THE STRAIGHT DOPE???

[Tyra]

Hey Ladies!
I hope everyone's day is moving along nicely.
I bought some Nexxus Biotin Shampoo like a week ago after reading all of the good things many of you had to say about Biotin. I also read something about how Biotin is supposed to be really good for your hair as far as strengthening and what not. But I was wondering am I ok with using the shampoo or would I be better off just taking biotin straight. I just wanted to kind of take the short cut as I am not thrilled with the thought of adult acne and piercing headaches. BTW I always thought that migraine sufferers are recommended to take biotin. Anyway, do any of you use biotin shampoo(not necessarily the Nexxus brand) and would you say that you are reaping benefits since using it. I also want to hear some ladies who are taking the biotin straight chime in here and let me know your opinion. Also if you've been experiencing some adverse affects from it I'd like to know that as well. I have even read that some ladies put the biotin from the capsules on their hair instead of taking it orallyerplexed. I just want to know if I am getting all the benefits I need by just using the shampoo. Let me know something ladies! Thanx already.

 

[Nonie]

I believe more in feeding follicles from the inside, so I'm all for taking the supplement. But I am against taking it alone and I think anyone who's had acne from it has been someone who was taking the supplement on its own instead of as part of a multi. I don't think you will have acne problems if you take is part of a multi and if you want to get a lot of it, I suggest Great Hair by Vitol which will give you 3000 mg of it but balanced out with other supplements like B5 which is supposed to work against acne. JMHO.

Now I don't think there's any harm using it in a shampoo too, if you want to do that. I would also like to add, taking biotin as a supplement may do nothing for you--it did nothing for me--if you eat a lot of foods high in it and therefore are not deficient in it.

 

[danigurl18]

I use Biotin conditioners and not the supplement. The supplement broke me out.. I've had no problems with the conditioners though...

 

[Tyra]

I use Biotin conditioners and not the supplement. The supplement broke me out.. I've had no problems with the conditioners though...

Thanks Dani.
Would you say that you can tell the difference in your hair(i.e softness, strength)? And how did it take to realize the difference. Girl, tell me if I'm getting on your nerves 'cause if I have any more questions I'm certainly going to ask you. lol. I just don't want to go through any unnecessary changes, you know?

ETA: meant to ask "how long did it take...)

 

[Tyra]

I believe more in feeding follicles from the inside, so I'm all for taking the supplement. But I am against taking it alone and I think anyone who's had acne from it has been someone who was taking the supplement on its own instead of as part of a multi. I don't think you will have acne problems if you take is part of a multi and if you want to get a lot of it, I suggest Great Hair by Vitol which will give you 3000 mg of it but balanced out with other supplements like B5 which is supposed to work against acne. JMHO.

Now I don't think there's any harm using it in a shampoo too, if you want to do that. I would also like to add, taking biotin as a supplement may do nothing for you--it did nothing for me--if you eat a lot of foods high in it and therefore are not deficient in it.

Yeah, I feel the same way as far as nourishing from the inside out. I also figured that this is something that should not be taken alone. I just need an idea as to how. In other words do I take a multi which is heavy in biotin or should I just be sure to take the biotin and multi respectively? Oh and I hope you know that what I told Dani about the "getting on the nerves" part applies to you as well

 

[Nonie]

Yeah, I feel the same way as far as nourishing from the inside out. I also figured that this is something that should not be taken alone. I just need an idea as to how. In other words do I take a multi which is heavy in biotin or should I just be sure to take the biotin and multi respectively? Oh and I hope you know that what I told Dani about the "getting on the nerves" part applies to you as well

You're not getting on my nerves. I love to help if I can. If you are intent on taking a multi high in biotin, you can. Just do your homework so that if you're already taking a multi you don't end up ODing on other supplements that might be in it that are oil-soluble like Vitamin A. In other words, if you take a regular multi, then when you take hair one, just try to keep the total supps below the toxicity level. I'll have to find those details for you. Or maybe find a hair multi that doesn't repeat the same things you already get in high amount.

I mentioned Great Hair by Vitol because it is one of the hair multis that's high in biotin (a big hit) and that I believe won't cause pimples coz it's balanced by others. Most other hair multis might have a lot of other things but rarely so much biotin. And biotin is a hit around these parts hence my suggesting that.

Another hair multi I've seen which is high in biotin but also provides a lot of C (good for MSM absorption) is Hair Factors by Twinlab <--LOVE this company.

Or you could alternate a full body multi with a hair multi like Ultra Hair Plus by Nature's Plus or Maxi-Hair Maximized both which have a lot of other good hair health supps than the two multis I mentioned in previous paragraphs, plus they also have supps that are good for your body missing in the previous two.

Taking a biotin separately even if taking a multi sort of leaves the risk of taking too much and getting acne. I just trust that when multis are made, the ratios are in the way that best results can be obtained so if I were taking biotin, I'd take it as part of a complex and never alone.

