We all want long, thick, and healthy hair, right? But, whilst some of us are blessed with bountiful locks, others have to try a bit harder to achieve lustful, healthy hair. For others, they can find that their hair starts to thin and they can experience serious hair loss.

But help is at hand. There is variety of hair loss solutions available, including biotin supplements. Over recent years, biotin supplements have earned reputation for offering an effective treatment for hair loss and hair thinning, promoting hair growth and healthy hair.

But what exactly is biotin? And is it safe?

What is biotin?

Biotin is water-soluble vitamin that’s part of the vitamin B family. Also known as vitamin H and vitamin B7, biotin is used by the body to convert certain nutrients into useful energy.

Biotin also plays a central role in keeping hair, skin, and nails healthy.

Sources of biotin…

Biotin occurs naturally within a number of different foods. Biotin rich foods include organ meats, egg yolks, nuts, soybeans, whole grains, bananas, cauliflower, and mushrooms.

It’s important to note that heat can reduce the efficiency of biotin, so to increase your biotin intake, you should opt for raw or minimally processed dishes. Many people also choose to increase their biotin levels using biotin supplements for hair loss.

How does biotin help hair loss and hair growth?

Our hair is predominantly made up of a protein called keratin. Biotin works by enhancing the body’s keratin infrastructure. Biotin is a long term solution and most people won’t see significant results for several weeks or even months after increasing their biotin intake.

Is biotin safe?

As a naturally occurring vitamin, biotin is relatively safe and there are no known concerns associated with it.

Of course, like any supplement, excessive consumption of biotin can cause negative side effects, however, it’s unlikely that you will be able to consume enough that this will happen.

Because biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, any extra biotin in your body will automatically be flushed out when you go to the toilet. This makes a potential overdose extremely unlikely.

Most people can take biotin without experiencing any side effects, however minor side effects do occasionally occur, including nausea, cramping, and diarrhoea. However it’s important to note that these are incredibly rare.

To reduce the likelihood of experiencing side effects, try to take your biotin supplements with food.

To summarise, biotin is a safe, healthy and natural way to help prevent and treat hair loss. Biotin supplements are safe and effective, although like any other supplement, they should be taken in moderation and in conjunction with a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet.