BIOTIN, the good, the bad, and the beautiful...

Let me start this off by saying yes, biotin DOES work. After many years in the beauty industry, I have seen its tried and tested benefits: it is pretty undeniable.

What is Biotin?

For those of you who don’t know what biotin is, it’s the main vitamin in those hair, skin and nails supplements you take. It makes your hair grow faster, nails grow faster, and your skin turn over faster which can help with acne and keep it looking younger longer (although I, and many others, would argue that Omega-3 fatty acids like Fish oil or Flax Seed Oil do more for skin than biotin but that’s a discussion for another time).

Hold Up

Now before you start rushing to your local health store and overdose on hair, skin, and nails gummies, let me play devil’s advocate for a minute and as you a few questions.

• Do you have eyelash extensions?

• Do you have hair extensions?

• Do you get your nails done/do your own nails?

• Do you color your hair?

• Do you shave your legs?

Oh you do??? Then it may be time for you to reconsider those hair, skin, and nails supplements you just bought. You will thank me later. Also read to the end because biotin is being hid in an obvious but not well known place.

Eyelash Extensions

Consider this: eyelashes are hair yes? But instead of growing longer, they are constantly shedding. Eyelashes grow every 30 days and then have a 1-60 day resting cycle where they naturally fall out on their own. Biotin will not make them grow longer, but rather speed up the shedding process. This means you will need fills more frequently and ultimately spend much more money. Also laying on that table is time consuming and a pain.

Hair Extensions

Hair extensions grow out and once they get to a certain length, they need to be replaced. Even if you have a cosmetologist friend who put them in for you (I consider myself lucky in that arena), the hair alone is between $250-500. Obviously there’s the exception of tape in extensions or weaves which can be moved up, but if you get them shaped to your head, it may not look the same once they’re moved. Moral of the story? Growing hair faster may not be the ideal situation for preserving your hair extensions.

Nails

Whether you’re someone who goes in and gets their nails done every two weeks or the person who gets them done every six months, they need to last as long as possible. You paid good money for them and rapid growth really compromises their longevity. Or if you are like me and own a gel kit, doing your own nails is a hassle. I can manage twice a month manicures but not weekly (I mean I could but I am way to lazy for that). So if you pop those vitamins, just be prepared to go to the salon more often or go without a manicure every few weeks because just like hair, your nails will grow out double time.

But wait! The first 3 don't apply to me!

They may not, however the last one likely does. We all know that getting your hair colored is a pricey and time consuming process and if you didn’t care about making the results last as long as possible, you’d ditch the color protectant shampoo (that being said, you should all be using color protectant shampoo). Since we both know you wouldn’t do that (never!), why would you take a supplement that makes it grow out faster? Nuff said.

You don't color your hair, get your nails done, wear hair extensions or eyelash extensions? This last example may be the one that changes your mind.

Shaving

If you’ve read the answers to the last four examples, you can logically conclude that your body hair will grow faster and since i abhor shaving, I won’t even indulge discussing the cons of taking biotin here. We all know shaving is the worst. And since the majority of women in the US shave, it's a legitimate point to consider.

At this point you may be rethinking the whole “biotin” thing and decide that getting your hair dyed more frequently isn’t worth the hassle. Well then, let me offer you a warning:

Ditch your women’s specific vitamins.

These people are tricky and if you read closely, you will see that that biotin has been added. Why you may ask? It’s simple, imagine buying a multivitamin which is catered specifically to women and after a month of taking it, your hair is growing faster, your skin is looking better, your nails are looking stronger and growing faster. It must be the bottle of women’s vitamins you bought! FALSE. That’s all happening because they snuck biotin in there which has fast, noticeable results making you think your vitamin is the best product on the market.

Please do not misunderstand me, do not stop taking your multivitamin. This is not warning you against your supplements, rather cautioning you that your “itworks” hair, skin, and nails supplements may ultimately cost you much more money than the price on the bottle.

If you read all of that and still want to take biotin/hair, skin and nails supplements, go for it! I would suggest the supermarket hair, skin, and nail gummies as well. They are significantly less expensive, equally as effective, and taste delicious!

As for me, I’m going to resist the urge because again...shaving is the worst.

For blog updates, click the link to subscribe https://www.sweatpantsandpageantry.com/contact

Or follow my instagram @erinmarielewis