The Beard Club Review: Biotin Does Not Grow Hair - and It Can Distort a Heart Attack Test

Biotin is in almost every hair, skin and nail supplement sold, including several products in this range. Two things are true about it and neither appears on the label. First: it does not grow hair unless you are deficient. Biotin is a B vitamin required for hair, skin and nail health. Genuine biotin deficiency does cause hair thinning and brittle nails, and supplementing corrects it. But biotin deficiency is rare in people eating a normal diet. It is found in eggs, nuts, seeds, salmon, sweet potatoes and many other foods, and gut bacteria produce some as well. There is no good evidence that supplementing biotin improves hair growth in people with normal levels. The reviews that exist find the supporting evidence largely limited to people with an underlying deficiency or specific conditions. Doses in these supplements are typically many multiples of the adequate intake, which does not make them more effective — water-soluble vitamins in excess are largely excreted. Second, and more importantly: high-dose biotin interferes with laboratory tests. The FDA has issued a safety communication warning that biotin can significantly interfere with certain lab tests and cause incorrect results. The mechanism is that many immunoassays use a biotin-streptavidin binding system, and excess biotin in the blood disrupts it. The test the FDA specifically highlighted is troponin, used to diagnose heart attacks — biotin can cause falsely low troponin results, which could lead a heart attack to be missed. The FDA reported a death linked to this interference. Thyroid tests are also commonly affected, and can produce a pattern falsely suggesting hyperthyroidism, leading to unnecessary investigation or treatment. Other affected assays include some hormone and vitamin D tests. What to actually do about it, which is simple: Tell every clinician you take biotin, and say the dose. Include it when asked what medications you take — most people do not think of supplements as medication. Stop biotin before scheduled blood tests. Ask your clinician or lab how long — commonly at least two to three days, longer for very high doses. In an emergency, say it out loud. If you present with chest pain, tell the team you take a biotin supplement. This takes five seconds and is the entire mitigation. On the other ingredients in the range: Zinc. Genuine zinc deficiency can cause hair loss, and correcting it helps. In people who are not deficient, supplementation does not promote hair growth — and excessive zinc over time can interfere with copper absorption and cause its own problems. Castor oil. No good evidence for hair growth. It is a reasonable emollient and it conditions hair, which makes a beard look and feel better — that is a legitimate benefit, just not a growth one. Sweet almond oil. Same: a conditioning agent, not a growth agent. Note that anyone with a tree nut allergy should avoid it. Ashwagandha in the balm. Applied topically, low risk. If you take it orally, note that ashwagandha-associated liver injury is documented in the NIH LiverTox database and it should be avoided in pregnancy and discussed with a clinician if you have thyroid or autoimmune disease.

Being straight about this is the most useful thing a review can do, because the honest answer disappoints and then saves money. Beard density is overwhelmingly determined by genetics and age. Facial hair growth depends on androgen levels and, more importantly, on how sensitive your hair follicles are to androgens — which is genetically determined and varies enormously between individuals and ethnic groups. Beards continue filling in through the twenties and often into the early thirties. A patchy beard at 19 is frequently a different beard at 27. Time is genuinely the most effective intervention and it is free. No topical product changes your genetics. A follicle that does not exist cannot be activated. What has actual evidence: Topical minoxidil. This is the only topical with a meaningful body of evidence for facial hair, with several small trials supporting improved beard growth. Note that none of the products listed in this range contains minoxidil — they are biotin, castor oil, zinc and a derma roller. If growth is your goal, minoxidil is the ingredient to research, and it is worth discussing with a clinician since it has real side effects including scalp and facial irritation, unwanted hair growth elsewhere, and — uncommonly — cardiovascular effects. It also requires indefinite use to maintain results. Microneedling, which is what a derma roller does. There is reasonable evidence for microneedling improving hair growth on the scalp, particularly in combination with minoxidil. Evidence specifically for beards is thinner. At-home use carries real infection risk: use it on clean skin, disinfect the roller before and after, replace it regularly, never share it, do not use it over active acne, infection, cold sores or broken skin, and stop if you get persistent redness, pustules or pain. Needle length matters — longer is not better and deeper needling at home increases scarring risk. General health. Sleep, nutrition, not smoking, and managing stress all support hair growth in the ordinary way. Nothing dramatic, but not nothing. Grooming. Genuinely underrated. A well-shaped, conditioned, properly trimmed beard looks fuller than a longer untrimmed one, and a barber who knows beards will do more for the appearance of density in twenty minutes than a year of supplements. And the medical possibility nobody mentions. A patch of beard hair that falls out rapidly, leaving a smooth, well-defined round or oval bald area, is not a grooming problem. That pattern suggests alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that commonly affects the beard. It is a medical diagnosis with real treatments, it can affect scalp and other hair, and it needs a doctor rather than a growth kit. Also see a clinician about: sudden hair loss anywhere; hair loss with a scaly, red, itchy or scarring scalp; hair loss with fatigue, weight change or other systemic symptoms, which can indicate thyroid disease or iron deficiency; and any patch that is inflamed, painful or draining, which may be a fungal infection or folliculitis needing treatment. One grooming-health point worth knowing: pseudofolliculitis barbae — ingrown hairs from shaving, disproportionately affecting people with tightly coiled hair — is a real dermatological condition, and growing a beard is often the effective treatment. If shaving causes persistent bumps and inflammation, that is a reason to see a dermatologist rather than to buy more products.

