You might have heard about using biotin to help your hair grow fuller and longer. But perhaps you are a bit skeptical of a magical pill that can help your hair- it almost sounds too good to be true. Is it safe to take biotin for hair loss and if so, how much should you take? Biotin supplements usually come in doses of 1000 mcg or 5000 mcg
First of all, let’s talk about what biotin is and what it does. Biotin is a member of the B-vitamin family known as Vitamin B7 that helps with cell growth and blood sugar maintenance. It has been proven to help hair grow stronger and longer and it also helps strengthen your nails.
If you are wondering if biotin is safe, consider this: you already have biotin in your body! Yes, that’s right- your intestines naturally produce biotin every day and your body uses it. The problem occurs when you do not have enough of it. A lack of biotin in the body can actually cause hair loss, not only from your scalp but also eyelashes and eyebrows. Some conditions that might make your body produce less biotin than normal include extreme exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, pregnancy, lactation, seizure disorders, and old age. Not only is biotin safe, it is also natural and you already have some in your body. But like all vitamins, sometimes you need to give your body a boost.
Biotin is so safe that doctors recommend it to both children and adults who are suffering from hair loss and other skin conditions on the scalp such as eczema and cradle cap. So how much biotin is safe to take for hair loss? Can you take too much biotin? There aren’t any known adverse reactions to taking large amounts, but use good sense. It’s not necessary to take very large amounts of biotin to have effects on your hair, mostly because your body produces some anyway, but even if you suspect you may have a biotin deficiency, you still don’t need to go overboard. If you take a multivitamin, check the label because many multivitamins contain biotin so perhaps you are already taking it.
Some people take up to 5000 mcg of biotin hair growth vitamins daily but that should really be the maximum to work up to if smaller dosages don’t work. Many people start with around 1000 mcg daily and wait about a month before deciding whether to adjust the dosage. Click to find reviews and good prices on 5000 mcg biotin
Check out our biotin reviews page to see some safe options that we recommend if you want to take biotin for hair loss.
Hi Maria, Im Malyn from the Philippines. I just bought biotin earlier because I noticed I have lots of falling hair. Im not really sure how much to take since I read from other websites that you can take up to 5000 mcg but I think its too much. Thanks to your article, now I’ll start with 1000 mcg daily, and hopefully I’ll see results within a month before I decide if I have to increase the intake or not. Thanks again! Good day!
Hi Malyn,
I definitely think you are taking the right approach. You could very well find that 1000 mcg is all you need. It’s very individual and has to do with age, body composition, diet, and many other factors. Why take any more than is necessary? Let me know how it works for you. Glad I could help. Thanks for your comment!
Great information! I am suffering from hair loss due to wearing weave extensions. I have been taking biotin 1000 mcg for two weeks now. I am weave free and looking forward to the results. After one month I will start to take one in the morning and one in the evening. Keep up the great work.
Biotin is really good. My hair is natural and I have been taking this hair pill that contains biotin that works really well in just two weeks I’ve seen results my hair have grown at least a inch longer.I am satisfy.
Hi Lisa,
I am sorry to hear about your hair loss from your hair weave. This is unfortunately common with hair extensions. I am glad to hear that biotin has been working well for you. Please keep us updated on your progress!
Maria
Hi Alisha,
I am so glad to hear that you’ve seen such dramatic results from using biotin! It would be great if you could update us in a few months to see how things are going with your hair. Thanks for your comment.
Maria
I’ve been taking Target’s Women’s Daily multivitamin which contains 30 mcg of Biotin, but I was wondering if it would be OK to take a 1000 mcg Biotin pill as well as the multivitamin daily.
Help?
Thanks,
Lizzie
hello to whom it may concern
lately i have been lossing hair. its falling like 100-200 every time i brush or wash.
is it ok to take biotin? does it have side effect
if yes i can take it than how much
pls reply me thanks bunch
Hi Lizzie,
In principle, that seems fine and I know a lot of people out there do exactly that. If you do have reservations, I’d suggest gradually increasing the amount of biotin you take. First you could try to add maybe 500 mcg and if everything goes well, you could continue increasing. You may even find that 500 mcg is enough. If you have health concerns, I suggest asking a pharmacist to be on the safe side. Sending long hair vibes your way!
