While searching for ways to improve your beard growth, you're guaranteed to come across mentions of biotin for facial hair. Biotin has been used to treat women's hair loss for years, but now, men are learning how it can benefit their beards, too.

Of course, there's more to growing a healthy beard than just taking some biotin supplements and calling it a day. To really improve your beard's fullness and texture, you need a total beard care regime that not only nourishes hair follicles and moisturizes the skin. Biotin can help you start to care for your beard in a more dynamic way, looking at not just what you put on your hair but what you consume as well.

Does Biotin Help Beard Growth and Facial Hair?

First off, let's answer the biggest question of all. What is biotin? It's not a miracle solution for a thicker beard made in a lab. It's actually a naturally occurring substance known as vitamin B7 that is produced in small quantities by your small intestine. It is also ingested through healthy foods like bananas, nuts, seeds and cooked eggs. Egg yolks pack around 10 mcg of biotin per serving, but they are also high in cholesterol, so you should incorporate them into your diet but don't overeat and expect faster results. Avoid consuming raw egg; although some promote its health benefits, it carries a risk of salmonella poisoning.

Biotin is also a key player in your body's production of keratin, the protein responsible for healthy hair, skin and nails. In anatomy, all three of these are part of the integumentary system. If you have a biotin deficiency, then taking supplements could potentially improve your beard growth, as well as strengthen brittle hair and nails.

It's also important to human survival; B vitamins affect your cell energy production, carbohydrate metabolism and the breakdown of fatty acids.

Although biotin may improve the overall integrity of your hair and nail health, there is no strong scientific evidence that supports external consumption leads to lasting results. In other words, you need to ingest biotin in order for it to have the greatest effect, which means the wide range of biotin-infused shampoos on the market might not be as effective as they claim.

Incorporating Biotin for Beard Growth Into Your Care Regime

When it comes to beard care, we suggest starting with a designated beard wash and natural beard oil. Our washes are formulated to cleanse and protect facial hair. They're made with 100-percent natural ingredients and underwent extensive testing on real beards before they were on the shelf. Once you start using the right products for your beard, you'll be amazed at how soft, strong and luminous your beard can be.

Next, you'll want to start taking a closer look at how you live. Do you get at least 30 minutes of cardio every day? Even just walking the dog every morning can change the way your body works, including how much keratin it produces. Lowering stress levels through positive strategies, like meditation, beats drinking or overeating. Sleep is your friend, and you should get at least eight hours a night. If you have insomnia or other sleep troubles, finding a solution that's healthy and long-lasting should be your top priority.

 If you decide to take biotin beard growth supplements, then you'll need to do some serious research and make sure that you're buying products that have been tested and are safe to use. Let's start off by looking at exactly how much you should take if you want to improve your beard growth.

How Much Biotin Should I Take for Beard Growth?

The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends 30 mcg per day as the adequate intake of biotin for adults over 19, and experts recommend anywhere between 2 to 5 mcg per day in a supplement. The FDA does not have any guidelines regarding the amounts of biotin a person should take, so you may see different quantities recommended by different manufacturers.

You should always speak to your doctor before taking any new vitamins or supplements, especially if you have underlying health conditions or take any prescription medications. A vitamin is never "just a vitamin." It impacts your entire body's function, and the wrong product can have serious harmful side effects. Biotin deficiencies are rare, but if you think you have one, your doctor can run a test and recommend a supplement and appropriate dosage.

What Happens if I Take Too Much Biotin?

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so any excess B7 you take is flushed out of your body through urine. Although there are rarely serious side effects, biotin is not something you should take without any research or precaution. Closely monitor your intake, including any supplements as well as biotin from your diet, to prevent symptoms like skin rash, high blood pressure, vitamin deficiencies and kidney problems.

Remember that any supplement you take gets filtered through your body, so it can have a long-reaching impact. The risk of many supplements, especially ones that promote miracle beard growth, are often far higher than the purported benefits. Use wisely and always conduct thorough research before you take anything.

Which Biotin Vitamin Is Best for Beard Growth?

At the Bearded Chap, we're all about living as good as we look. That means finding the right products, eating the right diet and looking after ourselves so our facial hair is a reflection of a good lifestyle.

If you're looking to take biotin, you may want to consider vitamin B complex. This type of product features eight individual B vitamins that assist in a variety of functions, like fatty acid production, hormonal production and red blood cell growth.

We also suggest that you look at your diet and sleep. These are the two greatest factors that negatively impact hair growth and can be fixed on your own. Hair follicles are active while you sleep, so having eight to nine hours of sleep each night is important for facial hair growth and combating hair loss.

Your diet should be balanced, focusing not just on your B vitamins intake but also your overall nutrition. Every man has different needs, and your daily intake of food will vary based on your weight, height and activity level. You may want to talk to a doctor or licensed nutritionist about healthy eating habits. This is always better than trying to go off instinct or information you find on the internet.

Which Is Better: Biotin Shampoos or Biotin Supplements?

Because biotin has to be ingested to affect keratin infrastructure, shampoos are unlikely to provide any significant results. While research does show that biotin intake can improve keratin production, there isn't enough evidence that proves any beard growth supplements or biotin-infused shampoos are effective for people who don't have underlying conditions that affect hair and nail health. Some biotin shampoos can improve scalp hair texture and beard hair density. They do not, however, promote enough growth to fill in bald spots or reverse hair loss.

Beard hair thickness can be improved with the right hair products, like a high-quality wash. Oils and balms can help you achieve greater volume and a rich texture that's strong without being dry, wiry or brittle. While biotin intake is one element of healthy hair, it isn't everything. You'll need to monitor your vitamin b levels with the rest of your nutrition, get enough exercise and focus on lowering stress and improving sleep quality.

Side Effects of Biotin for Facial Hair Growth

The risks and benefits of biotin intake vary from person to person. The extent of both positive and negative side effects are impacted by a variety of factors, like your biotin amounts, supplement form and lifestyle choices.

If you have a standard intake through your diet or supplements, then there are little to no adverse side effects. If you take too much, then it can cause digestive problems and impact your kidney function. You should never take excessive quantities of any vitamin supplement to make it work faster. For someone with diabetes, increasing vitamin levels can impact insulin release and blood sugar levels, so they should only modify their diet or intake under a doctor's supervision.

Biotin may be able to help you grow a beard, but it is unlikely to create any lasting change if you do not also modify your lifestyle and use the best products for your hair.

How Long Does It Take for Biotin to Work on Beard?

Men will need to take biotin supplements for at least 90 days before they see any noticeable results. Most of the changes are subtle, and it should not be purchased as an attempted cure for a thin, patchy beard or hair loss. Instead, we recommend using any supplements as a component of a fully developed beard and hair care strategy.

Taking Biotin for Beards: Before and After

These fine gentlemen combined biotin with other factors to improve their beard growth. Because there are additional elements at play, like a good care regime and proper nutrition, the results may not be entirely linked to taking biotin supplements.

Beard before and after: Took biotin supplements as well as improved beard care routineBiotin supplements were incorporated together with health and lifestyle changes

Be open to experimenting with potential solutions for your beard growth and thickness. There's nothing wrong with naturally having less hair, and we at the Bearded Chap aim to help men rock every look from subtle, sleek stubble to a full-on lumberjack beard.

Looking for more tips and tricks of beard growth? We share expert advice in our ultimate guide to growing a beard.