 

[tatambabyy]

be careful with biotin. I took it with vitamin b complex and I still broke out so not everyone who takes a vitamin supplement along with biotin will not break out. everyone is different. I suggest starting off with a low dosage. I started off with 5000mcg which also couldve contributed to the acne

 

[Nonie]

be careful with biotin. I took it with vitamin b complex and I still broke out so not everyone who takes a vitamin supplement along with biotin will not break out. everyone is different. I suggest starting off with a low dosage. I started off with 5000mcg which also couldve contributed to the acne

What happened to you is exactly what I'm saying happens and what I'm telling people to avoid. If you take biotin and then buy a separate multi or vitamin, you MIGHT get acne. If you buy a multi that already has biotin in it, I doubt you will break out.

When you buy biotin separately and take it with B complex like you did or along with a separate multi, you still can OD on it. I think acne comes about when your body gets more than it needs. Which is why I prefer taking it when it's part of a multi. It's usually in small enough quantities or balanced out with other things so you don't break out.

 

[Solitude]

I use JASON natural biotin shampoo & conditioner. I like the shampoo b/c it is lauryl/laureth sulfate free, not too crazy about the conditioner, but I think I better growth when I was using both together.

I had no idea Nexxus had a biotin shampoo. I took large doses of Biotin orally & used products with Biotin in them with no adverse affects. I was also drinking lots of water & exercising...helps flush out the excess & keep it from reaching "toxic" levels....I think!

 

[Tyra]

be careful with biotin. I took it with vitamin b complex and I still broke out so not everyone who takes a vitamin supplement along with biotin will not break out. everyone is different. I suggest starting off with a low dosage. I started off with 5000mcg which also couldve contributed to the acne

Wow! Girl that's a lot. But yeah you're right. I think that while that the abundance of info on this board is great... at the end of the day it's all case by case. I am definitely going to start low on the pills while continuing to use the shampoo. Although I must admit I'm not feeling the big change that many say they have felt from the biotin shampoo. I could use a little more patience I know. Girl, I didn't even have "teenage bumps". My sisters and my brother had it BAD! Lawd only knows how I dodged that bullet. So you can understand why I'd be HIGHLY upset if I were to wake up one morning with a grown darn face full of acne.

 

[Nonie]

Wow! Girl that's a lot. But yeah you're right. I think that while that the abundance of info on this board is great... at the end of the day it's all case by case. I am definitely going to start low on the pills while continuing to use the shampoo. Although I must admit I'm not feeling the big change that many say they have felt from the biotin shampoo. I could use a little more patience I know. Girl, I didn't even have "teenage bumps". My sisters and my brother had it BAD! Lawd only knows how I dodged that bullet. So you can understand why I'd be HIGHLY upset if I were to wake up one morning with a grown darn face full of acne.

Maybe that's because your hair isn't missing biotin...or whatever else in the shampoo makes a difference to others. That's why you don't see me jumping on bandwagons.

When I joined the forum, I got all the supplements people raved about. They made no difference to me. I take a regular multi pretty regularly and always did and try to eat right. So I guess I was getting whatever it is all the extras people try to get from hair-specific vits from my diet and my multi. I went back to my usual multi and life continued as it always did. It was just wasteful to me to buy all these things that my body obviously wasn't missing.

 

[Tyra]

I use JASON natural biotin shampoo & conditioner. I like the shampoo b/c it is lauryl/laureth sulfate free, not too crazy about the conditioner, but I think I better growth when I was using both together.

I had no idea Nexxus had a biotin shampoo. I took large doses of Biotin orally & used products with Biotin in them with no adverse affects. I was also drinking lots of water & exercising...helps flush out the excess & keep it from reaching "toxic" levels....I think!

You THINK!!?
Girl, you betta be KNOWING something before you have me all spazed out on some biotin.
I was taking biotin- don't ask me to recall the dosage- and at the time I was drinking like 55 ounces of water a day. But one day I just happened across something(don't remember what) on the internet about how it causes breakouts and headaches and I stopped immediately. I was paranoid 'bout it ever since. I just attributed my not having those ugly effects? affects?(grammer check please) to the fact that I didn't use it very long. But now that you mention it I think that all of the water I was drinking was the saving factor there. IDK. I should just stop being a punk about it and do what I gotta do.

 

[Tyra]

Maybe that's because your hair isn't missing biotin...or whatever else in the shampoo makes a difference to others. That's why you don't see me jumping on bandwagons.

When I joined the forum, I got all the supplements people raved about. They made no difference to me. I take a regular multi pretty regularly and always did and try to eat right. So I guess I was getting whatever it is all the extras people try to get from hair-specific vits from my diet and my multi. I went back to my usual multi and life continued as it always did. It was just wasteful to me to buy all these things that my body obviously wasn't missing.

Girl, bandwagons, cyber-copping, vitamin snatching...Dang! Just when I got the monkey off my back...I think