It's normal to lose a few strands of hair every other day - but this hair should grow back almost immediately. Should you realize that you're losing too much hair than usual, you may need to take some bold steps to nip the underlying problem in the bud.
One of the popular products that promise to help with that is made up of a bunch of minerals and vitamins. And in this Viviscal review, we'd like to lay all the facts bare about a hair regrowth formula that has been making the headlines of late.
Is it worth the $50 USD price? Are there cheaper and probably better alternatives? Is it a scam? Read on to find out.
Product Name: Viviscal Advanced Hair Health
Manufacturer: Lifes2Good Inc. (Chicago)
Made in: Ireland
Target: Men & Women
Website: www.viviscal.com
Verdict: It's a 50/50 situation here. Read on & be the judge.
What exactly is Viviscal?
This is a hair supplement with herbal extracts, vitamins, minerals and one rare ingredient obtained from the sea. It's actually a 4-in-1 product.
-Diet Pills
-Shampoo
-Conditioner
-Elixir
The pills and shampoo are recommended for both men and women. But if you're a man, you probably won't need the other two i.e. Conditioner and Elixir unless you're planning to grow some really long hair to make French braids with. LOL.
That said, the product contains a really unique ingredient. We're yet to find this particular ingredient on any other hair loss products. It's called AminoMar (more about it later).
As far as before and after results are concerned, we've sampled out different reviews of this product and found it to attract both love and hate in equal measure. At $50 bucks per bottle, you probably would get similar or even better results with our recommended $25 supplement.
Viviscal Ingredients
This hair thinning reversal supplement is primarily made up of natural, earth-grown ingredients. And the best part is that you can get certificates of origin for each one of the ingredients although you'd need to contact the company's customer support team for that.
1. Herbal Extracts
Viviscal contains two herbal ingredients.
a) Horsetail Extract
This herbal extract is from the horsetail plant. It helps to reduce hair shedding and enables your body to grow new hair.
The green plant which resembles a horse's tail is rich in silicon. And as you probably are aware, this is the material needed to make your hair stand strong (effectively reducing breakage).
b) Millet Seed Extract
Plant sterols like linoleic acid and miliacin are present in the millet seed extract. These are meant to stimulate hair growth by strengthening your hair roots.
Miliacin, the major triterpenoid from millet, improves your scalp health by reducing inflammation in your hair bulb and repairing your damaged skin.
2. Minerals and Vitamins
There is a total of 6 vitamins and minerals that we happen to think are up to the task. Please note that these similar ingredients are also found in Folexin which is 50% cheaper than Viviscal.
a) Vitamin C
This is an antioxidant that protects your body from free radicals. Oxidative stress is caused by free radicals which damage tissues and cells. The hair follicle cells are, therefore, kept safe by vitamin C.
b) Niacin
Niacin is also called vitamin B3. It helps in scalp nourishment and rehydration which is essential for healthy hair development. It also aids the hair follicles in production of stronger hair strands thereby dealing with brittleness.
c) Biotin
It belongs to the vitamin B family and considered necessary for hair growth. Biotin makes your hair stronger. This significantly deals with breakage and shedding. It also thickens your hair.
d) Calcium
It stimulates your hair growth. Indeed, calcium is also important as it has a role in the secretion of enzymes and hormones that are essential for your important body functions.
e) Iron
Red blood cells and muscle cells enclose about 70% of your body's iron. Cells in your body rely on red blood cells to supply them with oxygen so that they can perform their functions. Deficiency in iron causes shedding of hair as the cells on your scalp are no different.
f) Zinc
It is an important antioxidant in your body. It plays a great role in tissue repair and growth. Zinc speeds up the growth of your hair and ensures free radicals are eliminated.
3. Unique Ingredient
Viviscal is the only hair supplement that has AminoMar as its original ingredient. AminoMar is a marine product because the ingredients are from marine animals.
It is a combination of mollusk and shark powder from the shark cartilage.
