Viviscal's hair growth vitamin and dietary supplement taken twice daily promises to "reverse hair loss" and grow thicker hair in both men and women experiencing balding and thinning hair. Its primary activeingredient, AminoMar C™ Marine Complex, is said to be a proprietary blend of ingredients and proteins that "provides the essential nutrients needed to nourish thinning hair and promote existing hair growth".
The entire Viviscal product line includes an "all natural" dietary supplement, a shampoo and conditioner, and a scalp lotion. Viviscal is promoted as being 100% natural, drug-free, gluten-free and safe from harmful side effects. But can Viviscal deliver on its promises to reverse hair loss and grow new hair?
In 2011, Viviscal advertisement was banned in the United Kingdom by the Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) who deemed that its claims to maintain optimum hair health were unproven. The ASA concluded:
"Because the evidence sent did not show that the ingredients in Viviscal had been shown to have a positive effect on hair health, we concluded the claims that the product could 'nourish hair follicles' had not been substantiated' and ruled the advert cannot be broadcast until it is changed."
However, as with many similar products promising to grow hair, substantiating their hair growth claims may not be a simple task.
Viviscal’s manufacturer does reference a number of studies that seem to support their claims of growing thicker hair. For example, the results of "Scientific Pilot Study #1" on 40 hair loss suffering females with an average age of 35 concluded, "Viviscal was well received by test subjects and the analysis of hair counts showed a mean reduction in hair loss of 46% in only 10 weeks." Additional studies are cited on Viviscal’s website.
Recently, we learned that Dr. Glenn Charleshas publicly endorsed Viviscal. Dr. Charles has an outstanding reputation for performing state of the art hair transplant surgery and is a highly esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.When asked to comment on his public endorsement of Viviscal, Dr. Charles stated:
"I have never had any hair loss patients display any negative effects. I describe it to my patients as a natural supplement that can promote a healthier scalp and hair. It may also, in turn, slow down the hair loss process. I tell all my patients that there are no guarantees with this product. Although most patients believe that they did have improvement after using this product, I admit that some patients do not see any noticeable changes that either they or I can identify."
Other hair loss experts are not as optimistic regarding Viviscal’s hair growth potential. Coalition member Dr. Bill Rassmanof Los Angeles states:
"I am skeptical of the photographs (results) and the changes shown make me doubt what the Viviscal marketing department wants me to see. Viviscal reportedly contains ‘special marine extracts and a silica compound’ - and yet I’m to believe this will regrow hair? If these photos were real, the product would have taken over the market years ago."
It's also important to note that Viviscal does notmake any claims on their website that their products can reverse the effects of genetic hair loss. Instead, it simply states, "Viviscal works to reverse hair loss due to stress, poor nutrition, and many health related ailments".
So is Viviscal an effective hair loss treatment? More research may be needed before this question can be effectively answered.
While there may be no harm (potential side effects) in trying it, at an average cost of $600 per year there are certainly more affordable and proven treatments available. The only clinically proven and FDA approved medical hair loss treatments currently available are Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride). While Rogaine may be used by both male and female patients, Propecia is safe and approved only for male hair loss sufferers. Always consult your physician before adding any treatment to your hair loss regimen.
Reviewed by Hundreds of Patients!
This Learning Center offers in-depth reviews of hair loss treatments and the leading physicians who provide them. Today, there are treatments that can stop or even reverse hair loss. Hair transplant surgery, when done right, can now produce results so natural that even hair stylists cannot spot them.
But it is critical to choose the right hair loss treatment and hair restoration physician, since the skill, talent, and experience of physicians vary widely, as do their results.
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Today it is a very refined outpatient procedure that can produce full and natural looking results, even after only one hair transplant session.
When performed correctly not even a hair stylist will detect that a person has had a hair transplant.
However, to achieve such natural results it is critical that the hair transplant procedure be "performed correctly". To do so requires a hair restoration clinic that can perform a follicular unit hair transplant at the highest levels of skill, experience, and dedication.
A great hair transplant is the result of using a state of the art surgical procedure and performing it with great skill and artistry. Today the acknowledged "gold standard" in hair transplant surgery is called "Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation".
