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Nutrafol vs Viviscal | There’s Only 1 Clear Winner

Want to compare Nutrafol vs Viviscal to see which supplement has the best hair growth results? If you’re considering either one, check out our guide to learn which will work best for you!


Disclaimer: We sourced information from what we consider trustworthy sources, but we are not doctors. Before taking any supplements, we highly suggest consulting your doctor. This piece is an objective summary of our interpretation of product data and user reviews.


Nutrafol vs Viviscal: The Great Debate

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, thinning or slow-growing hair is a daily struggle for at least 20% of Americans.

While dealing with dysfunctional ‘dos the surgical way with hair transplants is a possibility, the cost of hair transplant surgery is high, and many want to avoid going under the knife.

Instead, we lean toward non-invasive approaches like hair growth supplements. Nutrafol and Viviscal are both excellent examples of popular supplements intended to encourage hair growth, fullness, and health.

But do they work? And how do the two supplements compare?

You can’t bake a cake without flour, and you can’t grow healthy hair when you’re short on essential vitamins and minerals. Likewise, hair can only grow when your body has the right ingredients for it.

Both of these supplements – Nutrafol and Viviscal – claim to help ensure your body has available vitamins, minerals, and plant-based nutrients to meet your body’s hair growth needs.

The Short Answer:

If you don’t want to read our complete comparison, you should:

  • Buy Nutrafol if you want all-natural ingredients and don’t mind taking an extra 2 pills per day.
  • Buy Viviscal if you want to take less pills, save money, and don’t need all natural ingredients.
Best for Ingredients
Nutrafol Natural Hair Growth Supplement

Be sure to choose the men's or women's version from the Nutrafol store (there are a few options).

Pros:
  • Products formulated for both men and women, quality sourced ingredients, clinically proven to be effective.
Cons:
  • Frequent dosage, high cost, results aren't immediate.
Check Latest Price Read Our Nutrafol Review
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.
Best for Price
Viviscal Clinally-Proven Hair Growth Supplement

Be sure to choose the men's or women's version from the Viviscal store (there are a few options).

Pros:
  • Fewer doses, wide product range, clinically proven to reduce shedding and increase thickness.
Cons:
  • Not all natural, women's formula does not contain zinc, results take time.
Check Latest Price Read Our Viviscal Review
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.

In this review, we’ll break down the differences and similarities between Nutrafol vs Viviscal to give you a bird’s eye look at both supplements. You’ll see the key ingredients in each supplement, user reviews, pros and cons, and how the research backs up (or doesn’t) each supplement’s claims. 

We’ll start by taking a close-up look at each supplement and its pros and cons. Then, we’ll compare the two to see which one emerges as the best supplement for hair growth and health. Let’s get started!

What Is Nutrafol?

Best for Ingredients
Nutrafol Natural Hair Growth Supplement

Be sure to choose the men's or women's version from the Nutrafol store (there are a few options).

Pros:
  • Products formulated for both men and women, quality sourced ingredients, clinically proven to be effective.
Cons:
  • Frequent dosage, high cost, results aren't immediate.
Check Latest Price Read Our Nutrafol Review
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.

Read Our Nutrafol Review

Nutrafol is a “nutraceutical” (a pharmaceutical alternative) company that makes three different dietary supplements intended to support and encourage hair growth and fullness for men and women.

Each supplement they offer is formulated to improve hair growth and increase the thickness of hair. These are the three supplements they offer:

  1. Nutrafol Women: Enhances hair growth, thickness, and strength
  2. Nutrafol Women’s Balance: Enhances hair growth and thickness through perimenopause and post-menopause
  3. Nutrafol Men: Enhances hair growth, thickness, and scalp coverage

Nutrafol Women is for women who want faster-growing, stronger, and thicker hair. Nutrafol Women’s Balance is for women experiencing hormonal changes during perimenopause (i.e., before menopause starts), menopause, or postmenopause (after menopause ends).

Nutrafol Men is for men who want more scalp coverage, hair growth, and thickness in all stages of their life.

Key Ingredients in Nutrafol

Nutrafol products laid out at an angle for a piece on Nutrafol vs Viviscal (1)

Nutrafol supplements are made with 100% natural, clinically tested ingredients that are supposed to supply your body with everything it needs to jumpstart hair growth and improve thickness and coverage. 

The ingredients in Nutrafol supplements are chosen specifically to cue the body to lengthen the hair’s growth phase (anagen phase) while delaying the phase where hair naturally thins, stops growing, and falls out (telogen phase).

The ingredients target the main causes of hair thinning, slow growth, and weak strands. While each formula is different, these are the key ingredients in Nutrafol. 