-Maria
Hi Hina,
Yes, it is okay to take biotin if your hair is falling out and most people won’t experience any side effects. Start with a smaller dose and everything goes well, you can eventually take more. If you have any health problems, check with a pharmacist or doctor first. You might also want to rule out hormonal causes of your hair loss- did you recently have a baby or experience some other hormonal change? That can cause the sudden loss you are experiencing.
It sounds like you are losing a lot of hair from brushing or washing, so I would also suggest that you treat your hair very gently. What kind of brush are you using? Look for one with coated bristles that is gentle and try to keep your hair brushing to a minimum.
Best of luck in your quest for longer hair!
-Maria
Hello! I am 19 years old and have been experiencing early hair loss at the age of 15. My
hair started to get thinner and thinner as the years went by. I was wondering if Biotin
is the right way to go to improve hair stimulation, as well as to regrow my thinning hair?
Does it also make a teen break out?
Thank you (:
I’m 16 years old & I have issues with anemia. My doctor noticed my hair isn’t near as thick and dark as it used to be (I’m hispanice- I normally I have TONS of hair) & she has me on a 5000 mcg Biotin For Hair/Skin/Nails & a multivitamin from Herbal Life. How long does it take with a 5000 mcg + a multivitamin, to see effects?
Hi Melissa,
I think that with that combination, you should notice some improvement in about three weeks to a month, with further improvement as more time passes. I am glad to hear you are following your doctor’s advice. Best of luck to you and keep us posted on your progress!
-Maria
Hi Val,
I think you should notice some improvement with biotin. Start with a small dose. Because you are so young, you might also want to check with your doctor to rule out other causes of your hair loss. It could be something hormonal. Biotin should not make you break out. Good luck.
-Maria
I am trying conceive, is it safe to take Biotin?
Hi Misty,
Generally speaking, yes. In fact, biotin is included in most prenatal vitamins that doctors recommend people take when trying to conceive. However, I wouldn’t take more than the amount your prenatal vitamin already includes and be sure to talk to your doctor first to make sure there aren’t any issues specific to your particular health. Best of luck trying to conceive!
Maria
Hi
I’m currently in my twenties, with no chance of getting pregnant. I used to have really thick hair, and I hated it. For the past two years I’ve been bleaching and colouring my hair, putting tons of layers in, and straightening my hair mostly daily. My hair has recently just stopped growing just went I finally got out of that phase, and I want my long thick hair back. Yesterday I bought Nature’s Bounty Biotin pilss, 1000 mcg, and I took three at dinner time, and I did the same today. Was this the right thing to do? How many should I been taking, and at what times throught the day?
I’d really appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Thanks, Kathy.
Hi. I’ve been taking
5000 mcg Biotin and 1500 mcg of B12 a day for over a month, and I have not notice any significant change should I increase my dose or add more vitamins?
My seven year old daughter’s hair simply doesnt seem to grow. She gets regular trims and it appears her hair will grow and the ends are dead by the time we go back for a trim and the same amount that has grown has to be cut off. With this it appears that it never really grows much. Initially I wasnt concerned but as she grows, its becoming a huge issue for her and of some concern to me. I take biotin and it works great for me. Can she take it and if so, how much? She gets about 50mcg in her multivitamin.
I am sure your daughter’s hair loss is very traumatic for her and your concern is understandable. However, as a mother, I would never give any type of medication, vitamin, or supplement to my child without first talking to her pediatrician. At that age, hair loss is very unusual and could indicate some other type of medical problem. It’s definitely something you should bring up with her doctor. Let me know how it turns out!
I am not a professional and I can’t recommend going above 5000 mcg. I would think if that amount is not helping, then biotin deficiency is probably not the cause of your hair loss and you need to look for other possible causes. I suggest talking to your doctor about possible medical causes for your hair loss and while you’re there, ask for his or her opinion on a safe amount of biotin for your particular case.
Hi Kathy, First, although I have researched these vitamins a lot, I am not a doctor so I am not qualified to tell you how much you should take. I tend to be conservative so I would have started with just one per day to see if it was enough to have an effect and then increased it after a while if nothing happened. It’s better to take it with meals.
To whom it may concern,
I have always had very thick hair and it used to be straight, smooth, and shiny.
I starte to use straighteners n hair dryers as part of the fad n my hair got verybrittle. But this was 6 yrs ago and all thar hairhas been cut but my hair is still coming out brittle from the roots. Will biotin help to internally restore my hair to its original quality?
