Biotin is a B complex vitamin that has been implicated in a role in hair growth. It is well backed by scientific evidence that biotin improves hair growth, especially in people who have a deficiency of it. It has gained popularity over the years with more and more internet searches as new information services about it.
Many men suffer from hair loss or a receding hairline as they begin to age. These men may be looking for treatments for this hair loss – pharmaceutical or natural. In this article, we explore how effective biotin might be in reducing the effects of male pattern baldness.
Causes of baldness and male pattern hair loss
One of the causes of hair loss and subsequent baldness is a biotin deficiency. But this is not necessarily what happens when men experience male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness is caused by hormones and its onset is linked to the person’s genetics.
The main hormone that has been implicated is dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a byproduct of testosterone, which means that when the body produces testosterone, a small amount of DHT is released into the blood. In the scalp, there are receptor molecules for DHT and a notable sensitivity of these receptors to DHT is what causes male pattern baldness. The front of the head and the crown of the scalp have the most receptors so they are normally the most affected. Due to genetics, everybody’s sensitivity to DHT is different, so every man may experience a different time of onset of male pattern baldness.
There is a small chance that the hair loss that a man is experiencing is related to a biotin deficiency. The key thing that differentiates them is the associated symptoms. A biotin deficiency includes symptoms of red scaly skin around the eyes, nose and mouth. In severe cases, lethargy, numb limbs and seizures can occur. Another sign is brittle nails that crack easily. But a biotin deficiency is extremely rare in men.
Effects of biotin on male pattern baldness
From our current knowledge, biotin has no interaction in the metabolism of testosterone, so It cannot reduce the effect of DHT on hair loss. But it does definitely have a positive effect on hair growth. If biotin is taken with a medication or supplement that blocks DHT, it could most certainly improve hair growth in a man who experiences male pattern baldness.
It’s still a good idea to try biotin
Scientific studies are quite clear about the fact that biotin helps people to grow thicker hair at a quicker rate. Most of the studies were conducted on women and may have limited implications in men, but other research has shown that taking in higher levels of biotin than the recommended daily intake is safe and so this could help to mitigate this difference. Since biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, it is excreted daily, so constant levels need to be consumed in order to see the effects. For this reason, it is better to look at supplements than too try and get it from your diet. It is also unlikely to help if it is an ingredient in a shampoo, so oral supplements really are the best option.
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