I have decided to start using biotin (which is a b vitamin) to try and grow my hair faster. My hair is currently in a mid range phase and I'm getting annoyed by how long it's taking to get long. I have heard plenty of anecdotal evidence that claims biotin can help speed hair growth, but I don't know if that's just the impact of effective marketing tricking people into thinking it works. I imagine any effects it has is much smaller than the typical hype. Still, I want to give it a shot. So, has anyone tried it? If so, do you feel it worked?
Thanks.
I've tried it - it helps but only slighty.
On its own its kinda useless but it does help a little, with the skin, nails and the hair. :)
Havent tried it in a while since starting HRT. Maybe combined with HRT it might be more effective?
But I dunno I don't have the money to spend on meds apart from my HRT so it might take some time before I know for myself...
Sorry to bounce the question but has anyone tried it along with HRT?
I take a 1,000 mcg biotin pill every day. Can't hurt, not sure if it works. My nails grow long and strong, my hair has always grown like weeds. (For clarity, not my hair in the avatar)
What's good for changing a male hairline, HRT? Or is there another method? I'd like something to do both, change my hairline AND increase the growth rate. I have naturally curly hair and it sucks.
When I was taking 5,000mcg of Biotin, I didn't notice a huge difference with my hair, but my nails became DIAMONDS - when I tried cutting them (around 1" long by then), they broke my clippers right in half! I tried upping my dosage to 7,500mcg to see what kind of effect it would have, and I ended up shedding hair like crazy. Seriously, I thought I was balding! I'd be untangling, notice a few loose hairs, and BAM! Thirty hairs sitting in my hand. Scary stuff :o
As with anything medical, YMMV. I can say it does wonders for developing lovely nails, though!
So i asked my sister who is a cosmetologist, and yes Biotin will help.....but you have to get a dose of at least 5,000mcg and you have to take them twice a day. I have found since it helps your body process protein more efficiently sadly if your vegetarian or vegan the plant based proteins won't be enough. If your normal person and eat meat, take the biotin either before or after meals and you will see results. My results were so phenomenal i had to stop taking it because when i was working i couldn't afford to constantly be coloring my hair because of how fast it was growing.
I usually took mine with breakfast and dinner just cuz it was easier and i didn't have to explain what i was taking to my boss (i used to work in factories so safety was a major concern.)
I hope in the end the 10,000mcg helps you out like it helped me.
Quote from: kariann330 on May 12, 2013, 05:22:09 PM
So i asked my sister who is a cosmetologist, and yes Biotin will help.....but you have to get a dose of at least 5,000mcg and you have to take them twice a day. I have found since it helps your body process protein more efficiently sadly if your vegetarian or vegan the plant based proteins won't be enough. If your normal person and eat meat, take the biotin either before or after meals and you will see results. My results were so phenomenal i had to stop taking it because when i was working i couldn't afford to constantly be coloring my hair because of how fast it was growing.
I usually took mine with breakfast and dinner just cuz it was easier and i didn't have to explain what i was taking to my boss (i used to work in factories so safety was a major concern.)
I hope in the end the 10,000mcg helps you out like it helped me.
Well, I am a vegetarian and there is no way I can eat meat. The thought of doing so again would be too difficult for me as it has been years. Is there any particular reason why the protein source matters? I can't see why it would be too problematic as long as I also make sure my other b vitamin levels are sufficient. Well, I will try anyway. I just bought some 5,000 mcg pills, so maybe I will try taking two a day.
Quote from: learningtolive on May 12, 2013, 06:21:37 PM
Well, I am a vegetarian and there is no way I can eat meat. The thought of doing so again would be too difficult for me as it has been years. Is there any particular reason why the protein source matters? I can't see why it would be too problematic as long as I also make sure my other b vitamin levels are sufficient. Well, I will try anyway. I just bought some 5,000 mcg pills, so maybe I will try taking two a day.
