Olly Pharm.D.

Nutrafol VS Viviscal (2023 Review) – Which Is Better?

Best Remedies Hair Loss, Hair Loss
Nutrafol VS Viviscal (2019 Review) – Which Is The #1?

It’s time to confront 2 of the most popular hair supplements I know – Nutrafol VS Viviscal.

They both look like excellent products – with many praises and positive results. But:

  • Which can regrow new hairs and stop shedding?
  • Which works better on the long term?
  • And lastly – which is a better deal overall?

I tested it out both supplements – so I know pretty well what they can do.

Note: This review is based on my experience + research on these 2 products.

 

What I’ll Be Looking At

While comparing Nutrafol VS Viviscal, I will consider 9 major aspects:

  1. Ingredients
  2. Pills & Doses
  3. My Results
  4. How Fast They Work
  5. Other People’s Opinions
  6. Versions/Sizes
  7. Prices
  8. Where You Can Find Them
  9. Clinical Trails
  10. Pros & Cons

Within each of these 9 chapters, I will also pick the winner.

In the end, I will give you a clear answer about which product is better and which is more worth buying.

PS: If there’s any aspect I didn’t mention and you would like me to check, let me know in a comment and I will gladly do it.

 

Nutrafol Or Viviscal? (In A Nutshell)

Honestly, Viviscal is slightly better in several chapters:

  1. Lower price
  2. More clinical trials behind
  3. More satisfied customers
  4. Smaller pills and lower dosage

Nutrafol is also an excellent product – but it’s only affordable for higher budgets.

Viviscal isn’t very cheap either – but $50 is still less than $88 (Nutrafol). 

If you’re looking for an affordable product that works just as well as these 2, take a look at my #1 recommendation. You can get it even for $18 per bottle, which is so little.

But out of these 2, my recommendation is probably Viviscal. 

 

 

#1 – Ingredients – WINNER: Nutrafol

In my opinion, Nutrafol’s formula is much better:

  • twice as many ingredients
  • contains herbal extracts with many studies behind
  • not based on just 1 ingredient

Nutrafol VS Viviscal (2019 Review) – Which Is The #1?

But let me give you more details about each of these 2.

Note: I analyzed the ingredients/dosages per serving (not per pill). Nutrafol’s serving is 4 pills, while Viviscal’s is just 2.

1. Nutrafol’s Ingredients

As I said in my initial review, Nutrafol has an amazing formula.

It contains 3 major blends (with over 7 ingredients each):

  1. Nutrafol Blend (530 mg): Horsetail, Capsimax [1], amino acids, etc.
  2. Synergen Complex (1720 mg): Saw Palmetto [2], Marine Collagen, Ashwagandha, etc.
  3. Vitamins + Minerals: Biotin, Zinc [3], Vitamin C, etc.

The only downside is there are no dosages for each substance.

Only the blend dosage is mentioned (which isn’t really amazing).

But other than that – Nutrafol has one of the best formulas I personally know.

2. Viviscal’s Ingredients

Unlike Nutrafol – Viviscal is based on a certain ingredient (AminoMar):

  • made of shark cartilage and oyster powder
  • promotes hair growth and thickening

So basically – AminoMar is the main responsible for Viviscal’s effect.

Other than that, the rest of the ingredients aren’t amazing:

  1. Vitamins + Minerals: Biotin, Niacin [4], Iron, Zinc, etc.
  2. Herbal Extracts: Horsetail, Millet Seed [5]

In terms of herbs, Viviscal is pretty far from Nutrafol. 

The vitamins and minerals are about the same, though.

Conclusion

If you put them face to face – Nutrafol has a better formula compared to Viviscal:

  • N contains lots of herbs and blends
  • V is rather focused on one ingredient (AminoMar)

Now – Viviscal’s ingredients are surely not weak, on the contrary.

But compare to Nutrafol, they’re definitely not as good.

 

#2 – Pills & Doses – WINNER: Viviscal

When it comes to how you should take the pills – Viviscal has a clear advantage:

  • smaller pills
  • serving size is lower

But let me explain better by taking them by turn.

1. Nutrafol

If you’re familiar with turmeric pills – well, that’s exactly how Nutrafol’s capsules look like:

  • rectangular shape
  • average dimensions
  • covered in transparent gelatin
  • you can see some orange powder inside

So far so good. But the real problem of Nutrafol is schedule.

You need to take 4 pills per day – which is really uncomfortable.

2. Viviscal

Compared to Nutrafol – it’s much easier to take:

  • pills are small and have a round shape
  • you can swallow them easily
  • only 2 pills per day

So a major advantage of Viviscal is that it’s really comfortable to use.

Only 2 pills every day and you’re done.

Conclusion

Viviscal’s pills are smaller and it also requires only 2 per day.

On the other hand – with Nutrafol, you need 4 pills daily (which is a lot).

So if you don’t like swallowing many pills – Viviscal is a better choice.

 

#3 – My Results – WINNER: Nutrafol

In my case, Nutrafol ended up working a bit better.

Viviscal was pretty close – but I wasn’t as satisfied as I was with Nutrafol.

Here’s my detailed experience with each.

