What I learned from taking Viviscal hair supplements for 190 days
My journey with Viviscal, the vitamin supplement specifically formulated for promoting hair growth, began in February. After reading how models and celebrities such as Lauren Conrad and Gwyneth Paltrow all used the product for beautiful, healthy hair, I decided to take the plunge.
I lasted one week and two days before I broke down and found myself on the road looking for more. I tried telling myself I didn’t need it and it was an expensive habit. Each day I was without it, I worried about the side effects of withdrawals and how it would affect my appearance. But I felt like a million bucks on it, so I found myself this past Wednesday giving into temptation.
I ran to the closest CVS, plunked down $49.99 and purchased a new box of Viviscal.
My journey with Viviscal, the vitamin supplement specifically formulated for promoting hair growth, began in February. After reading how models and celebrities such as Lauren Conrad and Gwyneth Paltrow all used the product for beautiful, healthy hair, I decided to take the plunge. I signed up on Viviscal's website for a 3 month supply at $39.99 a month ($10 cheaper than in retail stores). The price was steep, but cheaper than hair extensions.
Before I delve into whether the supplements worked or not, here's a few important facts about hair to know:
Hair grows at about ½ inch a month
Split ends cannot be fixed, only cut
At any given time, 90 percent of the hairs in your scalp are growing, while the other 10 percent are resting.
With all the internal and external factors that can disrupt hair growth, such as stress, menopause, post partum, heat styling and chemical processes, the stronger the hair is, the better. And contrary to popular belief, frequent hair trims will not make your hair grow faster (in fact I think it's counter productive if your trying to grow your hair long).
Here's what I discovered Viviscal won't do:
Grow Repunzel length hair in a matter of weeks
Make hair grow in other areas besides your head
What I discovered Viviscal can do:
Make your nails incredibly strong
Make your hair thicker
Make your hair stronger
Might temporarily break you out, but clears up once your body has adjusted to the additional vitamins
Alas, there are no dramatic before and after photos to reveal. My moment of truth? I realized today I'm almost two months away from my last hair trim. By this point, you can usually find me at my desk, cutting my own split ends and counting the days until my next hair appointment. I haven't taken the shears out of my desk once since using Viviscal consecutively, and despite my newish highlights and weekly blowouts, my hair is healthy and strong.
Sure there are other methods of obtaining thicker and healthier hair. But when celebrity hairstylist Tippi Shorter (who has styled the hair of Queen B herself, Beyoncé) tells you your hair is beautiful and healthy, you stick with what works.