In your case, biotin may help. You could also look into Vitamin E. While you are trying to solve the problem internally, I highly recommend applying coconut oil to your hair in very small amounts to make it look smooth and shiny again. It works wonders on my frizzy brittle hair! It’s easy to overdo it though… just a little bit towards the ends on damp hair. Good luck!
Hi Maria,
I just got to know about boitin today and i wondering is there a age limit to take the tablets. I am 33 now and been losing hair after pregnancy. Should i take boitin or not.
thanks
Mariam
Hi,
My daughter cut her own hair and really really messed up her bangs. How much biotin is safe for a 3 year old
Hi Maria! I have been reading on biotin for the last 2 weeks and your link turned out to be the best I found. I bought the GNC 300 together with the shampoo and the conditioner. My hair used to be really thick, shiny and straight. Now it’s thinning and dry. I don’t even brush my hair anymore since I’m I’m afraid that I will lose more hair! My question is, how many mcgs can I start with? I took 2(300)= 600 this morning. Reading on other links, I’m surprised that the others take as much as 5,000 to 10,000 a day! Im wondering now if my dosage of a total of 600mcg will just be a waste of time? Can I take another 600mcg tonight? To make that a total of 1200mcg a day? I’m 41 years old. I go to the gym 2-3x a week and have regular circuit training together with my cardio. With this, do you suggest that I take more? Many many thanks for your reply!:)
Hi!
i’m just wondering, where can i buy this product (biotin)? is it available here in the Philippines?
thanks.
katkat
Please don’t give any biotin to your child unless her doctor specifically instructs you to do so.
HI Mariam,
There is no upper age limit but supplements should not be given to children. Post-partum hair loss is perfectly normal and biotin can help. However, this type of hair loss is only temporary. You will probably shed a lot of hair for a month or two and then things should go back to normal as your hormones balance out. I have gone through this twice and lost a scary amount of hair both times but it did eventually stop. Good luck!
Biotin is a widely available vitamin. Look for it in pharmacies, drug stores, health food stores, or anywhere else you might normally purchase vitamins. If you can’t find it in supplement form, just start eating more of the foods that contain biotin.
hi,
i hav a 8 months old baby i hav lost lot of hair and even the texture is gone plz suggest what should i do n how can i get great hair
thx
This is completely normal. Most women will experience hair loss post-partum. I know it’s really scary when you see all that hair in your shower drain but don’t panic. Biotin can help get you through this time but as your hormones level off and go back to pre-pregnancy levels, your hair loss should stop and your hair will go back to normal even if you do nothing at all. I am planning a post specifically about this topic very soon so check back!
My mother tried to get me to use biotin a few years ago. Of course at that time being a 17 year old I would forget to take it everyday so slowly I just stopped. Im 21 now and my mothers hair looks amazing and is so healthy. So, now I’ve decided to stick with it! I take 2 1000 mcg pills a day (morning and night). I started 2 weeks ago so I am excited to see the change in a few months!
Hi. I’ve been noticing a lot of shedding and breaking of my hair over the last 2 months due to over processing from a bad relaxer in November as well as heat damage. Started taking Biotin 1000mcg a week ago and went to a different stylist who cut off most of my hair. Hoping to see improvements in my hair with less shedding and wanted to know if I should increase my Biotin intake to twice a day or possibly add Pre Natal vitamins as my husband and I are looking to conceive soon. Any suggestions for the hair vitamin issue?
I’ve been desperate to grow my hair for months (It’s been the same length for years). I’ve changed my hair products to sulfate-free shampoos, to using water based moisturizers, to sealing with oils, use heat rarely, and I haven’t chemically treated my hair in about a month (perms, I’m stretching them out) Hopefully, this will give me a extra push. I’m going to start the 1000 mcg soon
I thank you, lol
I lost a considerablely large amount of hair in May 2011 from wearing extensions sew into my hair. I began takin biotin in August 2011 because it was suggested by my daughter’s hair stylist. By the end of November, I noticed that the spot on my scalp that hair no hair, had about an inch in a half of growth. I also noticed that my nails are now growing and I no longer wear acrylics. Biotin has really changed my life. Since then I have cut my hair really short and am loving the results. I still take the Biotin, but have only been taking 2000mcg instead of the 5000 that I was taking. I get my hair done every week because it is short and cannot maintain it on my own now. I recommend biotin to anyone who wants long healthy hair. Just remember not to add as little heat as possible.