I have found
the holy grail. I have discovered the fountain of thick, long, shiny
hair and strong, beautiful nails! The secret to boosting the
metabolism and inducing weight loss! You know the best part? This
amazing, magical, super fast instrument of glory can be found just
about anywhere at a price as low as $7.00!!! Come, drink from the
fountain of youth with me and revel in the luxurious effects.
Biotin is a
natural substance that your body produces. WebMD describes Biotin to
be “an
important component of enzymes in the body that break down certain
substances like fats, carbohydrates, and others.” Biotin
Deficiency is not common, but the symptoms include:
- Thinning of hair and loss of hair color.
- Brittle nails.
- A rash around the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Mild depression
- Exhaustion
- Tingling in the arms and legs
Whether you
have a Biotin shortage or not, this vitamin can be taken by a wide
range of people for many reasons! It is typically used for
malnutrition, hair loss, brittle nails, diabetes, mild depression,
and rapid weight loss. The magic pill, right?! AND it's a natural
vitamin, which seals the deal for me!
What makes this vitamin so special? MD – Health claims that, “Biotin contains carbon dioxide in the tricarboxylic acid cycle or TCA cycle. This helps your body convert fat, protein, and carbohydrates into glucose energy to promote a better functioning metabolism.” And what do we all know? Faster metabolism = fast weight loss. The same source also states that this wonder pill can be used to help those with diabetes manage their symptoms.
My personal
experience with the product.
I had heard
through the grape vine that Biotin would help me reach my goal of
healthy, strong, beautiful nails! I was at my local grocery store
about a month ago when I saw a bottle on the shelf and decided to try
it out. I'm not really one to rely on vitamins and medication in most
cases. In fact, I can't even remember to take a daily multivitamin,
despite the countless lectures from the parents. Regardless of my
indifference to vitamins and medication, I took the prescribed amount
on the pill bottle almost every day. Not only did the results
completely exceed my expectations, they exceeded them very quickly. I
noticed my nail growth first, because that's what I had taken the
pills for in the first place. Within about a week or two, my nails
were growing strong and at a quite impressive pace! I'll admit, I'm a
little obsessive over my nails. They need to be perfect, or not done
at all. I'll spend hours, perfecting a French tip or correcting
simple mistakes. If one nail chips, then the rest of them will suffer
the consequences of being cut down so they can all grow to be the
same length and shape. Now that I think about it . . . I can't
remember the last time I chipped a nail! After taking Biotin for just
a month, my nails are long and strong and I'm not spending countless
hours trying to make them look good. I was so thrilled with the
effect on my nails that I didn't even notice my hair.
I like to keep
my hair short. It's been chin length for a few years now and let me
tell you, it never grows. I'll go months without a hair cut. Some
times I dream of long, beautiful, sexy hair before I remind myself
that I feel best with a spiky pixie cut or a short bob, but none of
that matters; even if I wanted to grow my hair, it would take me
years to get it past my shoulders. I'm not kidding. I was a few weeks
into the Biotin routine when I began struggling with my hair. It had
suddenly grown to an annoying length, resting on my shoulders and
curling out at the ends, making me look like a 1960's house wife. I
didn't even consider the Biotin pills had anything to do with it! I
just threw it into a silly looking bun or put a few curls in it
before leaving the house. It was my sister who pointed out how fast
my hair was growing and she started asking me what I was doing
different to help it grow. Light-bulb! That's when it hit me that the
Biotin vitamins were the culprit of this awful hair length! It had
grown so much in such a short amount of time! And you know what? It
restored my lost faith of someday having long, luxurious curls,
and I've decided to keep up with the Biotin and grow it out!
So what are the
downsides? This golden egg sounds too good to be true! After
researching the side effects of Biotin, I learned that as long as you
take the dosage listed on the bottle and you never exceed 5000 mg in
a day, then side effects are very uncommon and rare! Just to inform
you of the risks you take when overdosing on Biotin, here's a list of
side effects found on MD – Health.
- Cystic Acne along the jaw line can be a result of too much biotin. Studies are unclear as to why, but researchers have found that as long as you consume no more than 2500 mcg in a day and drink plenty of water, acne shouldn't be a problem.
- Allergies. If you're allergic to a B12 complex or cobalt, then you'll likely be allergic to Biotin. If that's the case, I'm deeply sorry. No magic pill for you.
- Biotin can interfere with the effects of certain medication, mainly that which is used to lower cholesterol or anti-seizure prescriptions.
- Researchers have reason to believe that too much Biotin can raise your risks of miscarriage. I couldn't find an explanation as to why, but I did read that no human studies have been conducted to form this conclusion. If you're pregnant, you may want to avoid this vitamin or use it carefully for the next few months. Oh, and congratulations, by the way!
- I have also found personally that taking the full dosage each day can result in oily skin and hair. I cut my dosage in half to avoid the greasy shine.
i've been taking biotin for years!! my nails have never grown out to an enviable length bcs they bend or cut before that, but they no longer peel. :) and i absolutely credit biotin for my hair length, however it works the same on ALL hair...so keep your epilady close! :) great post Storm! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Soo! To prevent the awful peeling, I've found that any clear topcoat can add some shine and strength to the surface of the nail :)
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