As long as your diet provides you all of the essential amino acids, the actual source of protein should not make any difference. If you are including eggs and / or milk products in your diet (which I assume you are, as a vegetarian), then you're getting everything anyway. :)
Quote from: Theo on May 12, 2013, 06:26:18 PM
As long as your diet provides you all of the essential amino acids, the actual source of protein should not make any difference. If you are including eggs and / or milk products in your diet (which I assume you are, as a vegetarian), then you're getting everything anyway. :)
Well, I try to be as vegan as possible. I really avoid eggs and milk as much as I can. I am a bit of an animal rights hippie,lol. Still, I do cheat and don't fully commit to the vegan lifestyle. So, you can call me a vegatarian if that makes sense.
Nonetheless, I do my best to get protein so I guess it isn't an issue.
I'm in the process of trying it right now. I've been using it for about 2 weeks and haven't noticed much yet. I take one 10,000 mcg pill every morning right after breakfast.
I have been taking them for almost two months, to me it seems like my hair is growing slightly faster. but that is everywhere on the body. That means I have to shave more often.
Quote from: learningtolive on May 12, 2013, 02:26:49 PM
I have decided to start using biotin (which is a b vitamin) to try and grow my hair faster. My hair is currently in a mid range phase and I'm getting annoyed by how long it's taking to get long. I have heard plenty of anecdotal evidence that claims biotin can help speed hair growth, but I don't know if that's just the impact of effective marketing tricking people into thinking it works. I imagine any effects it has is much smaller than the typical hype. Still, I want to give it a shot. So, has anyone tried it? If so, do you feel it worked?
Thanks.
I currently use a supplement called "Viviscal," which contains Biotin as part of its formulation.
Vitamin C - 59 mg
Niacin - 12 mg
Biotin - 120 mcg
Iron - 10 mg
Zinc - 11 mg
AminoMar Marine Complex - 450 mg
Horsetail (stem) extract - 36.7 mg
Millet seed extract - 7.5 mg
"AminoMar Marine Complex" is derived from shark and molluscs
I tried it and stopped immediately when I noticed body hair growing in areas I never had body hair before, I noticed my thin little blonde hairs on my body turning darker. I was never a hairy person and I wasn't going to start now. Just be careful and know you have been warned. You will Probably be shaving more too
Quote from: learningtolive on May 12, 2013, 06:21:37 PM
Well, I am a vegetarian and there is no way I can eat meat. The thought of doing so again would be too difficult for me as it has been years. Is there any particular reason why the protein source matters? I can't see why it would be too problematic as long as I also make sure my other b vitamin levels are sufficient. Well, I will try anyway. I just bought some 5,000 mcg pills, so maybe I will try taking two a day.
Nuts, yogurt, and beans are great sources of protein for us non-carnivores. ;)
Quote from: kasihnya on May 12, 2013, 11:39:43 PM
I have been taking them for almost two months, to me it seems like my hair is growing slightly faster. but that is everywhere on the body. That means I have to shave more often.
Quote from: Yennifer on May 13, 2013, 10:50:32 AM
I tried it and stopped immediately when I noticed body hair growing in areas I never had body hair before, I noticed my thin little blonde hairs on my body turning darker. I was never a hairy person and I wasn't going to start now. Just be careful and know you have been warned. You will Probably be shaving more too
This does not bode too well then. I guess I will use this for the short term and stop once I am happy with the progress. Body hair has always been one of the worst parts of my body dysphoria.
Quote from: JennX on May 13, 2013, 10:59:42 AM
Nuts, yogurt, and beans are great sources of protein for us non-carnivores. ;)
Yay, another vegetarian girl on the board :)
Protein from soya beans is the most complete and closest to animal protein. That's why tofu is pretty good for it.
I thought about going vegetarian, but to get enough Omega 3 fat in my diet I need to eat oily fish. Omega 3 from just vegetables won't convert to enough of the quality you need.
I'm very late to this Biotin party, but I wanted to say that I started taking a hair and nail supplement that contains Biotin at the beginning of Dec. In Aug, about 12 months into hrt I noticed that my hair started shedding. My T and E levels were fine, and I was considering going on Finasteride. About 10 days to two weeks into taking the supplement, I noticed that my hair loss was appreciably slowing. Now, it seems to have stopped altogether. It could be coincidence. I had just separated from my spouse in Aug., and stress might have caused the hair loss. But I'm not going to stop taking the supplement anytime soon.
