Biotin: Potential Benefits, Known Risks, and More

Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness. Talk to a healthcare professional about whether a supplement is the right fit for your individual health and about any potential drug interactions or safety concerns.

“Biotin plays an important role in protein synthesis and the production of keratin, the main structural protein that makes up your hair, nails, and outer layer of skin (epidermis),” says Jillian Kubala, RD, the owner of Jillian Kubala Nutrition in Westhampton, New York. “This is why biotin is a popular ingredient in beauty supplements. It’s also naturally found in foods like eggs, nuts, and meat.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the supplement and how it could affect your health.

Biotin supplements may be trending for their purported ability to improve the health of your hair, skin, and nails, but that’s not the full picture: “Biotin supplementation is helpful in cases of true deficiency, which can lead to symptoms like thinning hair, brittle nails, and skin rashes,” says Ross Kopelman, MD, a hair transplant surgeon in private practice at Kopelman Hair Restoration in New York City. “However, biotin deficiency is quite rare in the general population.”

While there are some small studies and case reports that suggest biotin supplements may have certain benefits, comprehensive, large-scale human studies are lacking, adds Dr. Kopelman.

Here’s an overview of those potential benefits:

• May Treat a Biotin Deficiency: Though rare, pregnancy, chronic alcohol use, and certain conditions can lead to a biotin deficiency and symptoms like thinning hair, scaly rashes, and brittle nails. Taking a supplement can correct this, but the research only shows benefits in people who are deficient in biotin.

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• May Improve Hair, Skin, and Nail Health if There’s a Deficiency: Biotin supplements can treat symptoms of a deficiency like thinning hair and brittle nails, but there’s no large-scale human research to suggest it has an effect otherwise, says Kopelman.

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• May Support Nutrition During Pregnancy: Taking a prenatal vitamin with biotin may ensure you and your baby get enough of the nutrient. The recommended dose for adult women and men is 30 micrograms (mcg), or 35 mcg if you’re breastfeeding.

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Some claim that biotin supplements may support weight loss, but there’s no strong evidence that biotin plays a direct role in losing weight, says Kopelman. “Since it’s involved in metabolism, some supplement brands may market it as a metabolism booster, but any impact on weight is likely negligible without changes in diet and lifestyle,” he explains.

Risks

Biotin can also affect test results for vitamin D, estradiol, and folate levels, says Monique Richard, RDN, an integrative dietitian-nutritionist based in Johnson City, Tennessee, and a media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

If you’re taking a biotin supplement, tell your provider before you get any type of blood or urine test.

Side Effects

For most healthy people, biotin supplements are generally considered to be safe to take. “It likely will not be harmful if taken in excess — over and above daily recommended levels — as it is water-soluble, but it also may not be beneficial, especially if it’s not necessary,” says Richard.

That said, “some people may experience mild side effects like acne or skin breakouts with higher doses,” says Kopelman.

• Biotin capsules
• Biotin softgels
• Biotin gummies
• Biotin tablets
• B-complex supplements, which typically combine multiple B vitamins, including biotin
• Multivitamins

• Meat, especially organ meats like beef liver (30.8 mcg per 3-ounce [oz] serving)
• Fish like salmon (5 mcg per 3-oz serving)
• Eggs (10 mcg per egg)
• Seeds like sunflower seeds (about 2.6 mcg per ¼ cup)
• Nuts like almonds (about 1.5 mcg per ¼ cup)
• Certain vegetables like sweet potato (2.4 mcg per ½ cup)

If you’re interested in purchasing a biotin supplement, make sure you speak with your doctor first to ensure it’s safe for your individual healthcare needs.

“Before you buy a supplement for a specific reason, such as thinning hair or brittle nails, it’s important to rule out potential underlying causes for your symptoms,” says Kubala. “There are a number of common medical conditions that can affect the health of the hair, nails, and skin, including hypothyroidism and iron-deficiency anemia,” she adds.

If your healthcare provider has suggested a biotin supplement, here’s how to make a smart and safe purchase.

Selection

You can find biotin as a standalone supplement or in multivitamin and B-complex formulas. The benefit to B-complex formulas, says Kubala, is that they include other B vitamins that are more likely to be low in your diet, such as B12. “It makes more sense to take a multinutrient product than a biotin-only supplement,” she says.

“I also recommend patients look for supplements that include other hair-supportive nutrients like zinc, vitamin D, iron (if deficient), and saw palmetto,” adds Kopelman.

The FDA does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness. Speak to your doctor about whether a supplement is the right fit for you, and check the label for USP, NSF, or ConsumerLab.com approval. This means the product has undergone third-party testing for quality and purity.

Storage

Dosage differs depending on the brand and type of supplement, so be sure to read your label to understand exactly how much you’re getting.

If you’re considering starting a biotin supplement, taking biotin for longer-term use, or supplementing at higher doses, speak to your doctor. “It’s important to individualize supplementation based on lab results and clinical context: More isn’t always better,” says Kopelman.

• Biotin, or vitamin B7, is found in foods like meat, fish, and eggs, and the body uses it to metabolize food for energy.
• Biotin supplements are popular for their purported effects on hair, skin, and nail health, but you likely won’t notice a difference unless you have an underlying biotin deficiency (which can lead to hair loss, skin rashes, and brittle nails).
• Biotin supplements are generally safe, but you should avoid taking them if you have upcoming blood or urine tests because they may interfere with tests checking for thyroid conditions, heart attacks, and pregnancy.
• Unless you have a biotin deficiency, there’s really no need to take a supplement because you can typically get your daily value through food alone.

Additional reporting by Kathleen Ferraro.