Biotin, Silica or MSM -- does one work better?

[regina07]

I had a period of severe breakage and shedding in Sept 2011 and started taking mega-doses (30,000 mcg) of biotin every day. I didn't have any breakouts or acne but I realized earlier this week that I haven't seen any significant changes in my hair, either.

The breakage and shredding stopped once i changed my birth control. Don't know if the biotin had any effect.

Do you think Silica or MSM give better results than Biotin?

 

[jessicarabbit]

ive heard great things about msm (topically and internally)
but silica is a powerhouse. the thing with silica is that you have to take it in its most potent form. Horsetail is a weaker silica. Bamboo extract contains the highest source of silica in the world. I read somewhere that you can actually see a bamboo plant growing, very very slowly. I think it grows a couple of centimeters a day. A notice how hard and strong the bamboo plant is, cant be broken. Also, babies have are born with a very high level of silica, which is why they grow so quickly and when they get cuts and scratches it heals quickly.Their skin is extremely elastic and soft. I notice on my 5 month ds whenever he scratches himself, the scratch is gone in less than a week. Our silica content gets lower and lower as we age (which kind of explains the wrinkles and loss of elasticity lol)
so you can try bamboo tea daily, for you silica (or bamboo extract or heck any form of silica you want) And maybe take an MSM pill daily too. Biotin is ehh.

 

[JeterCrazed]

Silica gave me results. I just can't take the taste. Diatomaceous Earth. Search the forums. I posted progress pics. You've reminded me to revisit it, but

Sent from my Inspire HD using LHCF

 

[DesignerCurls]

I voted for biotin in error! I meant to vote for silica.

I agree with everything in the previous posts! But I also use silica hair products (just said this in another thread) or add it to my hair products. Even doing a clay wash with bentonite or rhassoul clay will give your hair a boost of silica. I recommend rhassoul it's more moisturizing IMO. It helps with instant elasticity. I do take it internally too. MSM internally is good also. I can't mess with biotin anymore...doesn't give me acne but blows me up like I'm 4 months preggers!

eta:JeterCrazed I take the I take Body Essential Silica Gel which has a tangy cirtus taste or the Eidon Silica which has no taste because it's just silica and purified water

 

[longhairdreaming]

I've been taking MSM powder and Silica from Horsetail(pill form) for about a year now. I've been able to grow and retain a good amount of hair even with my 7months of monthly 1/4-1/2in trims. I'd never heard of Bamboo Silica though...I need to look into that. Everytime I try Biotin my already acne prone skin goes nuts so I've never taken it long enough to know of any benefits.

 

[hair4today]

regina07, I agree with what the previous posters said about silica. Have not tried biotin as a supplement on its own to form an opinion. I have been using MSM for over a year and although I love MSM for the internal health benefits plus softening of new growth, however, it had no impact in lessening the shedding and breakage. I recently went through a period of intense shedding and subsequent breakage brought on by the use of Wen. I tried a bunch of things, henna, cassia, black tea rinses, garlic conditioners and although I saw some reduced shedding, none of these stopped the shedding completely until I incorporated silica in my diet by drinking bamboo leaf tea. As stated above by lindsaywhat, bamboo has high levels of silica. I started drinking bamboo leaf tea approx 30 days ago and the result was immediate. Over time, I noticed that my hair felt stronger, less fragile and prone to breakage and the shedding has completely stopped. My wash day has seen significant decrease in breakage when detangling. My nails also grew like weeds. Best of all the bamboo leaf tea taste so nice and mild that I can drink cup a day which is enjoyable to me. I purchased the bamboo leaf tea from a blogger named Nadege over at relaxed hair health. Here is the link if you're interested...http://relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.ca/p/bamboo-leaf-tea.html. If you visit the site, you'll find out more about the benefits of incorporating silica in your diet to improve hair health. I truly love the stuff and will always have as part of my diet. HHG.

 

[jessicarabbit]

hair4today thats where i purchase mine
her blog is great too!

 

[regina07]

hair4today; lindsaywhat

Thanks ladies -- I ordered some bamboo leaf tea. I know that biotin doesn't work for me --- and although MSM is great for my joints, it didn't do much for my hair, either.... so silica is it! Plus I'll add silica to my morning smoothie.

DesignerCurls -- how long did it take for you to lose the biotin bloat after you stopped taking it?

 

[Kerryann]

Thanks for this post i just ordered some

 

[ReignLocks]

regina07, check out this thread on Silica: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=263757

Apparently silica can cause some serious problems and is a no-go for breastfeeding women.

 

[NappyNelle]

ReignLocks Thanks for linking that thread.

I tried Biotin many years ago and it didn't work for me; lately, I am drinking MSM water, and I like the results for my joints, skin, nails, and hair. I haven't had any negative side effects. Now I'm interested in Silica. Darn you guys!

 

[JeterCrazed]

I think in gonna order Eidon. Thanks, DesignerCurls!

Beware, ladies, that bamboo green tea is not bamboo leaf tea. Bamboo green tea is green tea leaves that look like bamboo leaves.

