When Is the Best Time to Take Biotin Vitamins, Gummies, or Pills?

Biotin has long been a beauty staple due to its hair growth-boosting properties. It doesn’t work for everyone, but you can maximize your chances of reaping its benefits by using it correctly.

If you’re wondering when the best time to take biotin is, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll take a look at how the time of day or night may affect biotin effectiveness. By the end, you’ll know when you should take biotin for the best results. 

A Quick Rundown on Biotin

Biotin belongs to a group of vitamins called B-vitamins. Also known as vitamin H or B7, biotin is crucial in energy metabolism and nervous system function. It helps turn carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into energy your body can use.

In addition to that, biotin also stimulates keratin production. By definition, keratin is a type of protein that composes your hair, nails, skin, and more. The increased keratin production means your hair will grow stronger and at its optimal rate. 

Biotin supplements come in a variety of strengths. Most commonly, you’ll find biotin doses ranging between 500 and 50,000 mcg. These supplements come in many different forms, including: 

• Liquid
• Pills
• Gummies

Unlike other vitamins, your body doesn’t produce biotin. The bacteria that live in your gut, however, can – and they do so when you eat a varied diet that includes biotin-rich foods.

Biotin deficiency is uncommon in healthy individuals with a varied diet. Signs of a deficiency include thinning hair, brittle nails, or a rash on your face. 

You’ll find biotin in many familiar foods. Here are some of them:

• Cooked eggs
• Seeds and nuts
• Some vegetables (like spinach, sweet potato, and broccoli)
• Dairy products
• Seafood

Extensive processing can destroy the biotin, so eat them as unprocessed as possible to get the benefits.

When Is the Best Time to Take Biotin?

The best time to take biotin is in the morning, with a full glass of water. Biotin is best taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before eating or 2 hours after your last meal. You should aim to take biotin at the same time each day to stay on track. 

Why It’s Not Recommended to Take Biotin at Night

Like other B-vitamins, biotin can spark an energy boost. So, taking biotin supplements at night can make it challenging to get a good night’s rest and keep you up later than you want.

Taking it at night can also impact how well your body absorbs the vitamin. Your digestive system slows down while you sleep, so you won’t absorb the biotin as well. 

How Much Biotin to Take for Hair Growth

Most adults need between 30-35 micrograms of biotin daily. But health experts recognize that you can take more than that (up to 10,000 micrograms) in some cases.

As with most supplements, you should always avoid taking more than necessary. If you want to add a biotin supplement to your routine, we recommend choosing a supplement that’s between 500 -5000 mcg. 

People with a biotin deficiency benefit from taking higher doses of the supplement. Some risk factors can cause you to have a greater chance of developing a deficiency. Here are some of the risk factors for a biotin deficiency. 

• Smoking. Smoking can increase your body’s metabolism of biotin. This can cause a deficiency if you aren’t supplementing as well.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Biotin deficiency is common among pregnant women. Pregnant women break down biotin more quickly and have higher overall needs. 
• Intestinal problems. Some intestinal conditions, like colitis and Crohn’s disease, can prevent your body from absorbing biotin from food. 
• Certain medications. Antibiotics kill off good bacteria in your gut. Losing the biotin-producing bacteria in your digestive tract can lead to lower levels of the vitamin. Some anti-seizure medications can also lead to a biotin deficiency. 
• Eating raw eggs. If you eat raw eggs often, you may be more susceptible to a deficiency. Raw egg contains a protein called avidin that blocks biotin absorption. Cooking your eggs denatures this protein. 

Vitamins and supplements can interact with your medication, so make sure you reach out to your doctor before taking any supplement or multivitamin. 

How Long Will It Take to Get Results from Biotin?

Although research is limited, studies show you can expect to see results in about 90 days. You may notice your hair growing thicker, longer, shinier.

You may start to see noticeable improvements in your nail growth and hardness in three to six months. If you have a biotin deficiency, you can expect to see results much faster. If you’re deficient, you may see results in as little as one or two months. 

Pros and Cons of Biotin

Biotin can be a valuable addition to your health and beauty routine. If you’re considering adding a biotin supplement to your routine, here are some pros and cons to help you decide. 

Pros

• It’s a water-soluble vitamin. Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin A, get stored in your body fat when you take too much. This can cause toxicity and make you sick. On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins, like biotin, aren’t stored in your body. If you take too much, it’ll simply pass through your urine. This makes biotin safe to take as a daily supplement.
• May help your hair grow. Research on whether biotin promotes hair growth in individuals without a deficiency is lacking. However, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to support the claim that biotin helps your hair grow. 
• Helps regulate sugar. Biotin has shown sugar-regulating effects. It can even improve tolerance to glucose and insulin resistance. These effects can be helpful for people with diabetes or an upset stomach.
• Comes in a wide variety of forms. Biotin supplements come in all different forms, which means there are many options for people who don’t like pills. There are gummies and sweetened drops that are just as effective. 
• Improved skin and nails. In addition to helping your hair grow, biotin can potentially help your nails grow thicker and longer. Biotin also helps your body produce fatty acids that can help relieve dry skin. 

Cons

• Biotin can cause breakouts. While biotin itself doesn’t cause acne, it can interact with other vitamins and cause breakouts. 
• It can interact with your medications. Biotin supplements can cause some medicines to break down more slowly. This means that taking the vitamin can intensify the side effects of certain medications.
• It can skew lab results. If you take a high dosage, biotin might create false positives or negatives on various lab tests. Incorrect labs results can lead to a misdiagnosis. Always tell your doctor you’re taking biotin if you have lab work scheduled. They may ask you to stop taking it until after completing your lab work. 
• Biotin can cause digestive issues. Biotin supplements can cause mild side effects in some users. Common side effects include nausea, cramping, and diarrhea.
• Can get expensive. There are a lot of different biotin dietary supplements on the market. Some of the options can get pricey, so taking the vitamin daily can add up. 

Related Articles

• How to Grow Natural Hair Fast at Home
• Best Foods for Hair Growth and Thickness
• Best Hair Growth Serum for Black Natural Hair
• Exercise for Hair Growth and Thickness

There are a few different ways you can add biotin to your routine. You can make more of an effort to eat several biotin-rich foods, take a multivitamin, or take a pure biotin supplement.

Just be sure to take it in the morning rather than the afternoon or at night. And don’t forget to reach out to your doctor before starting any dietary supplement. We hope that this article was helpful to you and that you get the results you want from biotin.