Not all men can grow thick and full beards. It can be a struggle if you are a couple of months into growing your beard, and you do not see the results that you want.
Men will often turn to beard growth products like vitamins, supplements, serums, oils, and balms to help increase the amount of facial hair that they can grow.
One supplement that is becoming more popular is Biotin. Many beard companies have their own line of biotin products because of its popularity.
Biotin is a vitamin, Vitamin B7 to be exact, and it is popular for beard care. This is similar to other products like Vitamin E for beard growth. It is important to understand what supplements you are taking for your beard. It is necessary to understand if these vitamins really work and if they have side effects.
What Is Biotin
When it comes to taking biotin supplements for beard care, it is important to understand what it is. Biotin is another name for Vitamin B7. It is a natural vitamin that can be found in foods like eggs and bananas. Your body does not synthesize its own, so you need to consume it from foods to get what you need.
The good news is that you can be comfortable knowing that you are taking an ordinary vitamin. However, you still need to have a good understanding of the benefits and side effects of Biotin, and as always, you should talk to your Dr. about any vitamins or supplements that you plan on taking.
Why do men with beards care about Biotin. Because people with biotin deficiency have hair loss and brittle hair. To combat this, they take biotin supplements. It is said to promote healthy skin, hair, and nails.
Benefit Of Biotin On Facial Hair Growth
Biotin is said to play a role in keratin production. Keratin is a protein that is found in hair. So, what are the effects of Biotin on beard growth? There are no studies that prove that taking Biotin will increase the thickness of your beard hair. It may be beneficial in individuals that are deficient, but these studies were not done on beard growth.
If you take this vitamin, will your beard become long and lush? The answer is no. There are no studies or evidence to suggest that.
Having said that, Biotin is relatively safe and it is water soluble. This means any excess will be elminated via urine.
It is still a popular supplement for men because it “may” help. It is inexpensive and it can be added to your beard care routine.
So, does biotin grow beards?
How Much Biotin To Take For Your Beard?
There is no FDA recommended level of biotin consumption, but a lot of beard companies recommend taking 5,000 to 10,000 mcg per day. This will help to thicken and strengthen facial hair.
When it comes to RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), there is no guideline there either. There are amounts noted for adolescents and adults of 30-100 mcg per day. Most healthy adults should get this level from their diet. This data comes from The Institute of Medicine here which states: The AI for adults is 30 μg/day
You can get Biotin from a lot of daily supplements. As an example, One A Day Men’s Complete Multivitamin contains 43mcg of Biotin which is 143% of the Daily Value. If you want to supplement but do not want to take mega doses that are in beard supplements, then this is a good option. It can easily be purchases from Amazon here.
How Long Does It Take For Biotin To Work On Beard?
Men should take biotin supplements for 2 to 3 months before they see any results. You should not expect a large growth of new facial hair. Instead, you may see some subtle growth or faster growth. This would be more noticeable in men with low levels of biotin.
Potential Side Effects Of Biotin For Beard Growth
Biotin is available in foods, but if you are taking large amounts of it, you need to be aware of any potential side effects. There are some medications that Biotin may interfere with, and it may interfere with certain lab tests. If you are concerned about adverse effects, you should stick to recommended amounts and consult with your physician.
For more information about potential side effects you can review this article from Livestrong.
Before And After Pictures Of Biotin Beard Growth
You will see a lot of biotin beard before and after pictures online. Some of them are shocking at the amount of growth. You need to remember that just letting your beard grow out will give you a better picture than your “before” shot.
You would need to see pictures of someone growing their beard out for a specific duration and then growing it again while taking biotin supplements. This would also have to be in a controlled setting. There are so many other factors that can influence growth.
Also, there are a lot of pictures where the lighting is different and the guys head is turned at a different angle. All of this will change how thick his beard may look.
It is also important to remember who is showing you these photos. Is it the beard company that is trying to sell you the capsules?
Remember, biotin may help you out, but it is not a miracle supplement that will start growing you new hair follicles.
Beard Care Products That Contain Biotin
The main way that men use biotin for beard growth is by taking a vitamin supplement. Many beard companies sell it, and you can also purchase it on Amazon. There are several options, and you can read the many reviews of men who have taken this supplement to improve their beard.
The best way to improve serum levels is to take biotin tablets for beard growth. Here are some that you can find on Amazon.
Best Biotin Tablets For Beard Growth
There are also gummies, serums, and oils that contain Biotin. Here is a great list of Biotin supplements to get you started.
- Alpha Beard Capsules: 10,000 mcg
- ThickGrow BigBeard Gummies: 5,000 mcg
- Wild Willies Serum
- Maxx Beard Oil
- Beard Octane Supplements: 10,000 mcg (use coupon code: BBLADE to save money)
For a full review of the best biotin tablets for beard growth, you can read our review here.
Food That Contains Biotin
If you want to increase your biotin consumption for beard growth naturally, here is a list of foods that would be great.
- Beef Liver (3 oz): 30 mcg
- Walnuts: 9.5 mcg
- Egg: 10mcg
- Salmon (3 0z): 5mcg
These are just a few foods that you can consume to increase Biotin levels to improve your facial hair.