Bamboo Silica vs. Biotin. Which is Better for Hair Growth?

If you're dealing with hair loss or if you would love to promote thicker, longer hair, chances are that you've looked into adding biotin into your supplement routine.  Biotin is known for being a vitamin that helps with hair growth.  In fact, it's probably the most well-renown hair vitamin there is. 

If you're interested in taking biotin to kickstart your hair journey, I'd like to also introduce you to another (possibly better alternative).

The Difference Between Biotin vs Silica

Silica is relatively new in the beauty community.  Everyone knows about biotin but we can't say the same about bamboo silica.  To understand which of the two is a better choice, we first have to understand the difference between them. 

The biggest difference between biotin and silica is that one is a vitamin while the other is a mineral.  Vitamins and minerals are both micronutrients.  Biotin is also known as vitamin B7.  In the US, a biotin deficiency is pretty rare because common foods such as eggs, meat, fish, nuts, seeds and sweet potatoes.  

Silica, however, is a little more difficult to supplement. Yes, there are foods that contain silica (like oatmeal, rice, bananas), but many of our foods contain low levels of silica because of modern day farming practices that deplete the nutritional levels of our soil.  While it's difficult to have a biotin deficiency, signs of silica deficiencies in the US are pretty commonplace. 

A person who's silica deficient might experience symptoms such as thinning hair, brittle nails, weaker bones, thinning skin, unhealthy teeth/gums, excessive hair loss, brittle hair, etc.  A lot of age related symptoms are similar to what we find with silica deficiencies.  Why? Because our body's natural silica levels decline with aging. By supplementing with silica, we can slow down or even reverse some unwanted symptoms associated with a silica deficiency.

Biotin is great, but it can't possibly compare with the level of benefits that bamboo silica can provide.  

 Check out this excerpt from a paper written about the undeniable benefits of silica:

"A study in 1990 found it an absolute necessity for the proper function of skin, ligaments, tendons, and bones. Silica supplements are taken regularly by millions of people to strengthen and improve their bones, connective tissue, hair, and skin. Silica adds strength and flexibility. It's obvious why strength and flexibility are essential to skin and bones. It's also important to know that silica supports blood vessel health, making it extremely important in supporting heart health."

We've discussed the benefits of Biotin vs. Bamboo Silica.  But are there any drawbacks?

As you may know, some people are biotin sensitive. This sensitivity may show up as pesky breakouts.  No one wants that.  On the one hand, a lot of people are taking biotin in large doses- like 10,000mcg- because they want to experience as much hair growth as possible, but on the flip side, they now have to contend with unwanted acne breakouts. 

How can a vitamin be considered a hair, skin and nails supplement if it causes your skin to look worse?

BENEFITS OF BAMBOO SILICA

Silica, on the other hair, is able to benefit your skin in multiple ways.   Some of the skin benefits associated with silica include:

• Fewer wrinkles.
• Increased collagen production.
• Reverse damage from sun-damaged skin.
• Promotes healthy bone density which is an important aspect of looking younger. A decline in facial bones results in sagging skin and increased appearance of wrinkles. 

Bamboo tea, however, has no undesirable skin side effects.  In fact, it's the opposite.  Silica is a hair and skin beautifying mineral. Silica is essential for collagen production. So if you want to promote younger, healthier skin, bamboo tea may have biotin beat.   

BIOTIN FOR HAIR GROWTH

No one will deny that biotin promotes hair growth.  In fact, if you take large doses of biotin you will experience hair growth...everywhere.  

I'll never forget the horror of noticing that I was growing a faint mustache after boosting my biotin intake levels.  I often had to stop or drastically reduce my biotin intake because of the issue with acne and excessive body hair.  

Bamboo silica also promotes hair growth but in a more well-rounded way.  

Studies demonstrate that hair strands with higher silica levels experience benefits such as a lower fall out rate (less shedding) and "higher brightness." Another talked about benefit of bamboo silica is thicker strands.  Silica isn't only about faster hair growth, it also promotes thicker, healthier hair. 

If you're still convinced that biotin is the right choice, may we suggest that you consider pairing the two together to enhance your results?  As we mentioned earlier, biotin is a vitamin while silica is a mineral.  Both have a positive impact on our hair but silica also provides skin and health benefits as well. So by taking both, you're covering all bases.  Biotin can jumpstart your hair growth while silica reduces shedding, improves the health of your hair and provides powerful overall anti-aging benefits.  

Beautifully Bamboo hair, skin and nails supplements is enriched with biotin and bamboo silica making it the best of both worlds.  If you're looking for products that offer a rich source of plant-based bamboo silica, try our best selling bamboo tea or pure bamboo powder extract and experience the difference.

Use code bamboo5 at checkout for $5.00 off your first Beautifully Bamboo order.