This relatively new hair transplant procedure enables a patient to achieve extremely natural results because it recreates and mimics the way a person's hair grows naturally, hair for hair.
To understand this procedure you must first understand how hair grows naturally.
If you look closely at naturally growing hair using magnification you will see that hair actually grows in groupings of one, two, three, and four hairs.
These naturally occurring hair groupings grow in irregular patterns on the scalp similar to trees growing in the forest. These groupings are technically referred to as "follicular units".
By relocating these carefully prepared and isolated follicular units, physicians doing "follicular unit hair transplantation" recreate a natural pattern of hair in the balding areas.
To do this properly is a very time consuming process. It requires a team of skilled and meticulous medical technicians working closely with the lead physician.
All our physician members perform this hair transplant procedure with excellent results. They are granted membership in the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians strictly based on their proven high level of experience, ethics, and skill in successfully performing this patient friendly procedure.
While the follicular unit procedure is more demanding upon the medical staff, it produces dramatic and life long advantages for the patient such as undetectable naturalness, rapid healing, and optimal use of their limited donor hair.
Only a minority of hair transplant surgeons are committed to doing the follicular unit procedure properly. Many physicians continue to dissect grafts without regard to the integrity of the follicular units. Follicular units are often transected and damaged as donor tissue is cut to conform to the size of the recipient holes rather than to maintain the integrity of the follicular units.
Such common standard hair transplant procedures are quicker and simpler to perform than follicular unit hair transplantation from the hair transplant surgeon's perspective. The standard hair transplant procedure is also often more profitable for the clinic since it requires less staff time, training, resources, and skill. However, the results are generally suboptimal for the patient.
Each follicular unit is surrounded by small glands, blood vessels, nerves, and a connective tissue sac making it a tiny self contained unit.
If these follicular units are damaged during removal or dissection, the hair may grow poorly.
Therefore it is important to cut only in the loose tissue between the follicular units to keep each follicular unit intact and avoid damaging it.
For many balding men and women worldwide, credible hair loss concealers like DermMatch are an important part of their daily routine. By utilizing concealers, individuals with thinning hair are able to increase the appearance of follicular density and recreate a thicker, fuller head of hair all with a single topical application.
Like any other hair loss treatment, concealers must be reviewed, clinically tested, and proven before receiving any endorsement from this website community. However, after reviewing both the product and patient testimonials on our open hair loss forum, one thing is clear: DermMatch is a dependable, hair loss concealer that has been proven effective by the overall patient community.
Unlike other "sprinkle," "spray," or "lotion" concealers, DermMatch utilizes a patented "EZ Grip, EZ Reach" applicator to evenly distribute a hard-packed powder formula over a hair loss sufferer’s scalp. In addition to "matching" the patient’s scalp to their natural hair color (minimizing the contrast between scalp and hair, and truly concealing baldness), the DermMatch powder formula coats, thickens, and volumizes existing hair.
Because DermMatch minimizes the appearance of hair loss by matching scalp to hair tone, the product is available in 8 different shades, and creates an integrated, natural look for all hair colors and types. Furthermore, if consumers require a highly specialized color, DermMatch shades can be mixed to truly mimic the appearance of any complex hair tone. Additionally, because of the ease of the "EZ Grip, EZ Reach" applicator, DermMatch is particularly useful for recreating or matching shortly cropped hair, mimicking natural hairlines, and diminishing the appearance of previous hair transplant surgery scars.
In addition to simple application and a natural appearance, DermMatch is extremely resilient, and can withstand excessive sweating, wind stress, and even full water submersion. According to the makers of DermMatch, the product’s all natural ingredients, including emollients, botanicals, and other organic elements, coat the hair and scalp, and protect from unwanted and unexpected stessors. By adding this level of protection, DermMatch will resist the running, flaking, and smudging associated with other, less effective concealers. Furthermore, because DermMatch does not contain any unsafe dyes or colorants, it will not dry/irritate the scalp or affect any new or existing hair growth.
According to the makers of DermMatch, the product is useful for all hair loss sufferers (both male and female), and provides aesthetically pleasing results in patients with up to 80% decreases in hair density. Furthermore, DermMatch can be used with other proven hair loss treatments like Propecia (finasteride), Rogaine (minoxidil), and surgical hair transplantation. Because of its efficacy, usability, and popularity with hair loss sufferers, DermMatch is highly recommended to any individual seeking a quality concealer.
