Viviscal is a leading hair growth brand. The company sells everything from dietary supplements for hair growth to shampoo to hair serums, and claims their products are "proven effective via 10 clinical studies."
But are Viviscal's products actually proven to cause hair growth? Does the brand use research-backed active ingredients? Do they use any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Viviscal?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the clinical studies on Viviscal to see if the brand is really proven to naturally regrow hair.
We'll also analyze the ingredients in Viviscal Hair Growth Supplement to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll share our concerns about Viviscal Pro and Viviscal Men, document which retailer sells this brand for the best price, and feature real Viviscal customer reviews.
Is Viviscal Proven to Work?
Viviscal has been studied in clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals, which is the gold standard for product research.
Very few supplement companies that we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health engage in this type of research.
A clinical trial published in the Dermatology Research and Practice journal analyzed the effects of Viviscal Hair Growth Supplement.
The supplement was found to be highly effective. Terminal hair count increased by over 32% in only 90 days, and shedding decreased.
Terminal hair is the thick, full-length hair that mostly grows on the head, while vellus hair is smaller, thinner and often white or transparent in color.
A 2015 clinical trial tested the effects of Viviscal on hair thinning in young women. Hair shedding was reduced in the group taking Viviscal pills, but terminal hair diameter was unchanged. This means that hair thickness was not improved.
One would expect a more moderate result in younger women, given that younger women have less hair shedding and hair loss than older women on average.
A third clinical trial on Viviscal's supplement in women reported more impressive results, with terminal hair count nearly doubling.
Viviscal's supplement for men has also been clinically shown to work.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology reported that after 180 days, men taking Viviscal had 8% higher total hair counts, and improved hair thickness.
Based on the available research, we will conclude that Viviscal's hair supplements are likely to be effective in both men and women.
Hair Growth Supplement Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Viviscal Hair Supplement are shown above.
AminoMar Marine Complex is the ingredient that we would predict contributes the most to Viviscal's efficacy.
It's a blend of shark and oyster, and the anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil may halt micro-inflammation at hair follicle sites according to a 2022 medical review.
Millet is also clinically shown to promote hair growth.
There is only one ingredient in this formulation that we consider questionable from a health perspective.
Natural flavor is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to identify the specific flavoring chemicals used.
As we referenced in our MCT Wellness side effects article, clinical studies have suggested toxicity related to some natural flavoring agents. We do consider this a much healthier option than artificial flavors.
Real People Try Viviscal
A YouTube creator named "GLADYS" reviewed Viviscal's hair supplement and included a variety of before-and-after images from different angles:
A TikTok user named Helen Avery also includes before-and-after pictures and claims Viviscal helped her regrow her hair:
@helenaverymedia If I get enough YouTube subs I’ll tell you why I STOPPED 😬🤢 #viviscal #hairlosstreatment #hairgrowthjourney #hairregrow #babyhair #BeautyHacks #fyi ♬ original sound - Helen Avery
Avoid Viviscal Pro and Viviscal Men
As shown in the screenshot above, at the time of updating this article, there are a number of third-party retailers selling a supplement called Viviscal Pro.
However, we can't find this supplement on the official manufacturer's website.
Perhaps more importantly, we can't find any clinical studies on Viviscal Pro. It seems illogical to take Viviscal Pro which is 3x the price, when regular Viviscal is the supplement that's clinically proven to work.
Our issue with Viviscal Men is the lack of ingredient clarity.
At the time of updating this article, there is no ingredient list for Viviscal Men on the product page on the brand's website.
We're surprised that a brand as high-quality as Viviscal would neglect to publish this crucial information, which consumers need to make a safe and informed purchase decision.
Even for supplements clinically proven to work, we recommend that consumers avoid products that do not have a clear ingredient label.
Viviscal vs. Nutrafol
Nutrafol is another popular hair growth brand, so consumers are often curious about which is a better option.
As we documented in our Nutrafol review article, we could find one study backing the efficacy of Nutrafol Women, and one study backing Nutrafol Men.
