Efficacy of 2.5 mg Oral Biotin Versus 5% Topical Minoxidil in Increasing Nail Growth Rate

The study compared the efficacy of 2.5 mg oral biotin and 5% topical minoxidil in increasing the nail growth rate (NGR) in 38 healthy adults over 28 days. Results showed that minoxidil increased NGR by 19%, biotin by 13%, and the combination by 14%, with minoxidil alone being more effective than biotin. No significant differences were found between the combination treatment and minoxidil alone. Nail biting was associated with greater NGR, while age and gender had no significant impact. The study suggested that minoxidil could be a promising low-cost treatment to enhance NGR, though further research is needed, especially in older populations and over longer periods.