As the weather gets warmer, many of us hope to show off more vibrant, thicker and ultimately fuller hair after having winter-induced brittle, dry locks. As we age, our hair loses some of its natural nourishment and needs to be supported through a balanced diet, ample hydration and a consistent sleep schedule. With that said, products with natural, moisturizing ingredients are just as important. To learn more about one vital shampoo ingredient for stronger hair, we checked in with hair and health expert Dr. Virginia Blackwell of Eve Mag and Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles.
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Why Shampoos With Biotin (Vitamin B₇) Are Essential For Healthier Hair
Biotin, (aka vitamin B₇) is an important nutrient often found in foods like eggs, broccoli, bananas and milk. Many people take biotin as a supplement as they age, Abdullah explains, to strengthen their tresses. If also using a shampoo with biotin as a main ingredient, one can really reap the benefits of this vitamin in more ways than one. “Biotin is the ingredient to look for in shampoo if you want thicker, fuller, healthier hair,” Abdullah says.
“Not only can it be taken as a supplement, but when used in shampoo the ingredient goes directly into the hair follicles.” She notes that biotin helps increase circulation to the scalp, which helps the hair follicles produce a better quality of hair and more of it. “It's believed that a deficiency of biotin leads to hair loss,” she adds, so using shampoo with biotin is one of the “easiest ways to help reverse the effects of aging on hair, which can manifest as thinning and brittleness.”
Blackwell agrees, and stresses the importance of keratin for hair, which you can think biotin for as well. “Biotin is responsible for the production of a hair protein called keratin which is a smooth cell and main component of hair that extends over to form hair strands that make up the hair,” she says. Biotin, Blackwell says, strengthens follicles while adding thickness and volume to the hair strands, resulting in soft and glossy ends.
Additionally, Blackwell echoes Abdullah, biotin improves “blood circulation to the scalp thus ensuring a longer anagen phase (the active phase of the hair).” Women with aging hair, Blackwell concludes, may have biotin deficiency such as hair thinning. This, she says, is why finding a shampoo with biotin as an ingredient can “promote their growth, alleviate itchy hair, and other hair conditions.”