  • Saw Palmetto: Balances hormones in men and women without affecting sexual health and lowers scalp levels of DHT, a hormone that makes follicles smaller and thins hair
  • Marine Collagen: Provides building blocks of hair protein keratin to promote scalp and hair health 
  • Sensoril® Ashwagandha: A premium plant extract exclusive to Nutrafol that is proven to lower cortisol levels that can interrupt the hair growth process
  • Horsetail: A plant extract that is clinically proven to reduce hair and nail brittleness by providing silica, an essential mineral for hair and nail strength
  • Resveratrol: A plant-derived antioxidant found in Chinese knotweed that increases blood flow to follicles for improved growth and reduces oxidative cell damage that results in thinning
  • Maca root: Only in the Women’s Balance formula, this ingredient supports normal hormone levels and health through the perimenopause and postmenopause phases for uninterrupted hair growth cycles

Each of these powerful ingredients has been clinically proven or shown to have a positive effect on the complex hair growth cycle, increase hair thickness, or improve scalp coverage. 

Nutrafol Pros

Nutrafol has a list of benefits and advantages to offer your hair. But here’s where Nutrafol really shines. 

  • Proven effective ingredients: The most important factor for most customers is how effective a product is. Every single ingredient in the 3 Nutrafol formulas is backed by science. You can view studies and trials on the website where each ingredient has been shown or proven to positively affect hair health and growth.
  • 3-minute hair wellness quiz: Make sure you get the right product to target your body’s reason for thinning or slow-growing hair with Nutrafol’s quick quiz. 
  • Products formulated for women and men: It can be challenging for women to find hair growth supplements formulated just for them because many target men only. We like that Nutrafol has not only one, but two options just for women. 
  • Quality sourced ingredients: Nutrafol is really transparent about where their ingredients are sourced from and takes quality control seriously. On their website, you can see where they get each ingredient, so there’s no mystery to what you’re putting into your body.
  • Reliable dosage: Plant extracts, vitamins, and minerals included in Nutrafol formulas are reliable because the company ensures standardized dosage for a consistent product every time.
  • Auto-Delivery: If you’re the forgetful type, it’s helpful that Nutrafol offers auto-delivery options for their users. Signing up for auto-delivery saves you a few bucks on each bottle and ensures you never run out unexpectedly. 
  • Booster supplements: Nutrafol also offers supplements that boost the effectiveness of their main 3 to target what’s causing your hair issues. These can be bundled with your supplement for $10. 
  • Free shipping: Nutrafol always offers free shipping anywhere in the United States. It’s nice to know you’ll never need to tack on several more dollars just to get the product shipped to your door! 

Nutrafol Cons

No supplement is perfect, right? Here’s what we don’t love about Nutrafol. 

  • Frequent dosage: Nutrafol capsules should be taken four times per day as directed. That frequent dosage can be inconvenient to remember multiple times each day. 
  • High cost: Nutrafol supplements are $88 per bottle (a one-month supply) if you buy a single bottle without a subscription. If you sign up for the 3-month auto-delivery subscription, you’ll pay $75/bottle ($225/3 months). 
  • Booster supplements only available in bundles: You can’t purchase one of Nutrafol’s booster supplements alone – you have to bundle it with the Women, Women’s Balance, or Men formula, which increases overall cost. 
  • Results aren’t immediate: If you’re expecting Nutrafol to be a quick fix, think again. Since it’s designed to give your body all it needs to fulfill the natural growth process, it takes time for the natural ingredients to have a visible effect. 

Now that we’ve looked closely at Nutrafol, let’s look at the competitor: Viviscal. 

What Is Viviscal?

Best for Price
Viviscal Clinally-Proven Hair Growth Supplement

Be sure to choose the men's or women's version from the Viviscal store (there are a few options).

Pros:
  • Fewer doses, wide product range, clinically proven to reduce shedding and increase thickness.
Cons:
  • Not all natural, women's formula does not contain zinc, results take time.
Check Latest Price Read Our Viviscal Review
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.

Read Our Viviscal Review

Viviscal is another popular maker of hair growth and health supplements. Viviscal makes a variety of products, but to keep this focused on hair growth, we’ll look at their two main products:

  • Viviscal: For women experiencing thinning, hair damage, or slow growth of hair
  • Viviscal Man: For men experiencing thinning or slow growth of hair

The formula for men contains everything in the original Viviscal plus zinc. Viviscal is offered in tablet form and is not applied topically. Viviscal supplements are 100% drug-free, meaning they contain no pharmaceuticals.

