Experiencing hair loss or thinning tresses is often an inevitable part of aging, but with a balanced diet and nourishing products, you can prevent more strands from falling out, and keep your locks looking fuller. We checked in with professional hair experts to learn more about biotin, an ingredient often found in shampoos and conditioners that is said to promote hair growth and health. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles and Dr. Paula Morgan, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FAAD, dermatologist and medical consultant at Better Goods.
How Biotin Works For Thinning Hair
Using a "deep conditioner" is essential if your hair is "damaged or frail," Abdullah notes, and these products may contain biotin, which she deems to be effective for thinning hair. "Regular hair conditioners only work to coat the hair, although they might have a few other benefits," she explains. "Deep conditioners, on the other hand, are designed to help strengthen the hair from within, and deep conditioning twice a week isn't too much for frail hair." If you don't have the time, Abdullah adds, "conditioning before you wash can be a substitute."
Biotin has become very popular in recent years for its abilities to "improve the strength, thickness, shine, and health of both skin and hair," Morgan says. Biotin, she continues, is a B-complex vitamin that helps metabolize fats and carbohydrates. "This vitamin is a common ingredient in beauty products because it effectively promotes the growth of strong and healthy hair."
Biotin ultimately works by "increasing keratin production in hair follicles," Morgan points out, and since biotin is a key element in metabolizing fats and carbohydrates for energy, it becomes "essential when forming a major part of cells that make up hair shafts." The stronger the shaft, the more resilient it'll be to breakage, she says.
The benefits of biotin don't stop at simply strengthening hair follicles, however. Biotin can also help protect against various ailments that cause hair loss, such as alopecia areata and pattern baldness in men. Some research actually shows that biotin may help promote hair growth in people who suffer from alopecia areata.
Abdullah agrees, and notes that this tried-and-true hair product ingredient increases circulation to the scalp to aid hair growth and stop hair thinning. Biotin "decreases inflammation in the scalp that can cause hair loss," Abdulllah concludes, and it "increases the rate at which new hair grows back after using other hair loss treatment methods as a water-soluble vitamin, B7."