From clinical trials, it is safe to say that it has the potential to improve your hair growth. However, we feel that more research still needs to be done to ascertain the long-term effects of using it.
Learn more about AminoMar here.
How to Take Viviscal
The dosage for the round-shaped Viviscal tablets is two tablets per day. You are expected to use the oral pills for at least 6 months to start seeing any major results.
That's fast though not as fast as Folexin which typically works in 10 weeks.
What we really like about Viviscal, though is that it has small and easy-to-swallow tablets, unlike Folexin capsules. Plus the dosage instructions are pretty straightforward - simply take the pills after a meal.
We'd, however, recommend taking it with lots of water just to ensure that it's properly swallowed and broken down. Otherwise, if it remains in your mouth for too long, it might leave you with a bad taste.
How it Works
We've already mentioned the fact that this hair loss supplement contains lots of vitamins and minerals. So, what's the idea behind them?
First off, the product works by strengthening your hair roots. It's a known fact that weak hair roots eventually become dormant and that eventually causes balding. So, by addressing this issue, this dietary supplement tackles a much bigger problem than just hair-thinning.
Another highlight of this Viviscal review is that the product improves the condition of your scalp. At the same time, it helps deal with the brittleness of hair. All these are conditions commonly associated with loss of hair.
We've also mentioned about this product containing zinc. Well, think has been tried, tested, and proven to help in the repair and maintenance of weak hair follicles. Enough said.
Customer Reviews
Some customers have reported positive experiences with the use of Viviscal. They noticed increased hair growth and reduction in shedding.
Their hair texture became much better and the hair glowed. There was a significant change within the first three months. For some, it was the best hair supplement compared to others that they had used before.
However, some experienced negative results when they used Viviscal. For instance, they claimed that they did not notice any results within the first three months. It was not working for them.
On the product label, it has no mention of fish in the ingredients yet it is present. This is a problem, especially to those who are allergic to fish and the ones who do not take any animal products.
And of course, Viviscal doesn't come cheap. So we came across a series of complaints from customers who happened to think that it was overpriced.
So, if you're a frugal shopper, you might want to consider going for or something cheaper instead.
Can I Take Viviscal and Nutrafol Together?
Although you might feel that a combination of Viviscal and Nutrafol would double your expected outcome, that's not always true.
If anything, the ingredients in both supplements when combined can cause damage to your body. This is because they are manufactured using different processes. So when they get into your body they might interact.
Viviscal is taken with water and its absorption is different. It is also best taken after meals.
Nutrafol, on the other hand, is fat-soluble and its absorption is highly dependent on how you take it. You are supposed to take Nutrafol with your meals.
Combining the two is likely to result in clogging up of your system with an unabsorbed variety of minerals, vitamins, and herbal extracts.
Also, combining pills (Nutrafol) and tablets (Viviscal) geared towards the same function is likely to cause an overdose. This can lead to severe damage of your body cells. The hair follicles may end up damaged and you are likely to lose more hair.
Imagine how much you would have to spend buying both supplements. This is doesn't even make financial sense!
Viviscal versus Folexin
Folexin retails for as low as between $18 if bought in bulk or $25 if bought as a single bottle.
This is quite affordable compared to Viviscal which costs 50 bucks or Nutrafol which goes for an even higher price tag.
From customer reviews within the first two months of using Folexin, they noticed a significant change in their hair growth. Viviscal can take up to six months for visible results to occur. For someone experiencing hair loss, this is such a long time.
When in search of a hair supplement, it is much easier when you have just one product to use. Folexin has one version that is for both men and women.
Viviscal has other products apart from the supplement like the shampoo, conditioner, and Elixir. The shampoo and conditioner are not really necessary as you can find cheaper and equally good ones on Amazon or Walmart.
Folexin has a variety of ingredients that are likely to work well for your hair. The ingredients are well blended and for all hair types.
Viviscal only has a handful of ingredients although it has AminoMar which is an instant stand out. But still, you have to note that AminoMar is made from fish products and so if you're a vegan, Folexin would be the better option for you.
