bianca Scott