What are the side effects of Biotin Hair Supplements?

Biotin is one of the essential vitamins you need for healthy hair — but are there any side effects of biotin that could mess with your health? In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know.

What is Biotin?

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water soluble vitamin that helps create energy in the body. It breaks down the protein in the food we eat and turns it into different amino acids; some of which form keratin.

Keratin is the main building block of hair, meaning that biotin is a necessary co-factor for hair to form — but it’s not a one-stop shop.

Biotin has been a go-to supplement for beauty since it was discovered to help strengthen brittle nails and hair.

However, the research on exactly how and why biotin is so good for our beauty is insufficient.

Mainly, it has been proven to have benefits for our hair, skin, and nails through observations and single studies, rather than repeated, double-blind clinical trials.

But as long as the effects are visible and not harmful, people will continue to buy biotin supplements.

Unfortunately, most of these supplements include unwanted sugar and food additives and have biotin in excessive doses.

I’m sure your wondering ” Can I overdose on biotin” ?

“What happens when I overdose on biotin ” ?

Possible sides effects of Biotin

According to health-line possible signs of a biotin overdose include slower release of insulin, skin rashes, lower vitamin C and B6 levels, and high blood sugar levels. 

There are some cases where certain dietary or other habits have caused a deficiency of biotin. Studies Trusted Source have found that women who smoke can increase the metabolism of biotin in their bodies and cause a deficiency.

Common symptoms of a biotin deficiency include:

• hair loss or thinning
• high cholesterol
• rash on the skin
• heart problems

Precautions

Some people are sensitive to biotin and may not be able to use it as a supplement.

If you suffer from kidney disease, are a smoker, or have had stomach surgery, it’s important to consult with your physician before using biotin.

That precaution naturally applies for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or anyone taking medications.

Additionally, taking excessive biotin (dosages 10-30mg) from supplements can cause some, but not all, lab test results to be either falsely increased or decreased, leading healthcare practitioners to misdiagnose and mistreat their patients.

Follow your physician’s recommendations when discontinuing biotin to ensure test result accuracy.

What Supplements Do Work For Hair Growth?

Hairgeniks is a dermatologist-supported supplement containing natural ingredients (including lower doses of biotin) that work together to achieve your hair goals. Research shows that biotin alone is not enough to get great hair; it’s just one piece of the puzzle. 

Hair health depends on a variety of factors, such as vitamin and mineral intake, exercise, hydration, sleep, stress, gut health, and hormone balance. Hairgeniks is clinically tested and shown to improve hair wellness (hair growth, thickness, shine, texture, and strength).