Notes:

1) These are only my results (so they’re no general). I will also analyze other people’s results later on.

2) My background was shedding, thin ends and I also wanted to grow my hair longer.

1. Nutrafol

I used it for 2 months and the results were great for this period:

  1. Shedding decreased with about 70%.
  2. My roots looked thicker and had more volume.
  3. It grew a lot in these 2 months (almost 4-5 inches).
  4. My ends were still pretty thin.
  5. Hair was less fragile overall.

So in terms of effect, I was 90% satisfied.

Nutrafol is surely a supplement I would use constantly (if it wasn’t for the high price).

It was extremely helpful, I can’t lie about that.

2. Viviscal

I used it for longer than Nutrafol – 3 months.

However, the effect wasn’t really that good (even though it wasn’t far):

  1. Hair loss decreased a lot (about 80%).
  2. My ends were still thin, but wouldn’t break so easily.
  3. I noticed more volume at the roots.
  4. Growth speed wasn’t very fast.

In the end, I was about 75% satisfied.

Basically – Viviscal worked as well as Nutrafol, except for 1 thing – hair growth.

My hair grew in 3 months with Viviscal as much as in 2 months with Nutrafol.

Conclusion

Both supplements were pretty close in terms of effect. 

But Nutrafol made my hair grow faster – so I pick it as the winner here.

However, Viviscal isn’t very far either. So no matter which you choose – they both work.

 

#4 – How Fast They Work – DRAW

In my case, there wasn’t any big difference.

Both Viviscal and Nutrafol worked pretty fast – faster than I expected, actually.

1. Nutrafol

My Nutrafol Review (2019) – Is It A Scam?

As I said – I used 2 full bottles. That’s enough for 2 months:

  • started working after 3-4 weeks
  • I could see real changes after 6 weeks
  • continued to work well enough afterwards

In my opinion – 1 month is pretty fast (compared to other products I tried).

Not many supplement can start working so quick. So I was really satisfied with Nutrafol.

2. Viviscal

My Viviscal Hair Growth Review (2019) - Scam Or Not?

Compared to Nutrafol, I took it for a longer time (3 months).

However – I could see an improvement after about the same time as in Nutrafol:

  • started working from the first month
  • changes were pretty small at first
  • in the 3rd month, my shedding had decreased a lot
  • the effect was better now

One thing I like about Viviscal was that it didn’t stop working. And it’s the same for Nutrafol.

Other products would work up to a point, then their effect would decrease.

Well – it wasn’t the case here.

Conclusion

I can’t really make a difference between Nutrafol and Viviscal here:

  • both started working after 1 month
  • their effect improved with time

So if you’re looking for a supplement that works fast – any of these 2 would do.

 

#5 – Other Opinions – WINNER: Viviscal

I didn’t want to judge these 2 supplements only after how they worked for me.

For this reason – I tried to check out other customer’s opinions.

In this way, you can see the whole (unbiased) picture.

Now – it was hard to make a difference between Viviscal and Nutrafol:

  • both have many positive reviews
  • you can find many real opinions about them

Note: I only considered authentic customer reviews. I tried to avoid reviews from official website, as they tend to be all fake positive.

1. Nutrafol

On Amazon, it has 3.5 stars out of 511 reviews.

Here are some of the most common things people say:

  1. Some people praise it for growing their hair much faster.
  2. Others say it’s great for thinning hair.
  3. There are some complaining it doesn’t work.
  4. A few others say it’s too expensive.

Now – it’s clear that a product can’t have only positive reviews, no matter how good it is.

But from what I saw, Nutrafol has about 75% positive opinions. So it’s clearly an effective supplement.

2. Viviscal

Compared to Nutrafol, Viviscal has some slightly better numbers.

It has 4 stars out of 233 reviews on Amazon – which is surely great.

Here’s what I could find about it:

  1. Many people say it works pretty well. 
  2. Others claim to grows both hair and nails (and even body hair).
  3. A few complain they can’t see big changes.

Now – compared to Nutrafol, I found less negative reviews.

There are some, but the percent of satisfied customers is higher.

So I’m pretty sure Viviscal is effective for most people.

Conclusion

Viviscal has some slightly better results than Nutrafol.

There’s no big difference between them – but I found more positive reviews on Viviscal.

However, I personally experienced better results from Nutrafol.

So I believe both work about the same, it just depends from person to person.

 

 

#6 – Versions/Sizes – WINNER: Viviscal

It was pretty hard for me to pick a winner here:

  • both have more than 1 version
  • both have only 1 month supplies

However – Viviscal has a slightly wider range of products, if you ask me.

That’s why I chose it as the winner here.

1. Nutrafol

First of all – it only comes as pills. 

There’s no shampoo, conditioner and treatment – YET (the official website claims they will be available soon).

So here’s what versions of Nutrafol there are:

  1. Core Solutions (3) – the actual hair supplements in 3 versions.
  2. Targeted Boosters (7) – supplements that can help hair secondarily.

Now – when it comes to Targeted Boosters, they are actually supplements for:

  • liver support
  • sugar balance
  • digestive enzymes
  • and others

To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend any of them.

