I’m frequently surprised that although there’s so much information readily available in newspapers, magazines, books, on TV, radio and on the Internet, that there are some things that can be really helpful that we either don’t hear about or we hear very little about them. Biotin is one of those things. If your nails aren’t as healthy as you’d like them to be, you might want to give this a try.

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H, is said to contribute toward healthy hair, skin, and nails. I came upon this accidentally when I went to see the dermatologist. I happened to mention my nails were more brittle, had ridges and split more easily than when I was younger. He suggested I try 3mg of Biotin daily and told me that it would take a couple of months to see the results, so I did. Within the month I could tell there was some improvement.

Attempting to find the best price on Biotin, I checked Costco. I noticed they only carried the 5mg dosage. I decided to stick with 3mg as that was what the doctor suggested and why take more if I didn’t need it. After about six months my nails were better, but I still had some concerns. I decided to try the 5mg dosage for a few months to see if there would be any difference between 3 and 5mg. The end result was, with 5mg of Biotin my nails continued to improve. The splitting, cracking and brittleness was gone however some ridges remain. Are my nails perfect now? No, but there has been a big improvement and they’re calling attention to themselves a lot less often.

When I checked on the side effects Biotin might have, I didn’t find any. As with anything though, if you are pregnant, nursing, or have an underlying medical condition please check with your doctor before trying any over-the-counter supplement or medication. Why? Because everyone responds to things differently and we want to take great care of ourselves. We don’t always know how something that appears harmless might affect our current state of health or interact with drugs or supplements we’re already taking. Being on the safe side and checking with your doctor first can be as simple as a phone call.

With love, Jackie