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Leelannee (Sussex, Nj) on 08/28/2009
5 out of 5 stars

YEA for biotin (hair loss)
YEA for iodine & borax (dandruff)

After the birth of my son 15 years ago, I had more hair loss every time I brushed or washed my hair than I had ever had before. I always had long, almost waist-length, thick hair. After the birth, I became so distressed over the thinning, dryness, & split ends that I cut my hair to chin-length. I kept trying to grow it long but every few years "chopped" it again due to split ends. My hair is medium-coarse and never seemed thin to people who cut my hair but I could tell the difference.

About a year ago I started taking biotin. I take 5mg per day, and I get a bottle of 300 capsules (10 months' supply) for $12, so this is a very affordable, no fuss remedy! It took a month or two to notice a real difference, but my hair loss became minimal. My hair is now so thick, and has grown past my shoulder blades for the first time in 15 years! Also, there are very few split ends--even though this doesn't make much sense, as only the new growth would be affected by the biotin, but it's true (a few months ago I bought some very sharp scissors and trimmed my split ends, but they haven't come back). And my hair is growing a little faster; it used to grow no more than 1/2 inch per month (I color my hair 3-4 times per year, and occasionally measure) and now it is growing almost 1 inch per month.

Another hair problem I had for about 20 years was dandruff. This started when I was 16. I tried many, many supplements, diet changes and topical remedies over the years with no results (except for a liquid zinc treatment for excema--this helped but didn't cure). I eventually tried a dandruff shampoo, which would give me relief for no more than 24 hours. I really didn't want to do this, but if I didn't I would actually get scabs in addition to incessant itching & painful inflammation.

A few weeks ago I bought a "liquid kelp" iodine supplement, took a dropperful twice a day in water and within 48 HOURS I had ZERO FLAKES! This is after 20 years of discomfort, self-consciousness, and not being able to wear black or use nicer shampoos! I recently found another supplement that has 150mcg iodine per drop, and I take 2-3 drops per day.

About 2-3 weeks after starting the iodine, I had a VERY slight return of the dandruff. But now I am not using dandruff shampoo at all. I shampoo, douse my scalp with a borax solution (1-2 tablespoons in 2 cups of water), let that sit for a couple of minutes, then condition. My scalp is super clean, I can go several days without shampooing (when I had the dandruff I had to shampoo every other day), and my hair seems softer & less frizzy.

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Replied By Leelannee (Sussex, Nj) on 09/08/2009

Okay, the iodine doesn't seem to be working as well for the dandruff anymore...still working, just not as miraculously. About a week ago I had a massive outbreak of flakes on the top of my head near my hairline. Having read that milk of magnesia is great for skin & itching, I impulsively doused that area, left it on for about 1/2 an hour, then rinsed it out--without using shampoo or conditioner, to make sure nothing else affected my "experiment". My hair felt like it was full of glue and baby powder (washed out fine the next day), but it seems that Milk of Magnesia really helps the dead skin slough off!!! I had to brush out lots of flakes but since then my scalp has been pretty clear, and much less itchy.

I also patted some Milk of Magnesia on my face and let it dry. My skin was SO soft afterwards, for days, and a couple of rough rashy patches are cleared up!

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Replied By Rob (Manhattan, New York) on 09/10/2009

re: your dandruff, There may be triggers in your diet that could be causing the dandruff. For me coffee is a culprit. Fairly consistent in that a few days after a cup I will have flaking. I like to make up a tea of Rooibos & Peppermint & sometimes Nettles (though nettles are a diuretic). It seems to have a balancing, & hydrating effect & eliminates the dandruff.

this from Wiki...

Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.[6] Traditional medicinal uses of rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems.[7][8]

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Replied By Laurie (Sudbury, Ontario) on 02/24/2010

Hi, is biotin part or the same as taking the b-complex vitamins as my doctor told me a while back only to take b vitamins for 2 weeks at a time. Also, does anyone know if biotin grows hair elswhere as one person told me it will grow facial hair. thanks
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Replied By Beverly (TN) on 06/24/2021

My Gyn. nurse told me to take 1 500 mg saw palmetto every day to combat body hair growth component of my natural hormone creams. It definitely helps.

Replied By Laurie (Sudbury, Ontario) on 04/14/2010

I noticed on the bottle of biotin that I am taking is 300 mcg's what exactly is this.

Did anyone ever have side effects from Biotin.I have taken it for a month now and nothing. Thank you

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Replied By J0hnn (Toronto, Ontario Canada) on 04/14/2010

This reply to Laurie from Sudbury...

 

I used a combination of Biotine, Vegitil Silica, and Chelated Zinc to stop hair loss and regrow natural coloured hair on my head last fall.

A couple of points...
1...the Biotine I used was capsules of 5,000 mcg each. Possibly your 300 mcg caps are not enough for this purpose. Has the hair loss cause been removed?

2...the hair on the crown of your head grows an average of 1/2 inch per month, so if the rest of your nutrition is adequate, you should start seeing some fuzz on the previously bald areas at the 4 to 6 week point.

Hopefully this answers some of your questions.

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Replied By Labrat (Burlington, Nc, Usa) on 07/21/2010

My husband started using biotin, silica and zinc for hair loss. But after reading about zinc toxicity, I am concerned about the doses in the protocol I got from JOhnn in Toronto's post. 100mgs 3x/day for first 3 wks. Did I interpret that right? and is chelated zinc, zinc gluconate?
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Replied By Johnn (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 07/23/2010

To Labrat from Burlington, Nc, Usa. . . Yes, that is the dosage I used. However, if you are concerned with the zinc, reduce the zinc amount only. I have never seen or experienced any problems with this dosage of chelated (organic)zinc and have taken zinc supplements for decades. It is almost always below optimal in older men(prostate issues). I think you can still get the hair results without as much zinc as the zinc in this protocol is for getting the hair to grow in with your natural hair color. Hopefully this answers your questions and you see the same success I had. Regards, Johnn
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Replied By Johnn (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 07/23/2010

To Labrat from Burlington, Nc, Usa. If you are using regular zinc glutonate, only 15 percent of it is absorbed which means only 15 mg of the 100 mg ingested is actually absorbed by your body. Therefore 3x100 mg only nets out at 45 mg actual that your body can use per day. . Again, as I said in my other post, the extra zinc is mostly for the hair color and can probably be reduced without affecting hair growth. Regards, Johnn
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