For step by step instructions on how to apply DermMatch to thinning areas including photos and an in-depth discussion with other hair loss sufferers, visit the discussion topic "DermMatch (Pictures)". To see what other members and DermMatch consumers are saying, you are encouraged to use the "search" feature of our hair restoration discussion forum.
It seems that lately, new hair loss treatments based on “revolutionary scientific research” hit the rumor mill on a monthly basis. Some of these treatments come to light via reputable scientific journals while others, like Recoverup, materialize one day with a flashy website, a lot of promises and very little verifiable data. Recoverup is a UK based company that claims to offer stem cell treatments for hair loss through clinics in Taipei, Taiwan and Penang, Malaysia. According to their website, this treatment is so quick and easy it can be performed in a single day with startling results visible in only one month. Does this sound too good to be true?
Recoverup’s baldness treatment process claims to rely upon Autologous Adipose Adult Stem Cells (AAA). Unlike controversial embryonic stem cell treatments, Autologous Adipose Stem Cells are derived from the patient’s own fat cells through a small liposuction procedure and are then grown into a culture to increase volume. These stem cells are then “differentiated” with “growth factors” and injected into the scalp in order to induce new hair growth. This multistage process from extraction to injection can be performed in two appointments scheduled in the same day.
The question is, does Recoverup’s baldness treatment really grow hair? They state that “Empirical data indicates patients would expect to see at least 40% of all treated areas showing one of four results; (1) darker hair (2) thicker hair (3) faster growing hair or (4) more hair per follicle. Overall the effect is of more volume, and density, in those areas which were treated.” However, the Recoverup website offers very little in the way of photo documentation. The few photos that are presented are of poor quality and covered in text making them very difficult to evaluate.
The estimated cost for the one day hair loss treatment is between $8,000 and $13,000 depending upon the area to be treated. However, if the area to be treated is sufficiently large enough to merit a second day of treatments then this fee increases. Recoverup states that the long-term effects of the treatment are unknown and are dependent upon such factors as the patient’s age and quality of the source stem cells. “However, as a general guide, in other areas of stem cell treatment, data indicates approximately 3-5 years of positive results from each treatment.” Recoverup does offer a 30-day money back guarantee if a patient experiences no new hair growth but is also quick to point out that the results will vary. One can imagine quibbling over whether or not a single follicle that didn’t appear to exist prior to treatment would constitute success under their definition. In summary, assuming Recoverup’s AAA stem cell treatment does stimulate hair regrowth, a patient can expect to pay upwards of $13,000 plus travel expenses to Asia for a treatment that is, by their own estimates, about 40% effective and may last between 3 and 5 years. This hardly sounds like an attractive alternative or even supplement to today’s state of the art, ultra-refined follicular unit hair transplantation combined with the clinically proven medical treatments Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil). It is recommended that patients approach all unproven, “revolutionary” medical treatments with cautious optimism. Androgenic alopecia is progressive and avoiding proven surgical and medical treatments in favor of experimental procedures may lead to further hair loss.
There are a variety of shampoos and conditioners that can be used to slow down the progression of male and female pattern baldness. It should be noted that no shampoo nor conditioner is proven to regrow hair. Thus, for best results, any shampoo and conditioner product should be used in conjunction with other proven hair loss treatments such as Propecia (finasteride)and Rogaine (minoxidil).
Shampoo and conditioner can also help to "volumize" the hair, making hair appear thicker and fuller. Ingredients found in many of these treatments are designed to promote healthy hair growth and nourish the follicles. Thus, for a healthy scalp and hair, using one or more of these dedicated shampoos and conditioners can be the perfect addition to any hair loss treatment regimen. To learn more about each product, click a link below:
Nioxin
Nizoral 2% Shampoo - Extra Strength
Nizoral Shampoo - Regular
Revita Shampoo
Revivogen
Tricomin
To date, only surgical hair restoration is proven to grow hair in completely bald areas. You are invited to have a free virtual consultation with one of our prescreened hair restoration physicians.