I'm not sure if it will help with regrowth, but not shedding will give cycling hair a chance to catch up.
Oh, and I'm only taking 2000 mcg a day. I only take 2/3 the recommended dose.
In Belgium, we sell a product rich in vitamin B. it will appeal to beer yeast. It is made with yeast Trappist Chimay. I do not know if we can get them out of belgium and it is used from mother to daughter for many years.
Wow, weird to see this thread return, lol. In any case, I've been taking biotin since the initial post. My hair has grown in substantially (shoulder length at this point) which makes it much easier to style. Unfortunately, I need to straighten and blowdry my hair almost everyday. The only downside to biotin is that I've seen body hair grow back quicker, but this was tempered by hrt and no longer an issue. At the time of this post, I wasn't on hormones (just in case I mentioned any of that before). So weird to revisit the past, lol.
Hi, I was just researching and wanted to post the (so-far) success. I haven't had increased body hair yet. But if I do, that can be zapped or shaved (unless it's really bad). I didn't quite think my little success was worth a new thread, although the original post about hair regrowth certainly is!
Quote from: learningtolive on May 12, 2013, 02:26:49 PM
I have decided to start using biotin (which is a b vitamin) to try and grow my hair faster. My hair is currently in a mid range phase and I'm getting annoyed by how long it's taking to get long. I have heard plenty of anecdotal evidence that claims biotin can help speed hair growth, but I don't know if that's just the impact of effective marketing tricking people into thinking it works. I imagine any effects it has is much smaller than the typical hype. Still, I want to give it a shot. So, has anyone tried it? If so, do you feel it worked?
Thanks.
I'm taking biotin. It's really impossible to tell if it's helping, but it is an important vitamin for hair health, so it should theoretically help.
Quote from: learningtolive on May 12, 2013, 06:21:37 PM
Well, I am a vegetarian and there is no way I can eat meat. The thought of doing so again would be too difficult for me as it has been years. Is there any particular reason why the protein source matters? I can't see why it would be too problematic as long as I also make sure my other b vitamin levels are sufficient. Well, I will try anyway. I just bought some 5,000 mcg pills, so maybe I will try taking two a day.
It doesn't matter. You can get complete proteins from plant sources.
Quote from: kariann330 on May 12, 2013, 05:22:09 PM
I have found since it helps your body process protein more efficiently sadly if your vegetarian or vegan the plant based proteins won't be enough. If your normal person and eat meat, take the biotin either before or after meals and you will see results.
How are vegetarians not "normal"?
I used to..
But since I've become a vegetarian I dont really need to supplement a lot. I would say it def helps with hair health!
Noted earlier in the topic, I was taking a supplement (with no visible results), so I have moved over to finasteride.
yes i had a really ugly cut a couple years ago from too much damage from flat ironing, so i cut my hair two inches past my chin, by april it was two inches past my shoulders now it's at boob length, but you have to take it with other vitamins as well. i took biotin 10,000 MCG, vitamin e, and msm, use those and your hair will grow quick take it with a meal and drink plenty over water, be warned though, biotin will wreak havoc on your skin
I've been taking biotin for about a month and a half, it does help a bit and I've been using Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner when i shower. So my results for almost 2 months so far my hair looks like a shaggy Beatles haircut
Quote from: Jane's Sweet Refrain on January 18, 2014, 04:20:46 PM
Hi, I was just researching and wanted to post the (so-far) success. I haven't had increased body hair yet. But if I do, that can be zapped or shaved (unless it's really bad). I didn't quite think my little success was worth a new thread, although the original post about hair regrowth certainly is!
Actually, your post may be really helpful to others, including me. When you say your hair began to shed, do you mean it started falling out? If so, how much. I'm just wondering if it was a hormonal reaction or something else? Do you use any products or heat tools on your hair? I notice that I need to be careful with my hair straightener because it really drys my hair out if I don't use a heat tammer. I've never had an issue with shedding or balding, but biotin did help me grow my existing hair at a faster rate. It would be interesting if biotin would also help prevent hair loss as well.
