Biotin for hair
Biotin , also called vitamin B8 or H, is a nutrient present in plant and animal foods. A deficit of this vitamin will affect, among other parts of the body, the hair or the skin. For that reason, today we tell you what its benefits are, where to buy it and some side effects that you should not forget.
A few years ago, horse shampoo became fashionable, and people used it for human consumption. As many claimed their great hair properties, they started using hair advertising in real human shampoos. Among their qualities, they assured you that you would obtain a hair with more shine, revitalized and stronger, besides that you would stop its fall, and its growth is promoted . The reason, in theory, was its high concentration of biotin.
What is biotin?
Biotin is a group B vitamin, specifically B8 or H. This molecule intervenes in various metabolic pathways of lipids (fats), carbohydrates (carbohydrates), purines , etc., and also acts as an enzymatic cofactor. This last characteristic makes it indispensable for certain enzymes to play their role, for example, in routes associated with mitosis.
In summary, biotin is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids , in the metabolism of amino acids and in cell proliferation. Additionally, it participates in the expulsion of CO 2 and in the regulation of blood glucose concentration. Therefore, in medicine it is usually prescribed to patients with diabetes.
Advanced Biotin with Keratin (2-Pack) | 10000 mcg Biotin – 100 mg Keratin – Promotes Healthy Hair, Skin & Nails - Helps Convert Food Into Energy - Time Released – 120 Tablets
What problems cause a deficiency of this vitamin?
The truth is that having a lack of biotin is very strange . When found in so many foods (vegetables such as nuts, vegetables, legumes ... and animals such as meat, fish and eggs) it is difficult to present a picture of this caliber. And, as if that were not enough, part of our intestinal flora can produce vitamin B8.
In this sense, even if it is very rare, if you have a biotin deficit, you can take dietary supplements that contain it. It is very important that this does not happen so as not to affect the activity of various enzymes involved in metabolic pathways of tissues such as hair or skin.
Why do I have a biotin deficiency?
A lack of biotin may be due to the inordinate intake of raw egg white. This is because it has a high concentration of avidita, a protein that prevents the absorption of B8 because it interacts with it. Another possibility has to do with a lack of an enzyme involved in its metabolism, called biotinidase. Finally, those who suffer from alcohol addiction have more problems in their processing.
As a result, symptoms such as hair loss , androgenetic alopecia, eyebrows, hair and eyelashes, and other conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis, neurological diseases, seizures and even depression appear.
What are the benefits of biotin for hair?
When we have problems with hair loss and the doctor detects a deficiency of vitamin H, I may recommend you to take supplements enriched with biotin . However, if you do not have a deficit, the treatment will not help because the excess of vitamins is expelled through the urine, just as it has entered the body.
On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the absorption of biotin takes place in the intestine, so its intake would be effective, but its external use is a waste of time because the skin can not absorb it. That is, biotin shampoos have not shown their benefits to date.
With this we come to tell you that, before buying shampoos with biotin for hair, better your diet, and if you had a deficiency, eating better you will notice the results much earlier. If you still continue with doubts, no one better than a professional can dissipate them.
And why were so many horse shampoos sold?
As it happens in cosmetics and in any other sector, there are booms that are worth analyzing in detail. First, we should question why these people who promoted them so much did not use hair products for human consumption, capsules enriched with biotin, which works better. In fact, a lot of shampoos in the market of popular brands use biotin as a star ingredient in their composition, preaching that they slow down hair loss, promote hair growth and strengthen hair follicles.
In equine feeding, vitamin B8 is used as a supplement to improve the state of hair and the hull of the animal . Many studies conducted in horses ensure that biotin and other dietary supplements favor the development of helmets, which require a supply of the nutrient from the blood to promote their development. A detail to note is that both his hair, his skin and the walls of the hooves are similar fabrics, with similar functions.
But it resides in the fact that horses only need an extra contribution of biotin when they work in conditions of effort or if they do not have a balanced diet. Also, it is unusual for the horse to have a deficit of this vitamin.
As for the equine shampoos, those with biotin as the main component have the function of cleaning their hair in depth , due to its detersive benefits. In addition to providing shine to the hair, it regulates its pH so that it is in optimal conditions and prevents its fall. But this is not only due to biotin, the other ingredients of the formula are also important, many of them with antiseptic and insecticidal properties.
Side effects of these shampoos
Actually, if a product is intended for animals, you should not buy it to consume it yourself . This does not mean that it is going to be harmful in humans, but that it has not been tested in them and, therefore, its effectiveness and the possible adverse effects it may cause are unknown. Some of its components (like an insecticide) can damage the scalp in the long term, weaken the root and cause the hair to fall to strands, in addition to causing allergies or redness of the skin.