Sent from my Inspire HD using LHCF

 

[n_vizion]

Hair4today, thanks so much for sharing your feedback on the bamboo tea! I absolutely fell in love with it the first time I tried it. I'm a huge proponent of taking supplements in liquid form because it doesn't have to go through the digestive process (like capsules), where stomach acids and other factors are involved. I think liquid is the best way to get the nutrient into our bloodstream, kinda like juicing.

Jetercrazed, You are absolutely right about green tea being sold under the name "bamboo tea." Which is why I got so excited when I found this little gem. These are organically grown bamboo leaves which have been prepared to release their silica "goodness" during brewing. From what I understand, the bamboo plant is so tough/strong, that if I just boiled the leaves, they wouldn't produce the same result. Best of all the taste is extremely light which makes for a perfect hot or cold tea. I actually prefer it on ice.

 

[lovebug10]

I take biotin and its worked for me. I've tried an oil that had MSM in it and it caused me to have really bad headaches. I've never tried silica directly but its in my hair & nails supplements.

Also here's a link for more info on silica http://www.livestrong.com/article/288425-side-effects-of-silica-supplements/ << I'm not sure how accurate it is but its just a reminder that we should all be careful when taking this along with other supplements. Especially when you start exceeding the normal daily doses. We all want nice hair but we also want to ensure that the rest of our bodies stay healthy. It doesn't hurt to check with a doctor and do research before starting any supplements/ growth aids (topical & oral)

 

[DesignerCurls]

@hair4today; @lindsaywhat

Thanks ladies -- I ordered some bamboo leaf tea. I know that biotin doesn't work for me --- and although MSM is great for my joints, it didn't do much for my hair, either.... so silica is it! Plus I'll add silica to my morning smoothie.

@DesignerCurls -- how long did it take for you to lose the biotin bloat after you stopped taking it?

@regina07 just seeing the mention.
It took about a week and a half to 2 weeks.

eta: apologies...didn't mean to include the other two mentions.
And JeterCrazed you're welcome. I hope you like it.

 

[nerdography]

I used Biotin and it's worked really well for me. I tried MSM, but I had an allergic reason to it, my throat started to close up.

 

[ycj1]

ive heard great things about msm (topically and internally)
but silica is a powerhouse. the thing with silica is that you have to take it in its most potent form. Horsetail is a weaker silica. Bamboo extract contains the highest source of silica in the world. I read somewhere that you can actually see a bamboo plant growing, very very slowly. I think it grows a couple of centimeters a day. A notice how hard and strong the bamboo plant is, cant be broken. Also, babies have are born with a very high level of silica, which is why they grow so quickly and when they get cuts and scratches it heals quickly.Their skin is extremely elastic and soft. I notice on my 5 month ds whenever he scratches himself, the scratch is gone in less than a week. Our silica content gets lower and lower as we age (which kind of explains the wrinkles and loss of elasticity lol)
so you can try bamboo tea daily, for you silica (or bamboo extract or heck any form of silica you want) And maybe take an MSM pill daily too. Biotin is ehh.

Great explanation of how effective silica really is! Thank you

 

[MangaManiac]

I just found some bamboo extract pills (750mg x 100 with no filler) being sold for about 11 GBP on ebay.co.uk. Once I'm done with my horsetail (I still have a lot) I'm going to purchase these. I think I will break the capsules open and add them to my daily green tea or to my raw smoothies. Thanks so much for the information!

 

[gn1g]

MangaManiac why not take the pill? Do you think it would be too much?

 

[Anavrin]

I had a period of severe breakage and shedding in Sept 2011 and started taking mega-doses (30,000 mcg) of biotin every day. I didn't have any breakouts or acne but I realized earlier this week that I haven't seen any significant changes in my hair, either.

The breakage and shredding stopped once i changed my birth control. Don't know if the biotin had any effect.

Do you think Silica or MSM give better results than Biotin?

Neither did I, really. Even when I took massive doses WITH a Multivit, it did nothing for me. I did notice my skin look more luminous though. It could be maybe youre not drinking enough water? I was guilty of it and I was told that water is pretty important when taking vitamins.

Or maybe youre body already has enough Biotin and youre just pissing the rest out. I doubt your body, or any body thats healthy would need to use all 30,000 mcg of Biotin.

And as far as the poll question, I havent gotten around to picking up any MSM or Silica. Ill probably try MSM while im doing the Miconazole Nitrate Challenge.

 

[McQuay30]

Bumping for more responses

 

[blackindia07]

I had REALLY good results with biotin...it's what finally got me past sl. I tell ppl all te time though that idk if everyone would get the same result of it it was just that I was deficient. BUT recently I was reading a thread where everyone was complaining that biotin made them break out so I'm taking a break from it wondering if it hasn't been the culprit of my bad skin all these years...

I also tried msm which made my boobs bigger but I def noticed that my acne got worse so I stopped before I saw any hair results.