They won’t help your hair directly (the Core Solutions are meant for that). So why add some other pills besides the 4 from Nutrafol?

2. Viviscal

Things aren’t that complicated here.

Viviscal offers 4 kinds of products:

  1. Supplements – for women and for men
  2. Shampoo – for women and for men
  3. Conditioner – only for women
  4. Elixir – only for women

Now – I personally doubt the topical products are as effective as the pills. 

I haven’t tried them myself, but it’s quite obvious.

They only work on the outside, while the pills do the inside job (which is the hardest).

So just like with Nutrafol, I would only recommend getting the supplement (at least at first).

Conclusion

Both Viviscal and Nutrafol have more than 1 product available.

However – Viviscal offers topical products, which Nutrafol doesn’t have at this point.

For this reason, I would pick Viviscal as the winner (for now).

 

#7 – Price – WINNER: Viviscal

When it comes to expenses, it was pretty easy to choose.

Viviscal costs almost half as Nutrafol – so it’s a better deal overall.

Note: I will only analyze the price of the 2 supplements (without the other products from their range).

1. Nutrafol

To make it short – the lowest price I could find is $79:

  • that’s one month supply
  • this price is available only if you go for auto-shipping
  • otherwise, it costs around $88

To be honest – that’s extremely expensive for a hair supplement.

Besides, there are no larger bottles (which tend to have a better price overall).

That’s why I personally couldn’t afford Nutrafol for more than 2-3 months.

2. Viviscal

Compared to Nutrafol – it seems way cheaper.

However, I still consider it very expensive (compared to many other products):

  • one month supply costs $50
  • 3 months supply $120
  • the price is the same for both versions (men and women)

So Viviscal does have an advantage here, compared to Nutrafol.

It offers the option to buy more bottles at one – and get a discount.

Additionally – it also has an auto-shipping program. The supplement costs $10 less in this case.

Conclusion

In terms of price, Viviscal is about $30 cheaper.

However – I still consider both of them extremely overpriced.

That’s why I would recommend choosing a much cheaper supplement ($25) that worked as well as them (in my case). 

That’s what I would prefer instead of spending $50 on Viviscal or $90 on Nutrafol just for the sake of their brand.

 

 

#8 – Where To Find Them – DRAW

Both Nutrafol and Viviscal are quite easy to find in most retailers.

Also, they both have an official website. But prices aren’t always that good.

1. Nutrafol

I found it available in 3 retailers:

  • Amazon
  • Ebay
  • MySupplements.store

Besides, you can also find it on the official website.

But here’s the thing:

  1. The official website only sells with auto-shipping.
  2. You have to join their membership to be able to order.
  3. They also have the best price ($79 per bottle).

Now – if you don’t want to go for auto-shipping for more than 1 month, Amazon is the best choice.

Nutrafol costs about $88 – which may seem pricey. But it’s the lowest price I could find (outside the official website).

2. Viviscal

It’s also available on Amazon and Ebay. 

And obviously – you can buy it directly from the official website:

  1. Prices are the same as on Amazon.
  2. You get the chance to buy 3 bottles at one.
  3. You will also get a discount in this way (about $30 off).

So my advice would be to start with a bottle.

In case you like it, buy the 3 bottles pack directly (because of the discount).

I would use the official website, as they also have sales and offer holidays coupons sometimes.

You can find more on that on my full review of Viviscal.

Conclusion

Both supplements are available on the official page – but also on different retailers.

That’s why it’s important to do your research before making any purchase:

  • check all websites selling the product
  • also see the shipping rates/taxes
  • choose the cheapest seller overall

 

#9 – Clinical Trials – WINNER: Viviscal

First of all –  I consider both Nutrafol and Viviscal one step ahead most supplements.

That’s because very few hair products have any research behind.

So Nutrafol and Viviscal both need to be praised for that. 

However – Viviscal has more evidence behind, that’s why it’s the winner.

Note: I will only include the studies conducted on these supplements themselves (not on their ingredients).

1. Nutrafol

There is a 2018 study conducted on it [6]:

Basically – Nutrafol managed to improve hair density and stop shedding, according to this evidence.

2. Viviscal

I could find more than 1 clinical trials conducted on it, which is indeed impressive.

  1. First in 1992 – it compared Viviscal with fish extract for men with alopecia. [7]
  2. Second in 2012 – it evaluated Viviscal in women with thinning hair. [8]
  3. Last in 2015 – conducted on women with shedding and thin hair. [9]

All 3 studies had positive results.

So it’s quite obvious that all this fuss around Viviscal is real. The product does help.

Conclusion

Both supplements have clinical trials behind.

However – Nutrafol only has 1, while Viviscal has 3.

It’s true that Nutrafol is quite a recent product – so that might explain.

But at this point, Viviscal has more research behind – so it deserves to be the winner.

 

#10 – Pros & Cons

If you’re still not very sure whether you should buy Nutrafol or Viviscal…

Well – here’s a list with their advantages and downsides.

1. Nutrafol

Get The Best Price For NUTRAFOL Here

 

2. Viviscal 

Get The Best Offer For VIVISCAL Here

 

My Verdict – Nutrafol Or Viviscal?

