Taking Biotin for Hair Loss: What You Should Know By Robert True on June 06, 2019

A table top covered in pillsTrue & Dorin offers the latest surgical and non-surgical hair loss treatment options, including advanced hair transplant surgery. Yet patients are often looking for surgical alternatives to treat hair loss. In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in the supplement down as biotin when it comes to treating hair loss.

Many patients in the NYC and Long Island, NY area have asked Dr. Robert H. True and Dr. Robert J. Dorin about the effectiveness of biotin. We’d like to take a moment to go over some of the basics of biotin, including the claims of effectiveness and whether or not this vitamin actually works.

What Is Biotin?

Biotin is a type of B complex vitamin that is also known as vitamin H and vitamin B7. It’s found in many kinds of meats, particularly beef liver, though it can also be found in salmon, eggs, nuts and seeds, avocados, and sweet potatoes.

Biotin is essentially a B complex vitamin supplement. Vitamin H is a key player in proper metabolizing fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose, turning the fats, carbs, and protein you ingest into energy to keep your body functioning properly.

How Does Biotin Claim to Work?

There have been many major claims about biotin’s ability to improve the function and health of the body. Biotin is essential for healthy growth of skin, nails, and hair. By taking biotin, the claims suggest, patients can experience varying degrees of hair growth and reduced hair loss.

Patients in Long Island have probably read these claims about biotin already. Now we have to look deeper into those claims and find out if biotin really works as a treatment for baldness and hair thinning.

Is Biotin an Effective Treatment for Balding and Hair Thinning?

That depends.

If your hair loss is linked to a biotin deficiency, then biotin will likely be effective at promoting hair growth and promoting further hair loss. However, if your hair loss is the result of male pattern balding, biotin may not be so effective. Male pattern baldness is genetic in nature, and linked to your sensitivity to the dihydrotestosterone (DHT). While biotin has many health benefits, it cannot rewrite your genes or alter your scalp’s response to DHT.

So while taking biotin may not necessarily hurt if you suffer from hair loss or hair thinning, there is a chance that taking biotin supplements won’t necessarily help either. It could be great for other aspects of your health and wellness, so keep in mind that balding isn’t the only factor to consider when it comes to taking biotin.

How Common Is Biotin Deficiency?

Biotin deficiency is quite rare. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the inherited disorder known as biotinidase deficiency only affects about 1 in 60,000 newborns.

Again, while taking biotin for your hair loss may not be bad, it may not be the best treatment for your situation.

Other Options for Hair Restoration

If taking biotin supplements isn’t a good option to treat your hair loss, we have plenty of other treatments worth considering. We can discuss surgical and non-surgical hair loss treatments with you in more detail during a consultation. If you’re in New York City or Long Island, you are more than welcome at our office. Our surgeons look forward to your visit and listening to your concerns.

Learn More About Treating Hair Loss

For more information about treating hair loss and looking your best, be sure to contact the hair restoration surgery specialists at our practice. You can schedule a consultation at True & Dorin Medical Group by calling (866) 629-0866.

Related to This

Dr. Dorin

The Hair Loss Doctors
By Robert J. Dorin

At The Hair Loss Doctors with our Surgical Headquarters in Garden City, NY and clinics in Manhattan, NY; Boston, MA; and Short Hills, NJ, Dr. Robert J. Dorin helps men and women reverse the effects of hair loss through various surgical and non-surgical treatments including Follicular Unit Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction. Our Founder & Medical Director is affiliated with:

  • The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery
  • The American Board of Restoration Surgery
  • The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
  • The American Osteopathic Association

For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us online or call (212) 826-2525.

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