If you’re a big fan of the Viviscal brand of hair products, chances are that you are all too familiar with their over-the-counter formula which comes in a magenta-ish box. But did you know that there’s another superior Viviscal Hair Formula otherwise known as Viviscal Professional (or Viviscal Pro)?
Ideally, this professional variant of the formula should only be available at the doctor’s office. However, as we were doing our rounds on Amazon, we realized that this highly potent formula can still be bought there.
So, we ordered one and these are some of the things we found out about it.
Table of Contents
Viviscal Professional Review
First things first, even though this product is available on Amazon, it doesn’t mean that it should be misused or something.
It still contains some highly potent ingredients which are better off taken with a doctor’s guidance. We’re talking about:
L-Methionine – Which is a potentially toxic amino-acid if taken in extremely high dosages.
Procyanidin B2 – This one is an irritant and may cause skin or eye irritation I misused.
L-Cystine – This can be lethal if taken in extremely high doses.
Luckily, the quantities of those 3 ingredients in Viviscal are quite low meaning that this product has a good safety margin for unmonitored but responsible consumption.
Ordinary vs. Pro
The Professional Strength formula is obviously more powerful than the ordinary over-the-counter one. In fact, judging from user-feedback and doctor opinions gathered so far, this product seems to deliver good results in 3 to 4 weeks.
The ordinary OTC version of it is estimated to take up to 24 weeks to yield meaningful results. Yup, you read that right.
Pricing
Going by the current prices on Amazon, Viviscal Pro goes for $0.68 per tablet while the ordinary formula goes for $0.68 per tablet.
That said, there’s something interesting we noted. While the original OTC formula is clearly sold by the brand itself on Amazon, the Pro formula is sold by an unpublished vendor.
In our view, that’s probably just a clever tactic to avoid issues since this product is meant to be available at:
- Professional Salons
- High-End Spas
- Doctor’s Office
But even then, we can confirm that whatever the “unpublished” vendor sells is 100% authentic and comes with a “Free Returns” guarantee meaning you can return it and get your refund back if you’re not totally convinced that it’s the same stuff you’d get at your doctor’s office.
So far, there’s no reason to worry, though (no red flags). As you can see from the screenshots above, the product continues to attract high ratings from different reviewers meaning it’s highly effective.
Related Articles
Elon Musk’s Hair Regrowth: How Did He Do It?
10 Common Causes of Hair Loss in Both Men & Women
User Reviews & Ratings
Of the reviews gathered so far, 82% of them are outright 5 star ratings, 6% are 4-star rating. Plus we have another 5 percent made up of 3-star reviews.
Going by those numbers, we’d say that this is a product with a high rate of efficacy.
But even then, 8% of those who ordered this product gave it a 1-star rating. Why is that the case?
Well, the majority of those complaints were mainly based on shipping and handling issues. Some folks complained of the box being slightly damaged on arrival.
Others gave it low ratings just because they wanted to. For instance, one of them said that they gave it a 1-star rating because it was too early to tell if it was working.
Remember, we said that this product takes an estimated 3 to 4 weeks to yield results. It’s by no means a miracle pill that you pop at night and wake up to a head full of hair.
Why Go for Viviscal Professional?
We’d recommend going for the Viviscal Professional Strength formula is you’re looking for results, faster. As we have told you, this product is quite competitively priced on Amazon and you’ll only need to pay $0.05 more per pill for it than if you opt for the usual, OTC formula.
And that’s not all. With the Pro formula, you get more bang for your bucks. Clearly, this formula does away with some “basic” ingredients found in the OTC formula and instead replaces them with potent ones.
You won’t find stuff like millet seed, iron, zinc oxide and horsetail extract in it. Instead, you’ll find the following Viviscal Pro ingredients:
Apple Extract Powder (40mg)
Also known as Procyanidin B2, this is a research-backed ingredient that has been shown to play a pivotal role in hair cycle progression (1).
L-Cystine (12.5mg)
This amino-acid is an important component of keratin i.e. the substance used to make hair and nails. A healthy supply of it is quite important for hair growth and hair strengthening (2). The ingredient is safe provided it’s taken at dosages below 500mg per day.
L-Methionine (12.5mg)
This is a special, sulfur-containing amino acid that is thought to play a crucial role in protein synthesis. Please note that to manufacture keratin in your body, you need Sulphur (3) which is adequately available in L-Methionine. It, however, can be toxic if taken in extremely large dosages e.g. 7 grams per day.
Amino-Mar Marine Complex
While this ingredient is present in both formulas, the Professional-grade product contains 475mg of it while the ordinary formula has 450mg. So, you get 25mg of the patented marine-based protein which is thought to be helpful to hair growth.
Potential Side Effects
Since this is a formula that’s ideally meant to be bought at the doctor’s office, it’s important to take note of its potential side effects prior to using it. Thankfully, we’re yet to come across any comment or post of anyone complaining about any of these side effects of Viviscal Professional.
Once again, this emphasizes the need to stick to the manufacturer’s recommended dosage for your own safety.
- Nausea
- High calcium levels
- Stomach upset
- Drowsiness
Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of the side effects one is likely to experience with the use of this product. Our bodies don’t function exactly the same. So, be sure to consult your doctor for personalized information.
Verdict
In our view, the Viviscal Professional formula is quite good and safe. It is 6X as effective as the ordinary “Extra Strength” formula. Plus, it goes for a good price on Amazon (check latest price >>).
As such, we think that it’s a powerful hair re-growth formula worth giving a shot.