Nutrafol VS Viviscal (2019 Review) – Which Is The #1?

Short answer: Probably Viviscal – since it scored better at most chapters:

  • Nutrafol won 2 chapters
  • Viviscal won 5 chapters

Now – it’s true that there were minor differences between them at some points.

But in my opinion, Viviscal was slightly better.

So if I were to choose a product out of these 2 – it would probably be Viviscal:

  • they have a similar effect
  • Nutrafol is a lot more expensive

Now – if you want my honest recommendation, it’s none of these 2 (neither Viviscal nor Nutrafol).

Instead, I recommend a product called Folexin:

  1. Excellent formula and ingredients (similar to Nutrafol).
  2. A lot cheaper (up to $18 per bottle).
  3. Worked as well as both Nutrafol and Viviscal (in my case).

Just like most (no brand) supplements – it doesn’t have any clinical trials behind. 

But considering it’s 75% cheaper than Nutrafol – I say it’s worth the risk.

So if you can’t afford Viviscal or Nutrafol, that’s my #1 recommendation. 

If you don’t care much about money – you can pick any of these 2 without any worries. Results are a must at one point.

References:

1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pubmed/17569567

2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC4847595/

3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC3870206/

4 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pubmed/17168873

5 – https://amino-acid.org/l-cysteine-and-sorghum-seed-extract-can-reverse-hair-loss/

6 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pubmed/29742189

7 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pubmed/1286738

8 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC3509882/

9 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC4389977/

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26 thoughts on “Nutrafol VS Viviscal (2023 Review) – Which Is Better?”

  1. Olly, I appreciate your honesty about these 2 products but I think they are both extremely expensive for the improvement they bring. 

    I am a real previous customer of both and am far from satisfied. With Viviscal I have a longer story, I used the whole kit (pills + shampoo + conditioner) and my hair looked worse than before, dry, brittle and really fragile. I suspect it must have been the products because it got back to normal when I switched to another shampoo/conditioner. But the pills weren’t something incredible either.

    As for Nutrafol, I took more than 3 bottles religiously and these was no effect or change. Maybe it’s my hair that doesn’t react well to these supplements or I don’t know. But I wouldn’t buy neither Viviscal nor Nutrafol again. I will look into your recommended product, I love the fact that it’s so cheap, it’s literally a bargain. 

    Currently I’m not having any shedding but I might try this for my hair in general, just to see if there’s any change.

    Reply

    1. Hi Fanny, thanks for your feedback on both Nutrafol and Viviscal.

      I’m quite surprised to hear none of them helped you, since they’re both some of the best hair supplements on the market. It’s not me saying this, it’s the studies they have behind and the large number of positive reviews.

      But it’s true that everyone reacts differently – so maybe you’re right, your body could not respond to these formulas. I’m quite curious to know how you solved your shedding problem. Did you find a better product? Or you used a home made treatment? Or maybe it just went away on its own, this happens sometimes.

      I’m really interested in finding this out, maybe it’s something I can use too.

      If you decide to try my recommended product Folexin, I’d be interested in listening any feedback on how it works.

      Reply

  2. I tried both Viviscal and Nutrafol and didn’t feel the same about both. Viviscal left my hair kind of dry from the first days. I thought it was the shampoo and I started using just the pills, but it was all the same. Maybe my hair didn’t get over it… I just stopped ordering and it got better in the end. But I liked Nutrafol a lot better, it didn’t affect the texture of my hair and still improved my thickness. I don’t think everyone reacted to these products as I did, but maybe it helps someone…

    Reply

    1. Hi Margaret, your experience is definitely helpful, thanks for sharing it.

      I personally didn’t experience the same issues with Viviscal as you did – but everyone is different, so maybe it just wasn’t the right thing for you. If Nutrafol worked so well, my advice is to continue using it. Maybe it’s the kind of supplement that fits your body and hair better. Obviously, if it’s not too expensive and you can afford it – because Nutrafol is one of the priciest products I know.

      But you know best, so thanks again for letting me know how these 2 supplements worked for you.

      Reply

  3. Hi Olly, 2 years ago I had a stressful period at work and ended up losing half of my hair. I used Nutrafol and paid a lot of money on it, but the results were average. It helped temporarily, but the results weren’t the ones I had hoped for, at least not for the money I paid on it. Anyways, I had better results with Viviscal, it took me more than 2 boxes to start seeing results but once it started working, I was really satisfied. Shedding stopped soon enough and my hair started getting slowly back to its previous shape. Now I’m still taking Viviscal from time to time, but I would surely pick it over Nutrafol.

    Reply

    1. Hi Allison, thanks a lot for your experience with both of these supplements. If Viviscal is so effective for you, there’s no point switching to another supplement. You probably found the right product for your hair, so that’s really great. 

      Reply

  4. I am so glad I found your website. This is by far the best comparison between Viviscal and Nutrafol I have ever found, thank you so much! I was having a hard time choosing between these 2 and I’m still not 100% sure. Thing is that I have thick hair that is falling out, it’s not thinning just falling out. I would have tried Nutrafol but right now I’m not sure I will afford it more than once. I’m really interested in the alternative you recommended, Folexin, I just checked the website and there’s a picture of a men. Does it work for women too? I’m 57 so I’m not sure if every product for young women would do for me. Thank you, Evelyn.

