Is Biotin a Hair Growth Solution for Balding Men?
While biotin has proven benefits for hair growth in people with biotin deficiencies, it doesn’t have any effect on male pattern baldness. MPB is hormonal and genetic, and biotin, as a vitamin, simply isn’t involved in the male balding process.
Biotin is one of several vitamins that play a role in the growth of healthier, thicker hair. It’s also one of the only natural hair loss treatments backed up by science, with study data showing that the use of biotin produces a significant increase in hair growth in people with a deficiency.
Over the last few years, biotin grew hugely in popularity and the number of hair products that include biotin has gone from few to many. Data from Google Trends shows that twice as many people are searching for information about biotin today as in 2004.
But does biotin work as a treatment for male pattern baldness? Well, not quite. While biotin has real benefits for hair growth, it doesn’t treat the root causes of male pattern baldness — genetics and hormones.
Below, we’ll explain how male pattern baldness occurs, how biotin affects hair growth, and why biotin isn’t necessary for treating male hair loss. We’ll also take a quick look at the real value of biotin and how it can fit into a supplement stack for improving your hair health.
How baldness happens, and why biotin won’t help on its own
Male pattern baldness can take several forms, from a receding hairline to diffuse thinning across your crown or entire scalp. With a few exceptions (which we’ll explain later in this guide), the key cause is always the same: sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone, more commonly known as DHT.
DHT is a byproduct of testosterone. When your body produces testosterone, a small amount is converted into DHT. This DHT can bind to receptors in your scalp and cause the hair follicles to deteriorate over time, resulting in a receding hairline or thinning hair.
Because the hair follicles at the front and crown of your scalp have the most receptors, they’re usually the first to be affected by hair loss.
Everyone has a different sensitivity level to DHT. This is why some men start to go bald early in life while others maintain a full hairline as they age. If you’re sensitive to DHT, you’ll eventually start to lose your hair regardless of your diet and vitamin consumption.
You can learn more about the role DHT plays in male pattern baldness in our guide to DHT and male hair loss. If you’ve noticed your hairline starting to recede or your hair beginning to thin, it’s probably (but not definitely) the result of sensitivity to DHT.
Since biotin is a vitamin, it doesn’t have any effect on the conversion of testosterone to DHT. It does, however, have a proven positive effect on hair growth, making it a useful addition to your hair growth supplement stack when used alongside something to block DHT.