If we were to give a score to each one of these two, we'd give Viviscal 9 out of 10 and Folexin 9.5 out of 10. So, slightly better but cheaper.
Where to buy Viviscal
The official website viviscal.com is the best place to buy the hair supplement. When you buy more bottles, you get a discount. They also have a membership offer.
Once you become a member you can have up to 50% discount on your purchases. This is good because six months is a long time to save a considerable amount. It retails at $50 on its website.
Amazon has the hair supplement and it retails at pretty much the same price. There are also other third-party eCommerce sites where it's sold although we'd prefer not to recommend them because we've never shopped from them.
Does Viviscal Work?
Yes, it works. This is from the satisfied customers who have seen their hair drastically reduce shedding after consistent use of the supplement. Viviscal has been in the market for a long time. As such, numerous clinical trials have been carried out that proved that it gives a positive change to your hair loss.
It has been known to stimulate hair growth within the first three months of consistent use. Weak and brittle hair becomes strong, glowy and of better texture. The scalp also becomes healthy which enhances vigorous hair growth.
Some customers ascertain to having their skin glowing once they started taking the hair supplement.
That said, we'd put its success rate at 90%. While it's thought to be highly effective, there's a small number of people who say it didn't work for them.
Let's just say that the results aren't typical.
Side Effects of the Hair Supplement
Viviscal is as drug-free as the product label indicates. Unfortunately, customers have complained of negative effects after starting to use it.
*Bad Tasting PillsAfter taking the tablet, the after taste in your mouth is bitter and lingers for so long. This is uncomfortable as you have to experience the taste daily for six months.
*Stomach UpsetsSome also complain about stomach upsets and constipation. So, if you have a sensitive tummy, you might need to keep that in mind.
*Fish AllergiesIt's quite unfair that the Viviscal product label doesn't indicate the fact that it contains fish-related ingredients. If you're allergic to fish products, you might need to avoid taking the supplement as it might affect your health.
*Nausea & Vomiting
In rare cases, this hair regrowth formula might cause nausea and side effects. It is advisable to discontinue its use immediately if it causes you to vomit.
Frequently Asked Questions
a) How safe is Viviscal?
According to the clinical trials, it is completely safe. But we all have different ways of reacting to the supplements we take. For those who experience side effects like constipation and stomach distress, it may not be safe. You are cautioned to consult with a health practitioner before using Viviscal.
b) Will the hair supplement work for my hair?
The supplement is manufactured in such a way that it works for all types of hair. The ingredients are good to use for all hair textures and with consistency, you are likely to get the expected positive outcome.
c) Who can use Viviscal?
Anyone can use it. Clinical trials have, however, not been carried out on expectant women and breastfeeding mothers. This means that caution has to be taken and proper medical consultation done before the use of this supplement.
d) Should I expect positive results?
Your hair and body are different and the outcome is also varied. You are unlikely to experience the same hair changes as another person. Therefore, it's important to be open-minded when using this supplement.
e) How soon should I expect results?
From the clinical trials, within 3 months of using Viviscal, you should expect some noticeable changes. But as expected, the time may vary from person to person. So be patient and consistent.
There are tell-tale signs that scams are known for. For instance, they often promise and under-deliver or even they don't deliver anything at all. Other signs of a scam are that it is operated by faceless people using some shady websites.
Fortunately, Viviscal doesn't exhibit any such signs. And it's, therefore, safe to say that it's legit. However, it's important to be wary of fake versions and imitations of it. And that's why we only recommend getting it from either the Official Website or Amazon.
Viviscal Review: Final Thoughts
This hair loss product provides you with a mixed bag of surprises. It might work but we honestly think that it's overpriced. Also, it takes 3 to 6 months for any results to show meaning you'll have already spent a ton of cash before you realize that it doesn't work for you.
We are not sure whether to approve or disapprove of it. It's a 50/50 situation here. So, be the judge.