    Reply

    1. Hi there Evelyn. For hair loss, both Nutrafol and Viviscal should help – as they both have a potent formula. But none of them is very cheap, so you might want to go for a more affordable alternative. I’m talking about Folexin, which you seem to have considered.

      Regarding Folexin – it’s not product for male hair loss exclusively. You can also see on its website that it works for both men and women – but it’s true that there’s a picture with a man. Anyway, just check out its description or details and you will see that it’s recommended for both genders. 

      Also, there’s no reason why it couldn’t work for women of your age. As long as your hair loss isn’t caused by menopause or other hormonal problems, Folexin should help considerably. You can also consult a dermatologist, just to see if you don’t have any scalp problem that could be behind.

      So overall – both Nutrafol and Viviscal are some great choices, but if you can’t afford any, my recommendation is Folexin. In case you decide to try any of these, please let me know how it works. 

      Reply

  5. Excellent info! I will try Viviscal because it’s cheaper and also has a shampoo, right now I can’t afford Nutrafol and I’m worried about their money back guarantee. Some of the products I bought never actually refunded me, despite promising to do so…I just learned not to trust any brand and buy only what I can afford. Thank you and will get back in a few months to communicate my results.

    Reply

    1. Hi Tricia, Viviscal is surely a better choice in terms of price. The fact that it also comes with a shampoo, conditioner and elixir is also a positive thing – but I don’t know how much they help. In my case, the pills did most of the job. 

      When I used just the products alone (without the pills), the results weren’t anything special. After all, they were topical products – which usually have a much weaker effect, since they only work on the outside.

      I just hope that you know that the shampoo, elixir and conditioner aren’t included in Viviscal’s price. The supplement costs $50 alone, the others have a separate price each. So if you buy them all, the overall cost is higher than for Nutrafol. 

      That’s why I don’t think it’s worth buying the products too, only the pills. They just don’t do a lot. But it’s your own choice after all, so feel free to do as you want.

      I’m looking forward to hearing your results with Viviscal.

      Reply

  6. I’m using the full force shampoo together with the male supplement. I only started about 1 weeks ago so I’m probably not seeing best results yet, but my hair thinning is as bad as before. I’ll probably give it another month or 2 to see if it really works. I paid around $10 for the shampoo, which was a bargain so if it doesn’t work, I won’t be in such a pain. The pills cost me a lot more though, so I really hope they can do the job. If my hair doesn’t get better from Viviscal, do you think I should shoot for Nutrafol? I know it’s pricier, but maybe it’s better for male hair loss. I’m not bald but my hair is thinning in front, so I don’t want to end up looking like a bust driver in my late 30’s. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi George, thanks for sharing your thoughts on Viviscal. Only time will tell if it really works for you. But your choice is fair – give it one or two more months until you expect any real results. If it really works, you should see a change in this period.

      Regarding Nutrafol – it’s a good option for thinning hair. But I personally don’t recommend it because of its price. But if that’s not an issue for you, give it a try. It doesn’t have the same formula as Viviscal – so if on doesn’t work, the other one might.

      Another supplement I can recommend you is Procerin. It’s designed for male hair loss and it can grow new hairs (which Viviscal and Nutrafol can’t). So it might help more, if you ask me. Procerin costs about the same as Viviscal, so it’s considerably cheaper than Nutrafol.

      There’s also Follixin – which is a very popular product with lots of positive reviews. It’s also specially designed for male hair loss and thinning, so it might be more helpful. It’s in the same price range as Procerin.

      Hope this helps. 

      PS: Please keep in touch with me about the results of Viviscal in the next months.

      Reply

  7. I have been taking viviscal for about five years. It took around nine months before I noticed any improvement, but my hair FINALLY stopped falling out. Over the past two years, however, I have developed bald spots above my ears and in the crown area which are very distressing, so am now considering trying Nutrafol. Do you think Nutrafol might help to fill in the bald patches? (A scalp biopsy indicated that I have androgenetic alopecia.) Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sadie, I’m sorry to hear about your issues. So from what I understand, Viviscal was helpful up to a point – when you started developing bald spots and the supplement didn’t seem to work anymore? Or you took a break from Viviscal and your started developing bald spots afterwards?

      I assume you tried going back to Viviscal in order to fix those bald spots – but it probably didn’t help.

      Now, bald spots are quite common in androgenetic alopecia – this condition is actually a major cause of hair loss in women. The good news is that in most cases, the alopecia has ups and downs – so the hair from those bald spots grows back normally on its own. But hair supplements can speed up the process a lot. However, in about 10% of cases the hair doesn’t grow back. Anyway, those cases are quite rare, so it’s probably not your situation. And even then, there is something you can do about it.