We would recommend Viviscal over Nutrafol to women, because the percentage change in hair count in Viviscal clinical studies is more impressive than Nutrafol, and because Viviscal for women is backed by three clinical trials versus Nutrafol's one.
We would recommend Viviscal over Nutrafol to men because Viviscal's supplement is significantly cheaper. We consider the two supplements to have similar potential efficacy, so price is our determinant.
Where to Get the Best Price
Viviscal is sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:
Hair Growth Supplement
Brand website: $40 (plus shipping, link)
Target: $33.99 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $33.39 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Viviscal for Men
Ulta: $44.99 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $44.89 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Brand website: $40 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon currently has the best price on both supplements when factoring in shipping fees.
The brand's website has a better retail price on the men's supplement, but shipping brings the total price above the Amazon price.
Does Viviscal Cause Side Effects?
Viviscal's supplements appear to be quite safe.
None of the four clinical trials reported more adverse effects on Viviscal supplements than on placebo pills, nor would we expect there to be any harmful side effects based on the ingredients in Viviscal Hair Growth Supplement.
Many prescription hair treatments contain rare but serious sexual side effects because they're hormonal in nature, so Viviscal is clearly superior in this regard.
Viviscal's supplements should not disrupt hormone function.
Viviscal's shampoo may cause some local irritation or discomfort due to a few additive ingredients, which we'll review in the next section.
What About Viviscal's Shampoo?
The ingredients in Viviscal Thickening Shampoo are shown above.
While this formulation contains some research-backed active ingredients, it also contains some questionable inactive ingredients that cause us to recommend avoiding this product.
Fragrance is commonly included in personal care products, but a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal concluded that fragranced consumer products can "impose serious risks to human health."
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that's clinically shown to be toxic to human cells, as we documented in our Better Not Younger Shampoo review.
Sodium benzoate is another synthetic preservative, and there are several other fragrance ingredients including linalool and citronellol.
We consider Viviscal's supplements to be better-formulated than their hair care products, and we don't currently recommend any of the brand's hair care products.
Our Clean Hair Growth Picks
Happy Head Topical is our top hair growth solution.
This formulation uses FDA-approved hair loss ingredients like minoxidil which is clinically shown to increase hair count by 11%.
Ritual HyaCera is our top hair growth supplement.
This supplement contains wheat oil extract, and a 2024 clinical trial reported that a wheat lipid complex had "a reducing effect on hair shedding and a stimulating effect on hair reappearance and growth."
MBG Omega-3 Potency+ is our top hair thickness pick.
Supplementation with omega-3 fats and antioxidants is clinically shown to improve hair density, and MBG's supplement contains both.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Customers Rate Viviscal
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
Viviscal's Hair Growth Supplement has been reviewed over 26,000 times on Amazon at the time of updating this article, with an average review rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "lfpc10" who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
"I wouldn't care about the taste or packaging EVER because the product works! I've been using it for over 2 years now. I've sent it to my mother and my sister who also have hair loss issues and now they are regular users of this product to. I understand it may not be for everyone. Every body has a different chemical makeup. BUT for my family it's worked wonders."
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Zoom zoom" who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
"I am on my 4th month of this. I have zero new hair growth that I can see. I still have huge parts and it’s so upsetting. I will say that my hair stopped falling out as much as it used to. With that being said, sadly it looks the same. I have no new baby hairs that they claimed I would see by now."
Viviscal currently has a 76% recommendation rating on Facebook.
Viviscal Hair Growth Supplement currently has a 3.5 out of 5 star rating on Google.
Viviscal Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Viviscal in our opinion:
Pros:
- Hair Growth Supplement is clinically proven to work
- Viviscal Men is clinically proven to work
- Hair Growth Supplement contains research-backed active ingredients
- Better than Nutrafol in our opinion
- Positive Amazon reviews
Cons:
- Hair Growth Supplement contains natural flavor
- We can't determine ingredients in Viviscal Men
- Shampoo contains a number of questionable additives
- Brand's website charges for shipping on one-time orders
- Mediocre Google reviews
- Mediocre Facebook rating
