Biotin is a vitamin that is essential in many bodily functions. It is a member of the vitamin B complex as vitamin B7, and it is found in many foods in small amounts. The major roles of the vitamin are seen in the synthesis of proteins, metabolism of cholesterol, oils, fats, and carbohydrates, and transformation of fats and sugars into energy.
As a form of treatment, there are many claims with regards to the use of the vitamin. It has been found that biotin can help diabetics in lowering their blood sugar. The vitamin is also known to have significant roles in maintaining the health of the hair, skin, and nails. Many manufacturers use these facts for the leverage of biotin products, even if there are no scientific proofs that the vitamin can really work in reversing the disorders related to the hair, skin, and nails.
The major source of this assumption is the fact that biotin deficiency has the very same symptoms. Biotin deficiency results to various disorders like dry skin, sebhorreic dermatitis, fungal infections, brittle fingernails, falling hair, and alopecia or hair loss. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that treating the said disorder is best done by supplementing biotin.
But individual symptoms are also being treated by biotin by many people around the world. In fact, doctors prescribe their patients with hair loss to take oral vitamin B7 supplements as a form of cure. However, there are no reliable studies performed that show the effectiveness of the vitamin in treating hair loss or other disorders associated with it.
There are many forms of biotin as a supplementary product. There are biotin oral supplements in the form of capsules, tablets, soft gels, pills, lozenges, and also in the form of topical products like crèmes, shampoos, conditioners, pastes, and the like. However, there is one form of biotin that can be both used as an oral and as a topical supplement, and it is in the form of a liquid formula.
Biotin liquid formula is seldom found, and there are few manufacturers of the said product. This is because soft gels are already in the form of liquid, although they are encapsulated. The reason why some manufacturers produce liquid biotin is that they use this liquid form to endorse that the product is better absorbed by the body. It is, in fact, better absorbed and processed by the body when it is in pure liquid form. Liquid biotin is taken orally once daily, usually with a meal.
The use of liquid biotin should be observed properly, since the doses of the vitamin cannot be exacted when taken in a liquid form. Unlike capsules which are pre-packed and taken individually, the liquid form of the vitamin can either be more or less than the advised dosage. An accurate method of intake is advised in order to achieve optimal results. Lower doses may not produce outstanding effects, while higher doses can cause side effects like acne outbreaks.
Although it can be used topically, most doctors advise the use of oral biotin supplements because it is known that the vitamin does not easily penetrate the skin. It is not absorbed by the skin well, thus it does not bring any positive results when used directly on the skin. But oral biotin is effective for most of the disorders that it is known to cure, including skin problems and hair loss. Most doctors prescribe capsules, pills, or tablets, but liquid form can also be used, as long as the proper dosage is observed.
If you are using oral biotin in solid form, you can substitute the liquid form in its place. It is better absorbed by the body and it does not have a case that might not be properly digested, as is seen with most capsules that stick in the digestive system. So for biotin supplementation, oral liquid is highly recommended.