      Anyway – back to your question. Nutrafol is one of the best hair supplements I know, especially because it has a unique formula. So it doesn’t have the same ingredients as Viviscal. For this reason, if Viviscal didn’t work for you lately – there are some chances that Nutrafol does. So yes, my advice is to give it a try. It’s a bit pricey but if you afford it – it might really help. What I recommend you is to get the Women Plus version of Nutrafol (there are 2 for women – normal and plus and one for men). The Women Plus version is meant for women over 50 (dealing with menopause) but I recommend it because it has some higher dosages than the Regular women version. They have the exact same ingredients but the Women Plus has some higher dosages – which might be better in your case. I also used the Women Plus version myself, so I recommend it based on my experience.

      Another product I can recommend you are hair fibers. They’re just an aesthetic solution but they can cover the bald spots and make your hair look quite normal. For bald spots I think they’re a really good product. You can find several types of hair fibers on Amazon for decent prices.
      I also recommend using green tea as a rinse for hair loss, but I’m not sure if that’s relevant in your case (since you have androgenetic alopecia). Green tea is more of a DHT blocker so that wouldn’t help you a lot. But anyway, you’re not losing anything trying.

      I hope this helps!

      Reply

      1. Hi Olly,

        Thank you so much for your very helpful response.

        I will definitely try Nutrafol in the hope that it may help reduce my hair loss. As you mentioned, it can’t hurt to try!

        As for Viviscal, I actually continued taking TWO pills (!) throughout the past five years. Although I did try reducing my dosage to one pill for a couple of months, doing so just increased my hair loss even more, so I gave up and went back to two pills . . . which really adds up in cost! Hopefully, Nutrafol will work better for me than Viviscal.

        Olly, I am also wondering if you are familiar with PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy as a potential treatment for hair loss. Although results are mixed, it seems that this treatment is sometimes successful for halting hair loss. It’s very expensive, however, so I hesitate going that route. Another option I have considered is “Scalp Micropigmentation”, which is a cosmetic tattoo that gives the illusion of hair . . . again a very expensive option. I also think that tattooing a bald spot would eliminate any future possibility of natural hair growth. Do you believe that would be the case?

        Thank you again for your kindness and time in responding to my concerns and questions.

        Blessings,

        Sadie

        Reply

        1. Hi again Sadie and thanks for your reply. So at this point, I think Nutrafol could be the best thing you can try. As I said, I can’t guarantee it will work – but it’s surely worth trying.

          Regarding your questions, I did hear about PRP therapy but I know it’s used for other issues (like muscular or joint problems). I did a quick research now and apparently some sources say it might help with hair growth. But there are no studies or clinical evidence at this point. And also, it doesn’t seem to grow new hairs if the follicles are dead (in case of a bald scalp, in other words). At least that’s what I read so far.

          So I’m not really sure if it’s the best choice for you, especially if it’s so expensive. I think you should try Nutrafol and see, but PRP doesn’t have certain results anyway. So I personally wouldn’t go for it.

          When it comes to scalp micropigmentation, I have heard of it before but I don’t recommend it either. I’m not sure if it can affect hair follicles – but logically speaking, it’s possible. So even though it doesn’t destroy them completely, I don’t think the follicles like it too much…

          If you want some kind of aesthetic solution, hair fibers do the same thing as this micropigmentation. I told you about them last time but I’m not sure if you’re familiar with them. Basically, they are some sort of powder that covers the bald spots perfectly and it gives the illusion of your own hair. You can find them in many colors and shades, so you can pick the right one.

          They cost way less money and you can find them many brands on Amazon. Yes, you would have to apply them after every wash – but I think it’s a safer choice than micropigmentation, so it’s worth the effort.

          So I think you shouldn’t consider PRP and micropigmentation, at least in the close future. Better try to invest in Nutrafol, because it’s natural, much safer and it doesn’t affect your hair follicles on the long term. I hope this helps.

          Reply

  8. Hi! My mom just started Nutrafol and she’s got some rashes on her skin (knees and legs mostly). Could it be the pills? She’s been taking them for like 1 week when the rashes appeared and they don’t go away so far. My mom has thinning hair and her doctor recommended this drug. It’s been really expensive so she doesn’t want to just quit it so fast after paying all these money. 

    So out of Nutrafol and Viviscal, you seem to be recommending Viviscal more. Could you tell me if it’s suitable for a women with thinning hair? She’s free of any medical condition and I think this thinning is because of growing older, she’s almost 70. 

    We’re not on a very tight budget so I think we could afford Viviscal. But we’re making some efforts for Nutrafol, it costs twice as much. So if Viviscal could do the thing, we would be glad to switch to it instead. What do you think?

    Reply

    1. Hello Kathy, thanks for sharing your mom’s experience with Nutrafol. Now – this supplement doesn’t cause rashes often times, but this could be a side effect. Rashes are actually common among supplements, though they appear in less than 5% of people. But compared to other side effects, they are certainly more common.

      So if you ask me, the rashes are probably caused by Nutrafol (most likely some of its additives, not the active ingredients themselves). Has your mom used any drug for those rashes? Normally, they should go away after using some antihistamines (drugs against allergy).

      Anyway – don’t worry, she shouldn’t experience the same side effect from other hair supplements. Many people developing side effects to drug X are fine taking drug Y (even if the drugs are from the same class). 