Quote from: Jamie D on January 18, 2014, 10:25:51 PM
Noted earlier in the topic, I was taking a supplement (with no visible results), so I have moved over to finasteride.
Yeah, biotin only works subtly. I feel that my hair grew out faster because of it, but it was far from a major boost. In any case, it helped my hair grow from a little over my hair to about shoulder length, so it may help with enough time.
Quote from: latoya fox on January 18, 2014, 10:41:55 PM
yes i had a really ugly cut a couple years ago from too much damage from flat ironing, so i cut my hair two inches past my chin, by april it was two inches past my shoulders now it's at boob length, but you have to take it with other vitamins as well. i took biotin 10,000 MCG, vitamin e, and msm, use those and your hair will grow quick take it with a meal and drink plenty over water, be warned though, biotin will wreak havoc on your skin
I've never had issues with my skin, but that does seem to be a common issue. And yea flat irnoing can really hurt your hair. Because I use one almost daily, I need to use heat sprays and frequently deep condition my hair.
Quote from: Kelly-087 on January 18, 2014, 06:06:22 PM
I used to..
But since I've become a vegetarian I dont really need to supplement a lot. I would say it def helps with hair health!
I'm a vegetarian too. In my case, I feel I need to take vitamins because of deficiency, but I also try to avoid dairy as well (whenever possible though I'm far from vegan).
Quote from: Thylacin on January 18, 2014, 05:51:16 PM
How are vegetarians not "normal"?
I think she just meant non-vegetarians which is usually the norm.
Quote from: Thylacin on January 18, 2014, 05:48:58 PM
It doesn't matter. You can get complete proteins from plant sources.
Yeah, I pretty much live on soy, but I still feel deficient at times. Sometimes I really miss meat and it's tough when everyone in my family is eating meat around me. However, I really can't go back to it and am glad to suffer through the temptation.
Quote from: Darlig Ulv on January 19, 2014, 12:32:43 AM
I've been taking biotin for about a month and a half, it does help a bit and I've been using Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner when i shower. So my results for almost 2 months so far my hair looks like a shaggy Beatles haircut
Aww, I remember being in that shaggy phase. It was irritating but it didn't last forever. A month and a half is still early, so it's great that you are already seeing positive results. It's a good sign.
Quote from: learningtolive on January 19, 2014, 10:47:17 AM
Actually, your post may be really helpful to others, including me. When you say your hair began to shed, do you mean it started falling out? If so, how much. I'm just wondering if it was a hormonal reaction or something else? Do you use any products or heat tools on your hair? I notice that I need to be careful with my hair straightener because it really drys my hair out if I don't use a heat tammer. I've never had an issue with shedding or balding, but biotin did help me grow my existing hair at a faster rate. It would be interesting if biotin would also help prevent hair loss as well.
Aww. Thanks. You may find this unbelievable, but I was counting hairs that I was losing almost every day. A clean brush, a clean bathtub, a clean floor. I was losing between 50-70 hairs from the process of shampoo and conditioning, applying aerated mousse and blow drying. The hair was NOT breaking. It was falling out. I do use a flat-iron from time to time, but not every day. Hair loss is down to averaging under 20 now, which I think is normal for a healthy scalp. Same regiment. Same clean tub, brush, and floor. Some days it's a little more. Some days around 10. The telltale sign is the floor after blow drying. There used to be at least 15 every day. Now 2-4. Some days, none. It may not be the biotin. The supplement contains other ingredients. And I'm not concerned so much with growing new hair, just keeping what I have. Still, I imagine a slower loss rate will eventually mean a thickening as dormant hair cycles back.
I don't believe in snake oils or miracle cures. I don't want to give false hope to anyone. I don't even know if I was moving toward baldness. But I was losing my hair, and now I'm not. Hormones and thyroid and liver were all normal. I would gladly accept an alternative explanation, but I can't come up with one.
