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Vitamins
Biotin
In plain language
A B-vitamin heavily marketed for hair, skin and nails - despite true deficiency being genuinely rare.
Is it an approved medication?
No — not an approved medication
No - sold as a food supplement, not a medication
How strong is the evidence?
Weak for cosmetic use in people who aren't actually deficient (which is most people taking it)
The main thing to know
Can interfere with certain lab blood tests (like thyroid tests) - tell your doctor if you take it before any bloodwork.
Mechanism
Cofactor for carboxylase enzymes in fatty acid and glucose metabolism; popularized for hair/nail/skin health despite true deficiency being rare.
Potential benefits
- Correction of true deficiency (rare)
- Cosmetic hair/nail benefit poorly substantiated in non-deficient individuals
Regulatory status
Dietary supplement, widely approved