Biotin is a B-complex vitamin that is water-soluble and helps the body metabolize sugar, fats and proteins. It is required by all living organisms. Supplementing the body with biotin can improve the health of your fingernails and toenails. Taking biotin for nails is generally recommended in 2.5-milligram doses administered daily.

Also known as vitamin H or vitamin B7, biotin and is produced by bacteria, molds, plants, algae and yeasts. Biotin is naturally found in foods such as eggs, brewer’s yeast and liver. The amount of biotin found naturally in these foods is generally too low to improve the health of nails, however. For example, you would have to eat 100 eggs to get the recommended 2.5-milligram daily dosage of biotin.

Signs that nails need supplementation include weak, brittle nails that are prone to splitting. Weak nails can benefit from a boost with a biotin supplement, which works to thicken the nails. This, over time, helps to prevent splitting and cracking. When you take biotin for nails, it is absorbed into the core of the nail, resulting in thicker, longer and most importantly healthier nails.

Many people have a biotin deficiency because of heredity or a poor diet. When the body has a biotin deficiency, the body can’t effectively use glucose for energy and protein for cell growth. This causes the body to fall apart or breakdown. In addition to weak nails, signs of a biotin deficiency include a dysfunctional nervous system, muscle aches, thin hair or baldness and dermatitis or other skin problems.

Scientific studies show that taking biotin helps fight a variety of ailments, including problems with weak nails. Biotin for nails is a common supplement that is available online and at many health stores, vitamin stores and drugstores. There are no known side effects to taking biotin for nails. It can take as long as six months for fingernails to grow. Therefore, results of biotin supplementation are normally seen after six months.