What biotin actually does
Biotin is vitamin B7. It is a cofactor in producing keratin, the protein your hair, skin and nails are built from. If you are deficient, supplementing corrects visible hair and nail problems. That much is not in dispute.
The uncomfortable part
True biotin deficiency is rare. If your hair fall is caused by iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, post-partum hormonal change or male pattern baldness, biotin will not fix it, because biotin was never the missing piece.
Get tested first
Before you spend six months on any hair supplement, get ferritin, TSH and vitamin D tested. Iron deficiency is the single most common cause of diffuse hair fall in Indian women, and it is cheap to check.
If you do supplement
Give it four to six months. Hair grows roughly a centimetre a month, so nothing you take shows up faster than that. Nails respond sooner, often within six weeks.
One practical warning
High-dose biotin interferes with several common lab assays, including thyroid and troponin tests. Tell your doctor you take it and stop 48 hours before any blood work.
Nothing in this article is medical advice. If you have a diagnosed condition or take prescription medication, speak to your doctor before changing what you take.
