Scrunchies are my safety net. Whether I’m going out to dinner with friends or going to work, I never leave the house without one on my wrist, in my bag, or in my hair. Not that ponytails look fancy on me, but I just hate the look of my hair down.
My hair is naturally frizzy and has these uneven waves with curly roots and limp ends, so blow-drying and straightening my hair regularly has been a major part of my hair care/styling routine for the past decade. But without the extra time to treat my hair with volumizing sprays, dry shampoo, and serums, wearing my hair down shows the years of heat damage. It’s OK, it’s thin, and the older I get, the more hair clogs my shower drain and gets caught in the teeth of my brushes and combs.
I usually wash my hair every two to three days to avoid excessive damage from water, sulfates and heat. However, for the past month, I have been washing my hair every other day with a biotin-enriched shampoo that is supposed to add volume to my hair.
Buy it: $7 (originally $9), Amazon
But what the hell is biotin and what does it do?
Biotin is often associated with hair and nail restoration, but it’s actually just a fancy term for a water-soluble B vitamin that dissolves quickly in water once ingested into the body. Previously known as vitamin B7 and vitamin H, it helps the body metabolize protein and process glucose to convert it into energy.
Thick and full biotin and collagen from OGX promises to give every hair type more density and structure with just one application.
“This powerful formula adds volume to even the thinnest hair, leaving hair looking fuller and lusher,” the description says.
However, since I haven’t seen any results so far, I consulted a dermatologist to find out if biotin shampoos work for fine and thinning hair.
“There is no shampoo on the market that reliably promotes hair growth or stops hair loss. There are some that claim to block DHT (dihydrotestosterone), but their absorption into the hair follicle apparatus, which affects hair growth, is questionable at best,” explains Renée A. Beach of the Bay Dermatology Centre and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.
Due to the combination of genetic factors and other hormonal activities, preventing hair loss at the root (literally) can be an uphill battle.
“Unfortunately, biotin is not a cure or effective remedy for hair loss. However, make sure you get enough iron, vitamin B12 and zinc, and maintain normal thyroid function, as these are important to maintain healthy hair,” Beach recommends. “To protect the hair shaft, use gentle styling, avoid heat, trim your hair regularly, avoid hairstyles that pull hard on the hair strands, and if you color your hair, choose a color that is 1 to 2 shades darker than your natural hair color.”
Although there remains a lack of scientific evidence to support the superpower claims that biotin shampoos actually help with thinning hair, there is one shampoo on the market that is known to effectively address this serious hair problem.
Buy it: $13, Amazon
The Biotin Shampoo for Men and Women is designed to revitalize hair at the hair follicle with biotin, thereby strengthening and fortifying weak and brittle hair, and has already received over 2,000 five-star reviews.
“Impressive results in just 13 days. I had lost quite a bit of hair on my head. It was to the point where I barely noticed the thinning on my head. I bought this product because of all the positive feedback… All I can say is that this bottle is worth the money,” says one reviewer.
“When I moved to Seoul, South Korea, I was suffering from extreme hair loss due to pollution. I read the reviews on this product and thought, ‘Why not?’ I used it daily for eight months without thinking much about it and then tried another shampoo. This shampoo works!” says another.
Just like OGX shampoo, this one also contains a vitamin-rich biotin complex to strengthen hair and wash out dirt, oil and impurities that clog hair follicles to create a clean environment for hair growth.
Beach says washing your hair two to three times a week (once a week for Afro hair) with sulfate-free shampoo has the same effect.
“There’s a saying: ‘Treat your hair like a silk scarf,'” she says. “That means be gentle and don’t damage your hair every day with a blow dryer, ceramic straightener or not washing your scalp.”
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