Quote from: Jane's Sweet Refrain on January 19, 2014, 12:32:43 PM
Aww. Thanks. You may find this unbelievable, but I was counting hairs that I was losing almost every day. A clean brush, a clean bathtub, a clean floor. I was losing between 50-70 hairs from the process of shampoo and conditioning, applying aerated mousse and blow drying. The hair was NOT breaking. It was falling out. I do use a flat-iron from time to time, but not every day. Hair loss is down to averaging under 20 now, which I think is normal for a healthy scalp. Same regiment. Same clean tub, brush, and floor. Some days it's a little more. Some days around 10. The telltale sign is the floor after blow drying. There used to be at least 15 every day. Now 2-4. Some days, none. It may not be the biotin. The supplement contains other ingredients. And I'm not concerned so much with growing new hair, just keeping what I have. Still, I imagine a slower loss rate will eventually mean a thickening as dormant hair cycles back.
I don't believe in snake oils or miracle cures. I don't want to give false hope to anyone. I don't even know if I was moving toward baldness. But I was losing my hair, and now I'm not. Hormones and thyroid and liver were all normal. I would gladly accept an alternative explanation, but I can't come up with one.
Wow, that sounds like a lot of hair to lose. Have you gone to your doctor since that point? You can never be too careful. It might be good to make sure that everything is okay. In any case, I'm really glad that it has let up and that you've been seeing improvement. Whether it's the biotin or not, it's good that you found something that has helped.
Quote from: learningtolive on January 19, 2014, 05:16:02 PM
Wow, that sounds like a lot of hair to lose. Have you gone to your doctor since that point? You can never be too careful. It might be good to make sure that everything is okay. In any case, I'm really glad that it has let up and that you've been seeing improvement. Whether it's the biotin or not, it's good that you found something that has helped.
That's so sweet of you to be concerned. I DID go to the Dr., who seemed unworried. I went through the tests that are the most likely culprits. I can't say for sure, but given my response to the supplement, I'd guess it was a vitamin and mineral deficiency. I'm not sure in what ways HRT and second puberty might tax our systems. I eat well, but that may not be enough.
Oh, and from what I gather from reading, it's normal to lose more than 100 hairs per day. If new hair was taking it's place, I might have held steady, but I wanted to be pro-active.
I have been taking 15,000 mg of a B-complex supplement for going on 3 years and I wish I could comment on hair growth, my reason for taking it is because of anemia and to support red blood cell production. I also take an iron, vit D, and omega 3,6,9 supplement.
Quote from: learningtolive on January 19, 2014, 10:47:17 AM
Aww, I remember being in that shaggy phase. It was irritating but it didn't last forever. A month and a half is still early, so it's great that you are already seeing positive results. It's a good sign.
Last time I took biotin and used Mane and Tail to grow my hair out I had shoulder length hair in 6 months. Hopefully I can pull that off again and let it grow longer this time.
Quote from: Darlig Ulv on January 20, 2014, 04:04:06 AM
Last time I took biotin and used Mane and Tail to grow my hair out I had shoulder length hair in 6 months. Hopefully I can pull that off again and let it grow longer this time.
Ooo oh? Tell me more about mane & tail?
Isn't that for horses?
Only thing stopping me from using biotin is potentially the facial hair growth. How has been impacted, if at all, for any of you? Don't want to lose the good work HRT did on me, in that regard. It's a tough conundrum for me, really, since I want to have nice hair down to my shoulder blades. Been growing it out for like 4-5 years now, never even got past the bottom of my (short) neck. :(
Quote from: GorJess on January 20, 2014, 07:40:30 AM
Only thing stopping me from using biotin is potentially the facial hair growth. How has been impacted, if at all, for any of you? Don't want to lose the good work HRT did on me, in that regard. It's a tough conundrum for me, really, since I want to have nice hair down to my shoulder blades. Been growing it out for like 4-5 years now, never even got past the bottom of my (short) neck. :(
Not yet. But I'm of the opinion that hair (within reason) can be removed more easily than it can be regrown. It takes money, but it's a lot cheaper than a hair transplant. Pick your poison, as they say.
I'm now hijacking this thread to ask about Mane and Tail. Any one tried it? And with what success?