Now u guys have interested in silica! Lol

 

[claud-uk]

I just found some bamboo extract pills (750mg x 100 with no filler) being sold for about 11 GBP on ebay.co.uk. Once I'm done with my horsetail (I still have a lot) I'm going to purchase these. I think I will break the capsules open and add them to my daily green tea or to my raw smoothies. Thanks so much for the information!

If you're talking about this item: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300724233173#ht_1640wt_1187 I ordered this about 2 weeks ago and it's just arrived (I had it posted to Spain) but it's not what was advertised. The seller sent Swanson Horsetail, no mention of Bamboo and only 500mg NOT 700mg. I have just this second sent him an email and will update you when I get a reply.

 

[MangaManiac]

@MangaManiac why not take the pill? Do you think it would be too much?

gn1g

Just swallowing the pill means that it will have to digest in the stomach before being absorbed by the body. Breaking the caps into a tea means that it will be more readily absorbed into the blood stream.

 

[Lita]

I have used bamboo caps & msm...

*notice strong fast growing nails & eyelashes with bamboo...

*msm powder better feeling joints & muscles..Hair growing on my face & everywhere..lol..That happens when I take 4000 mg + a day..


Happy Hair Growing!

 

[claud-uk]

If you're talking about this item: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300724233173#ht_1640wt_1187 I ordered this about 2 weeks ago and it's just arrived (I had it posted to Spain) but it's not what was advertised. The seller sent Swanson Horsetail, no mention of Bamboo and only 500mg NOT 700mg. I have just this second sent him an email and will update you when I get a reply.

Update on this post:

I have indeed received 90x 700mg PURE Bamboo Silica with No fillers, they arrived about 2 days after I ordered them - my DH was looking for an envelope that said 'silica' on it, he didn't think to open the plain white little padded envelope that the seller actually sent the capsules in, lol, he's so silly!!!

So I can recommend you go ahead and buy these off Ebay, I left the seller Roger excellent feedback, he was so helpful and is able to certify the bamboo is from China and 100% pure

Will post another update in 3 months time when I do my length check - need time for these bad boys to work

Below: First pic is of Feb-April where I was taking ZERO vitamins and the second pic is of April-June where I took 10mg Biotin per day (Apr-June) and 1500mg MSM per day (May-June).

 

[MicheePrings]

Wow great results

 

[MangaManiac]

Update on this post:

I have indeed received 90x 700mg PURE Bamboo Silica with No fillers, they arrived about 2 days after I ordered them - my DH was looking for an envelope that said 'silica' on it, he didn't think to open the plain white little padded envelope that the seller actually sent the capsules in, lol, he's so silly!!!

So I can recommend you go ahead and buy these off Ebay, I left the seller Roger excellent feedback, he was so helpful and is able to certify the bamboo is from China and 100% pure

Will post another update in 3 months time when I do my length check - need time for these bad boys to work

Below: First pic is of Feb-April where I was taking ZERO vitamins and the second pic is of April-June where I took 10mg Biotin per day (Apr-June) and 1500mg MSM per day (May-June).

Awesome - Thank you so much! I'm going to order these today. I'm already on a pretty intense vitamin regimen (I'm not even going to post everything I'm taking) for hair, skin, and weight loss, but these seem to be known for their effectiveness.

I've just increased my MSM from 1500 mg to 2250 mg and I think I'm going to keep it there unless makes a case for 3000 mg being significantly better!

 

[JazziLady!]

regina07, I agree with what the previous posters said about silica. Have not tried biotin as a supplement on its own to form an opinion. I have been using MSM for over a year and although I love MSM for the internal health benefits plus softening of new growth, however, it had no impact in lessening the shedding and breakage. I recently went through a period of intense shedding and subsequent breakage brought on by the use of Wen. I tried a bunch of things, henna, cassia, black tea rinses, garlic conditioners and although I saw some reduced shedding, none of these stopped the shedding completely until I incorporated silica in my diet by drinking bamboo leaf tea. As stated above by lindsaywhat, bamboo has high levels of silica. I started drinking bamboo leaf tea approx 30 days ago and the result was immediate. Over time, I noticed that my hair felt stronger, less fragile and prone to breakage and the shedding has completely stopped. My wash day has seen significant decrease in breakage when detangling. My nails also grew like weeds. Best of all the bamboo leaf tea taste so nice and mild that I can drink cup a day which is enjoyable to me. I purchased the bamboo leaf tea from a blogger named Nadege over at relaxed hair health. Here is the link if you're interested...http://relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.ca/p/bamboo-leaf-tea.html. If you visit the site, you'll find out more about the benefits of incorporating silica in your diet to improve hair health. I truly love the stuff and will always have as part of my diet. HHG.

What form does the tea come in and how do you prepare it?

 

[msbettyboop]

I started taking biotin but it made me feel quite ill so I switched over to a hair, skin and nails vitamin with biotin and collagen included which gave me violent headaches. I'm talking lying in bed, sweating, can't see straight headaches. Even though it also dried up my acne and gave my skin a smoother texture the 3 weeks I used it, I will have to give it up. The bamboo tea seems mild so that's the next thing I will try.