      Regarding Viviscal – yes, I recommend it more than Nutrafol mostly because of its price. It costs almost half and it does pretty much the same thing (in my case). It’s only that Nutrafol is a more famous brand so that’s why it costs a lot more. 

      Now, about your question – both Nutrafol and Viviscal are designed for hair growth (on paper). But in reality, they’re excellent against hair loss and thinning. I think they also have this mentioned on their label, but I’m not 100% sure.

      Anyway, your mom should get the same effect from both. But as she started Nutrafol for only a few weeks, it’s hard to tell if it works for her. Considering the cause of her thinning, I personally believe it should help.

      So here’s what I advise you:

      As you already bought one bottle of Nutrafol, your mom should try to use it. Honestly, it cost you a lot so it’s such a shame to throw it away. As far as I know, they only refund people for unopened bottles – so you don’t have this option.

      Try to ask your mom’s doctor for some drugs against allergy, this should help with the rashes. In some cases, they go away on their own after a while. But antihistamines will speed up the process.

      If you afford buying another bottle of Nutrafol, do it. This kind of supplements need at least 1-2 months to start working, so the results after one bottle won’t be completely relevant. After that, you could switch to a cheaper supplement (Viviscal for example). 

      Now, I don’t usually recommend this strategy – because using supplement X for 2 months and then switching to supplement Y doesn’t lead to the same positive results as taking X for 3-4 months. But in your case, I don’t have a choice as you mentioned you can’t really afford Nutrafol.

      From now on, try to choose a supplement that you will afford 3 or 4 months on. Hair supplements rarely work in 1 month, so using just one bottle isn’t going to make miracles.

      In case you can’t afford buying a second bottle of Nutrafol, switch directly to another supplement and continue using it for 3-4 months (at least). Viviscal isn’t a very cheap option either, but if you can afford it – it’s totally fine.

      Now – in case you want more options, here’s a list of my top recommended hair supplements for 2019. I personally would recommend you a product called Folexin, as it’s the one I’m constantly using. For me it worked a bit better than Nutrafol and it costs me about $18 per bottle, so it’s way more affordable. If you want to save some money and still see results, I’m recommending this one from my experience.

      Additionally – you can rinse your mom’s hair with Horsetail infusion. This herb is the best one against thinning hair, so it might help her on the long term. 

      I really hope my answer helps you. Please let me know what you decide to try and how your mom feels in the future.

      Reply

  9. Dear Olly,
    I’m 63 yrs old and has been experiencing hair thinning quite a bit. Dermatologist prescribed “Priorin” tabs, Centrum multivitamin, Alphactivf & Aphacedre shampoos(one shampoo every other day) and Ducray emollient cream for 3 months. It’s already 4 months+, but, still thinning continuing. Hairline receded in an M-shape on the forehead and there is a patch-like thinning at the crown. I have ordered last week (before I came across your blog):

    Biotopic REGROW PLUS – RECEDING HAIR LINE + BALD SPOT REPAIR SERUM (1 oz) – 1 Bottle
    Regrowth treatment for Hair loss
    Biotopic NATURAL HAIR REGROWTH TREATMENT for Men (2oz) 1 botthe

    Yes, I do have work-stress too. Pls advise if I should take “Procerin” or “Folexin”.

    Regards,

    Reply

    1. Hey there Jay, I’m sorry to hear about your issues. But from what you describe (especially that M shape), it seems to be a case of male pattern hair loss. This is extremely common in men, especially after reaching the age of 40. It’s caused by DHT excess, which is a pretty harmless hormone in terms of health. However, it can cause prostate problems and hair thinning/baldness.

      So the best solution is to use a product that will fight this DHT excess.

      I personally don’t understand why your dermatologist prescribed Priorin, which isn’t a product designed for male hair loss. It’s actually meant for general thinning and it has a pretty basic formula, that’s why I wouldn’t recommend it even for general hair loss. Plus, it’s a German product so it’s not extremely accessible in Europe.

      Your probably also considered Nutrafol and Viviscal, but they’re not my recommendation for this kind of problems.

      In your case, the best choice would be a supplement that blocks DHT excess. Supplement are much stronger than topical products when it comes to internal problems, that’s why I recommend a supplement as a #1 product.

      Now – there are 2 products I usually recommend for DHT excess in men:

      1) Profollica – which is a herbal supplement with an excellent formula. According to many users, it’s the best supplement against DHT hair loss (many positive reviews online). It comes as a supplement and gel, but you can only purchase them together. Price is about $60 for both, which might seem expensive – but it’s actually for 2 products, so this makes the difference.

      2) Procerin – which is one of the supplements you seem to be considering. It’s great for male pattern hair loss because it’s based on Saw Palmetto, which is a strong herb against DHT excess. Procerin comes as a supplement and gel, but you can buy them separately. So if you’re on a tight budget, I recommend going just for the supplement.

      Regarding Folexin, I wouldn’t recommend it for male pattern hair loss. It might help a bit, but it works best for general hair loss (especially in women). So it’s not the best choice you can make.

