This is a long review. If you're like me you have a short attention span and just want to get to the point. That's why I have broken this post up into sections. Just scan through the headers and find the section you want to read and skip the ones you don't.
Disclaimer:
Before I even start to review this product. Please note that the statements made by Viviscal have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. My statements about my experience with Viviscal are not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider. A consultation with your health care professional is the proper method to address your health concerns. You are encouraged to consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition or this product. Rapid advances in medicine may cause information contained here to become outdated, invalid or subject to debate. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Basically, what I'm saying is that what may have worked for me with no side effects may not work for you. Use at your own risk.
What I'm Reviewing:
I was sent the Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Growth Supplements about three months ago. I was sent two months worth of supplements, and then I purchased another month to test out the minimum recommended 3 month growth period. If my experiences do not match yours with this supplement it is because everyone is different. I make no guarantees about the performance of this supplement.
Disclaimer:
Before I even start to review this product. Please note that the statements made by Viviscal have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. My statements about my experience with Viviscal are not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider. A consultation with your health care professional is the proper method to address your health concerns. You are encouraged to consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition or this product. Rapid advances in medicine may cause information contained here to become outdated, invalid or subject to debate. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Basically, what I'm saying is that what may have worked for me with no side effects may not work for you. Use at your own risk.
What I'm Reviewing:
I was sent the Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Growth Supplements about three months ago. I was sent two months worth of supplements, and then I purchased another month to test out the minimum recommended 3 month growth period. If my experiences do not match yours with this supplement it is because everyone is different. I make no guarantees about the performance of this supplement.
The Condition Of My Hair:
First let me tell you about my hair. In the winter, my hair grows sloooowly. My hair is fine and color treated. I have dry hair that can be porous and is prone to breakage. My hair is naturally wavy, and with the proper coaxing I can make it curly or straight. When I was pregnant 6 years ago, my hair grew like a weed. It was all the hormones in my system. My hair, nails and skin looked phenomenal. Once I gave birth to little Darthypie my nails started to break, and my hair started to FALL OUT! Like, a lot of hair was falling out. I panicked. Then I read that many new mothers experience this and it is merely a side effect or after effect of being pregnant and giving birth. OK. Fine. So why, after 6 years was my hair still coming out in big clumps when I washed it (after combing through conditioner)? Why was my hair not growing as fast and why was there so much hair in my brush? I think a combination of Age, Stress and hormonal changes contributed to my hair thinning and excessive hair loss.
Some Causes Of Hair Loss:
According to Viviscal, the story about stress, while cliché, leading to hair problems is actually true.
"In extreme stress, the adrenal gland goes into overdrive, and the resultant increase in adrenaline sometimes leads to a consequent increase in the production of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone which, without enough estrogen to counterbalance it, can lead to hair not being as healthy as it should be."
What causes more stress is seeing my hair fall out. It becomes a vicious circle.
"It can be difficult to pinpoint a specific stress episode as the reason why hair becomes unhealthy, but it is often acute and chronic stress that will bring on conditions such as telogen effuvium (hair shedding) and alopecia areata (patchy hair loss)."
Now I was not experiencing patchy hair loss, but excessive shedding was my main issue.
There are also many other factors that can contribute to my thinning hair. Aside from post pregnancy and stress, age, some medications, poor diet, and hormonal changes (Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome {That's me} can experience problems with their hair due to a hormone imbalance and increased sensitivity to the male hormones) can also contribute to hair loss.
What Is Viviscal?:
The Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Growth Program is supposed to nourish thinning hair, and it is supposed to promote existing hair growth from within (please see disclaimer above). According to Viviscal, the "...Extra Strength dietary supplements are scientifically formulated with the exclusive marine complex AminoMar™ which helps to nourish thinning hair and promote existing healthy hair growth [see disclaimer above] from within. These nutrients help nourish your hair during the Anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. Only Viviscal supplements contain the proprietary marine complex AminoMar™ (450 mg per serving)." Bbasically it is a supplement that you take twice a day to help promote hair growth.
The Ingredients In Viviscal:
AminoMarTM Marine Complex 450 mg
Vitamin C (from Acerola Powder and as Ascorbic Acid) 59 mg
Niacin (as Niacinamide) 12 mg
Biotin 120 mcg (micro gram)
Iron (from Ferrous Fumarate) 10 mg
Zinc (from Zinc Oxide) 11 mg
Horsetail (stem) Extract 36.7 mg
Millet seed extract 7.5 mg
Other Ingredients are : Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maltodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Artificial Orange Flavoring, Modified Starch, Glycerol. CONTAINS FISH INGREDIENTS (SHARK).
OK. so the Shark ingredient concerns me. I wonder how they procure it as some species of shark are being hunted to extinction. I also wonder if they are using something from the cartilage of the shark or what? I need to look into that more.
Biotin 120 mcg (micro gram)
Iron (from Ferrous Fumarate) 10 mg
Zinc (from Zinc Oxide) 11 mg
Horsetail (stem) Extract 36.7 mg
Millet seed extract 7.5 mg
Other Ingredients are : Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maltodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Artificial Orange Flavoring, Modified Starch, Glycerol. CONTAINS FISH INGREDIENTS (SHARK).
OK. so the Shark ingredient concerns me. I wonder how they procure it as some species of shark are being hunted to extinction. I also wonder if they are using something from the cartilage of the shark or what? I need to look into that more.
How It Worked For Me:
After taking two Viviscal pills a day for three months, I did notice a significant decrease in my hair shedding. When I washed my hair, less and less fell out when I combed conditioner through. My hair was slightly thicker than normal, and a side effect I did not mind, my nails grew like crazy. Now will say that in general I have inhumanly strong nails. They don't bend, split or flake, and when they do break, it is because I put undue stress on them and they literally break off horizontally. My nails are the longest they have been in 6 years. All I have been doing is normal shaping with a file and my Dermalect Makeover Ridge Filler before every manicure. Look a them!
I know, right? Now this growth may be mostly because of my genetics, but I must say that after taking Viviscal I did notice that they grew stronger. However, Viviscal does not make any statements about nail growth nor do they promise any if you take this product.
In addition to the slowing down of my hair shedding, I did notice that my hair grew rather quickly. Even when I was sick for an entire month in February my hair still stayed "strong" and grew like a weed. Here is a picture of my hair right before I colored it. This is 10 weeks of growth. In 10 weeks, my hair grew almost 2 inches! (The average growth is half an inch a month) That's not too shabby if I do say so myself. Also, my stylist/colorist mentioned that my hair looked remarkably healthy and despite using box dyes and different reds every time I colored my hair I showed no signs of banding. Banding is when different sections of your hair hold on to color differently. The roots to 2-3" are the strongest and least porous. They hold the color the longest. the middle shaft of the hair will sometimes look lighter than the roots because of the fact that is tends to be slightly more porous and loses color easily, and the ends are the most porous and sometimes damaged and they lose the color the fastest.) ANYWAY. My hair was not only shedding less, but it was growing faster too! That's a win in my book.
Recommendations:
I urge you to consult a physician before starting any supplement regimen. I also urge you to consult a physician if you are experiencing hair loss. I have taken the Viviscal Supplements for three months and noticed a significant change in my hair. I would recommend using it if your physician says it is OK. I cannot guarantee that your results will be the same as mine. However, I am extremely satisfied with the results and will continue to take the supplement on a daily basis. You can purchase Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Growth Supplements at Drugstore.com, Ulta, Walgreens or Shop Now.
What say you? Did you actually read this entire post? (Just kidding) Have you used Viviscal in the past? What was your experience? Have you used other supplements specifically for improving your hair? How did that work for you?