Biotin for Hair Growth

Get tested for other nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional issues like iron deficiency can also contribute to hair loss. Ask your doctor about other medical issues that reduce biotin availability: gastrointestinal disease, endocrine/ thyroid diseases, diabetes and severe emotional distress. These must be resolved in order to address hair loss.

If you have a biotin deficiency, studies show that biotin supplementation will help hair growth. Studies show that biotin supplementation will work if the biotin is bioavailable in the body.

Certain medications stop biotin from working including isotretinoin taken for acne, antibiotics, or antiepileptic.

There are also medications that may have reactions when taken with biotin such as medications that are changed by the liver - fluvoxamine (Luvox), clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), tacrine (Cognex), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), theophylline, zileuton (Zyflo), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal) zolmitriptan (Zomig), etc. Also, Alpha-lipoic acid and vitamin B5 decrease absorption when taken with biotin.

Biotin and vitamin B5 taken together can each reduce the effectiveness of each and it is not advisable. There are no known adverse reactions to taking too much biotin.

Smoking and excessive alcohol affects biotin effectiveness. Also, it is important to stop eating raw egg whites as there is a glycoprotein in egg whites which binds with biotin making it ineffective.

Another supplement to consider for hair might be melatonin which was shown in a study by Fischer et al to influence human hair growth. Studies also indicate hair growth improvement with supplements of iron, thiamine nitrate, pantothenic acid, l-cystine and medicinal yeast.