      Also – there are 2 products approved by FDA for male pattern hair loss. You might have heard about Minoxidil and Finasteride. They’re both some really popular choices, but I rarely recommend them:

      – need a longer time to work (at least 4 months)
      – you have to use them for the rest of your life, otherwise hair starts falling again (even worse sometimes)
      – many complaints about serious side effects, especially in Finasteride

      However, these 2 products do work (in most men). They are more of a medical treatment, while the supplements are rather a natural treatment.

      Still – if you decide on Minoxidil/Finasteride, you can choose to purchase them through a subscription company (probably the simplest option). This will save you from visiting a local doctor. Minoxidil can be ordered online but Finasteride requires a prescription first. But you can have an online consultation with one of the company’s specialist and get the prescription online.

      Out of Minoxidil/Finasteride selling companies, I probably recommend Keeps. It has the lowest prices and the highest number of positive reviews overall. So at this point, I think it’s better than any of its competitors.

      However – going for Minoxidil and Finasteride isn’t a must. I only wanted to let you know about this treatment, as it’s the standard one. But I personally recommend going on the safer side and using herbal supplements instead. They have no real side effects and work in many cases, so you don’t have anything to lost. Plus, you can stop them anytime without suffering from a reverse hair loss (as it happens with Minoxidil and Finasteride).

      I really hope this is helpful for you. Please let me know if there’s any other question and what you decide to try.

      Reply

  10. Hi! Which of these is easier to swallow (smaller pills)? And which is more appropriate for a women of 59 y.o.? I cannot swallow many pills, especially if they are big. I am looking some something that is small and easy to take.

    Reply

    1. Hi Panna, thanks for your questions. I will try to be brief and clear:

      1) Viviscal has both smaller and easier to take pills. Unlike most hair supplements, it contains round pills (which also have a smaller dimension than most). Also, it only requires 2 pills per day (or even one, depending on the exact version). 

      On the other hand, Nutrafol requires nothing less than 4 pills a day. That’s a lot to be honest, especially if you prefer to space them out (you might forget about one or even 2). 

      So Viviscal easily wins at this chapter.

      2) In terms of effect, Nutrafol has a version specially designed for women over 50 (it’s called Women Plus). Compared to the regular women version, it has some higher dosages in the main ingredients and it’s meant to fight the top causes of hair loss specific at this age.

      Viviscal doesn’t have a special version for your age group, but the regular form works well enough for all ages.

      Basically – both Nutrafol and Viviscal have their own advantages and downsides.

      But overall, I feel like Viviscal is a slightly better choice. Besides, it also costs half (though I’m not sure if you’re interested in that). So it’s up to you which you choose.

      Reply

  11. I love them both, I use Nutrafol and my mom used Viviscal a couple of years back and they both helped us individually. Now I’m using Folexin because of the price difference (thanks for recommending it by the way) but I will always look up to these 2 other products, they’re great!

    Reply

    1. Hey Mindy, thanks a lot for your feedback and experience, I’m glad to hear your experiences with Nutrafol, Viviscal and Folexin were all positive. Thanks for reading my articles!

      Reply

  12. Hi, Are you still answering questions about hair loss? I had a bad case of Covid (delta) end of July & started losing hair dramatically beginning of this month (December) so about 4 months post Covid. I am also under a great deal of unavoidable stress right now. What would you recommend. I am 70 yrs old & have no underlying medical conditions. Thank you ever so much.

    Reply

    1. Hi Amelia, I actually had a lot of people complaining about post-Covid hair loss, so it’s most likely a Telogen Effluvium caused by this condition. This issue doesn’t necessarily have a fast solution, meaning that some of your hair follicles went into telogen phase (the one where they fall out) faster than they should, because of the disease. And since they already went into that telogen phase, there isn’t much you can do about it because it won’t make the hair loss stop dramatically.

      What I advise you to do is to have a blood test and check your ferritin (it’s often lower in people with Telogen Effluvium). It should be above 50 to ensure that you have enough iron for your hair to grow normally. If it’s lower than this, you should take some iron until you manage to raise it above 50 (or even above 70-80, ideally). You said you don’t have any other health conditions and since you’re 70, menopause could not be a potential cause. So other than your ferritin, there isn’t anything else I would advise you to check (I assume your TSH is normal as well).

      Regarding supplements, you can try a mix of vitamins and nutrients that are helpful for the hair, just to stimulate its growth. Most likely, the nutrients will not stop the hair loss, simply because some of your hairs are already in the telogen phase and there’s nothing you can do about it. But it will surely stimulate the growth of some new hairs, which will grow much faster than normally. I would recommend you Folexin as a mix of nutrients, because it’s the one I used myself with the best results and it’s also really affordable, compared to others.

      But keep in mind that Telogen Effluvium goes away on its own after 6-9 months (there are also a lot of YouTube videos of people experiencing this condition after Covid and they all had the same scenario) – so it will go away eventually. Just be patient and try to think that the hair you’re losing is not hair you need. I know it’s really annoying, I’ve been there too, but it’s a lot more important that you’re healthy and alive.

      Best wishes for you and try to minimize how much you think about your hair, as much as possible. Please keep me updated on how things go.

      Reply

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