Biotin Is Required for Zinc Homeostasis in the Skin

    April 2019 in “ Nutrients ”
    Youichi Ogawa, Manao Kinoshita, Takuya Sato, Shinji Shimada, Tatsuyoshi Kawamura
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    TLDR Biotin is important for keeping zinc levels balanced in the skin and its lack can cause hair loss.
    In 2019, a study on mice found that a deficiency in biotin, a type of B vitamin, led to a decrease in zinc levels in the skin, resulting in hair loss. Biotin-deficient mice showed symptoms similar to those seen in patients with acrodermatitis enteropathica, a condition caused by inherent zinc deficiency. These symptoms included reduced serum zinc levels, disappearance of epidermal Langerhans cells, enhanced ATP production in the skin, and significantly enhanced and prolonged irritant contact dermatitis. The study also noted a connection between reduced serum biotin and zinc levels in patients with male androgenetic alopecia. The study concluded that biotin is crucial for maintaining zinc homeostasis in the skin, and its deficiency can lead to hair loss. However, the exact mechanisms of how dietary biotin deficiency leads to zinc deficiency were not fully understood.
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