On the commercial terms, which are reasonable but need reading. Free shipping over $30 is a low threshold and genuinely useful. A 30-day money-back guarantee is standard and fair. The Growth Guarantee — a full refund if you see no results, "if used as indicated for 5 months" — is the term that needs the most attention, because it is doing the most selling. Questions to answer in writing before you buy: What exactly counts as "used as indicated"? Daily use of every product in a kit? Photographic evidence? A minimum purchase volume across the five months? Do the five months have to be consecutive, and does a gap reset the clock? What evidence of "no results" is accepted, and who judges it? Which products are covered? The site marks certain items "Growth Guarantee Eligible", so it is not blanket. Is the refund the full amount paid across all five months, or a single order? How is a claim made, and by when after the five months? Then do the arithmetic. Five months of a growth regimen at kit prices is a meaningful commitment before you are eligible to claim anything — and by that point, in a young man, ordinary maturation may well account for any change either way. That is not a criticism of the company so much as an observation about why growth guarantees in this category are commercially safe to offer. Practical buying advice: Separate the grooming products from the growth products in your head. A good beard oil, balm, brush, comb and pair of scissors will genuinely improve how your beard looks and feels, and those products do exactly what they say. Buy those with confidence. Treat the growth claims with scepticism and, if growth is your actual goal, research topical minoxidil with a clinician instead. Do not stack multiple biotin-containing products. A vitamin plus a balm plus a spray all containing biotin is not more effective, and the lab-test interference above is dose-related. Patch test anything topical before applying to your whole face, especially if you have sensitive skin or eczema. Fragrance and essential oils are common irritants. Anyone with a tree nut allergy should check for sweet almond oil. Check the subscription terms if any product is sold on a recurring basis — cancellation route, frequency, and whether you can skip. Who this suits: someone who wants a complete beard grooming routine from one place, values the convenience of a kit, and is buying the grooming products for what they actually do. Who should skip it: anyone buying primarily for growth, who would be better served by a conversation about minoxidil and by waiting out their twenties; anyone already taking a multivitamin with biotin, who does not need more; and anyone with a sudden or patchy loss pattern, who needs a doctor.

What are The Beard Club's terms? Free shipping over $30, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a Growth Guarantee offering a full refund if you see no results when the eligible products are used as indicated for five months. Verified August 12, 2026. Does biotin grow hair? Not in people who are not deficient, and biotin deficiency is rare on a normal diet. The evidence for benefit is largely limited to people with an underlying deficiency. Is biotin dangerous? Not in itself, but the FDA has warned it can significantly interfere with laboratory tests — including troponin tests used to diagnose heart attacks, where it can cause falsely low results — and commonly affects thyroid tests. What should I do about that? Tell every clinician you take biotin and the dose, stop it before scheduled blood tests as your clinician or lab advises, and say so immediately if you ever present with chest pain. What actually grows facial hair? Genetics and age, overwhelmingly. Beards commonly fill in through the twenties and into the early thirties. Topical minoxidil is the only topical with a meaningful evidence base for facial hair — and it is not in this range. Does castor oil grow hair? There is no good evidence that it does. It is a decent conditioner, which makes a beard look and feel better without changing growth. Do derma rollers work? There is reasonable evidence for microneedling on the scalp, particularly combined with minoxidil; the beard-specific evidence is thinner. Use on clean skin, disinfect before and after, never share, replace regularly, and avoid active acne, infection or broken skin. Is the Growth Guarantee worth relying on? Get the written terms first — what counts as "used as indicated", whether the five months must be consecutive, what evidence of no results is required, which products qualify, and whether the refund covers everything you paid. My beard is patchy. Is that treatable? Usually it is genetic and age-related, and time is the most effective intervention. But a patch that falls out rapidly leaving a smooth, well-defined bald area suggests alopecia areata — an autoimmune condition with real treatments — and needs a doctor. I get bumps when I shave. What is that? Possibly pseudofolliculitis barbae, ingrown hairs that disproportionately affect people with tightly coiled hair. Growing a beard is often the effective treatment; a dermatologist can advise. Should I take several biotin products at once? No. It is not more effective, and the lab-test interference is dose-related.