The Ultimate Hair Growth Solution?: Biotin for Hair Growth
Eager to grow out your hair? Perhaps you feel like your hair is lacking the volume and shine that it once used to have when you were younger? If you’ve spent time researching the various hair loss solutions and read up on tips on the various natural hair growth treatment options available, you’re sure to have come across the long list of vitamins and supplements that can supposedly tackle common hair and scalp concerns. Of the various vitamins that might have popped up on your search results page, Biotin would have been pretty inescapable. But what is Biotin, and do the glowing reviews and claims about this vitamin really live up to its reputation?
What is Biotin?
Forget the fact that Biotin is sometimes called Vitamin H or coenzyme. It is a water-soluble B vitamin, and is naturally present in some foods, and of course, included in some supplements. Just like all other B vitamins, this is a crucial vitamin that aids the body in converting carbohydrates in our food into glucose for energy, and can also help the body metabolise fats and protein. While it is rare for an individual to be deficient in Biotin, a deficiency in it can lead to some symptoms like hair loss, nail problems, or dry scaly skin.
What is Biotin Good For?
Biotin specifically helps keep our skin, hair, eyes, liver and nervous system healthy. It is also said that Biotin plays a key role in protein synthesis, more specifically, in keratin production. And as we all know by now, keratin helps form the tissues of our hair, nail and the outer layer of the skin. Therefore, by helping produce keratin, it is thought that Biotin will increase the elasticity of the hair’s cortex, preventing breakage and hair loss as a result.
But here’s the catch — while Biotin is clearly critical for bodily functions, there are not many quality studies done evaluating the advantages of it, especially in terms of evidence demonstrating the benefit of supplementation.
Does Biotin Really Help Your Hair Grow?
Be it on Instagram or through a Google search, Biotin is often served up as the hair growth and nail health holy grail. But why? Is it the fact that our bodies are unable to produce it naturally that has led to its mass popularity? Or is it due to a range of supplement makers adding it into their products that make people assume that they’re missing out on something good?
As mentioned, there is very little evidence from a controlled clinical study that suggests that taking Biotin supplements improves thinning or the loss of hair. If there are any at all, they all come from anecdotal data. This throws into question whether Biotin will truly help with hair growth and can serve as a proper alternative to hair growth treatments.
While it is true that Biotin is often combined with other micronutrients like zinc and medication like topical clobetasol to treat Alopecia Areata, as stated, this is done in combination with other medications and supplements, and under medical supervision. So, unless you do suffer from an actual Biotin deficiency, our guess is that supplementation might not aid in hair growth.
Regrowing Thinning Hair
Even though Biotin supplements may have been over glamorised as the go-to and most accessible treatment for hair loss, there are other options regulated by the Health Sciences Authority in Singapore and governed by the Health Products Act. For example, oral and topical medications like Minoxidil are known to stimulate follicular growth, promoting hair growth as a result.
Regain Confidence with Our Hair Clinic in Singapore
Before you dive head first and start adding a wide range of supplements and products that promise speedy hair growth to your shopping cart, it is best to seek the advice of medical professionals on the best treatment options available. At Sage Medical, we have a team of qualified hair specialists who will examine your condition to determine the right hair growth treatment. Our hair loss clinic also makes available a range of hair loss treatments, including topical therapeutic products.
Contact us today to book an appointment at our hair clinic in Singapore.