Biotin: Does it really help grow a beard?

Should you use biotin for your beard?

Biotin (Vitamin H) is a water-soluble vitamin that is actually a part of the vitamin B family. Your body requires biotin to help convert nutrients into energy, but in this case, it plays a major role in the health of your hair, skin, and nails. But should you take more than what your body already produces? Let's dive in.

 

From Natural Sources

As I always recommend: proper diet and hydration are important to beard care, yet so underrated. While you can purchase biotin in the form of a supplement, you can also obtain biotin naturally through diet. Major sources come from animal proteins such as beef, chicken, eggs, and salmon. However, smaller amounts are also found in foods like nuts, bananas, and broccoli. Having a well-rounded diet, while mixing in great sources of biotin and proteins, will ensure that you are helping maximize the growth of your beard.

 

Dosing and Effects

While a common high dose of 5,000-10,000 mcg of biotin is taken, there are a few things that you need to understand before going down that path yourself. First, and foremost, biotin will increase the rate in which your hair will grow, but not grow in areas hair does not already grow. This is important. However, while patchy beards will not be filled in with biotin, growing out the beard with thicker hair follicles due to biotin can help blend everything together. This comes at a price to some, however. Not only will your nails grow faster, but the hair all over your body will too. Some people have also reported under high doses of biotin to get acne if not hydrated well enough. Obviously an easy way to counter this is... to be well hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help counter the excess of oils generated by the skin due to the increase of biotin being consumed and you should be fine.

 

TLDR:

If you plan to take a biotin supplement for your beard, take it to increase the rate of growth and the health of it, not to grow hair where it doesn't already grow. Stay well hydrated in the process and expect your nails to grow insanely fast.