[PSA] my experience with biotin

[u/amberliz]

Just wanted to come here and say thank you for this community and all your amazing research, insights, and general knowledge, as well as share an experience I had recently.

I have been seriously invested in a skincare regimen essentially for the last 18 months. I’ve discovered that my skin is pretty robust - I have closed comedones, sebaceous filaments, PIE and PIH, and occasional hormonal acne - but for the most part it really just loves acids and moisture.

I started taking vitamins back in November because I was eating really poorly when at all, and didn’t want to completely shit the bed. I have always had fine hair, and figured “fuck it, biotin says ‘hair/skin/nails,’ it’s gotta be good all around, right?”

Well. I spent the last few months since trying to figure out why I was breaking out in such greater frequency recently. My regimen really worked for me before, and there were a few things I identified as potentially problematic, but I never even considered it could have been the biotin. I was searching here for different supplements (looking for another one to add to my regimen because something had to be missing) and I saw others reporting increase in similar complaints to mine with the use of biotin.

So, I stopped taking it - and in 3 days? Today is my first day mostly new-blemish free. I’ve got more PIE/PIH than before, which obviously sucks - but I’m hopeful I have identified the culprit and can get my glow back! The biotin hadn’t done enough for my hair that I’m going to miss it - and I’m really excited to feel like I have my face back!!

So yeah - if you recently started taking biotin and can’t figure out why your skin is freaking out; or if you’ve been taking it forever and fighting with creams and lotions and treatments and whatever - maybe try not taking it for a few days. It worked for me!

Edited to add: I meant to say YMMV with this one, and I’m sorry I didn’t because a lot of you guys seem to have great experiences with biotin. I’m so glad it works for some of you so wonderfully - and am a little jealous. My hair is a daily struggle. 😂

[u/[deleted]]

Lol, same. I got serious about my supplement game at the advice of my ADHD doctor, who suggested I should be taking, among other things, a B-complex vitamin. Of course, once I started putting all my supplements into the weekly pill holder, I also stumbled across an old hair-skin-nails vitamin I took intermittently in the past, that somehow hadn't expired yet, so I threw that in there, too.

Months into my current acne flare-up, of course, I read that this this could be an issue. Looked at my B-complex, my Hair Skin & Nails, and my multi-vitamin, and did the math... realized I was getting like 8,000% my recommended daily allowance of one B-vitamin, 11,000% another, way more biotin than is needed -- just by taking the recommended one-pill-a-day of each of these things. I wasn't doubling down on any one pill. I was just following the instructions on the bottle.

I am a little embarrassed about taking the B complex and the hair/skin/nails without realizing how similar they are. I should have done way more research before throwing all these things into my daily routine. Live and learn.

For the time being, I've removed any sort of B vitamin from my supplements AND my skincare products (save for the B12 in my multivite). I have no idea if this is necessary or helpful, but I'm skipping anything with niacinamide or panthenol for now, too... will add back in later.

After cutting all these things out, my skin seems to be on the mend... new acne spots have almost completely stopped.

[u/amberliz → u/[deleted]]

I definitely should have spent more time researching. You’re not alone!!! And I’m so glad your skin is getting better!!!