You’ll find vitamins and minerals, plus naturally derived substances from the ocean, as ingredients in Viviscal. These supplements are intended to provide the body with all the key vitamins, nutrients, and minerals needed for healthy, normal hair growth.

The idea is that by ensuring there’s a steady supply of these nutrients, the body can resume normal or accelerated hair growth and fullness.

Key Ingredients in Viviscal

Viviscal products laid out at an angle for a piece on Nutrafol vs Viviscal

Viviscal is formulated with various ingredients intended to support the hair growth process while improving overall hair health. If vitamin or mineral deficiencies are causing hair thinning or slow growth, these ingredients could help reverse it. 

  • AminoMar®: A clinically proven marine collagen complex that is exclusive to Viviscal supplements, this contains horsetail extract (a great source of silica) and essential nutrients needed for hair growth
  • Biotin: A water-soluble B-vitamin (B7) that aids in protein metabolism, ensuring there are plenty of available amino acids for the body to use during hair growth  
  • Vitamin C: An antioxidant vitamin that aids in iron absorption, strengthening hair growth, and helping reverse hair loss in people with iron deficiencies
  • Iron: A mineral essential for human bodies that is mainly used to carry oxygen in red blood cells and muscle cells; delivers oxygen to follicles for regulated hair growth and may help reverse hair loss in people with iron deficiency anemia
  • Zinc: Included only in Viviscal Man, zinc is an essential mineral the body uses for cell division, including in the scalp and follicles. 

Viviscal Pros

Viviscal has been widely studied and gets good reviews from customers. These are the areas where Viviscal really stands out. 

  • Fewer doses: Viviscal’s recommended dosage is two tablets per day, which is convenient and easy to remember for most people. 
  • Wide product range: Viviscal offers a wide range of products beyond hair growth supplements. You can get shampoo, conditioner, hair elixir, and Hair Therapy powder packets you dissolve in water to boost your results. 
  • Proven to reduce shedding and increase thickness: Viviscal has been shown to reduce hair shedding, which increases overall coverage and thickness, within 3-6 months of taking the supplement as recommended.
  • Proven effective for men and women with thinning hair: Several 6-12 month studies have proven that Viviscal is effective for both men and women with thinning hair. In one study, taking the supplement as recommended increased the number of hairs in one area of the scalp from 271 to 571 in 3 months. 
  • Proprietary marine complex: Only Viviscal contains AminoMar®, its exclusive marine collagen and nutrient blend that is clinically proven to improve hair growth and fullness.
  • Excellent reviews: Here at You Probably Need a Haircut, we review and research hundreds of products. Viviscal has a 4.5 overall star rating on Amazon, with more than 11,700+ reviewers chiming in. This is an indicator of a high-quality product. 
  • Freebies: Who doesn’t love getting something free? Viviscal offers tons of freebies, including several free gifts you can pick with purchase and free shipping on orders. 
  • Choose your billing: Viviscal can bill you one time, every 30 days, or every 90 days to ensure the payment plan fits your needs. 

Viviscal Cons

Not everything is perfect about Viviscal. Here are the problem areas we identified. 

  • Not all-natural: Not all of the ingredients in Viviscal are of natural origins, which the company does note on their website. If sourcing and all-natural ingredients are important to you, this is a bummer. 
  • Women’s formula is lacking: The original Viviscal does not contain zinc, but Viviscal Man does. Zinc has been proven effective at increasing hair growth and curbing hair loss in women, so we feel it should be included in the original product for women.
  • Results take time: Viviscal doesn’t work overnight, and it’s important to go in with the right expectations. It will take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to see real results from using it. 

Nutrafol vs Viviscal

When we compare Nutrafol vs Viviscal, how do the two popular hair growth supplements stack up? See which supplement is the overall winner in our comparison below. 

NutrafolViviscal
4 capsules/day2 tablets/day
YesNo
YesYes
3-6 months3-6 months
$88/bottle (one time)
$79/bottle (auto-delivery)
$75/bottle (3-month auto-delivery)
$10/bottle (boosters)
$49.99 (one-time)
$39.99 (3-month auto-delivery)
$46.66/month (premium auto-delivery)
4.3 stars on Amazon from 4,300+ reviews4.5 stars on Amazon from 11,700+ reviews

Looking at this comparison, it’s clear that Viviscal is the winner in this matchup. You only need to take two tablets a day instead of 4 with Nutrafol. It’s clinically proven to work as a hair growth supplement and on the individual ingredient level. 

Pricing is more affordable with Viviscal, costing around $38 less than Nutrafol for a single one-month supply with no auto-delivery. 

Where Viviscal really outshines Nutrafol is in customer reviews. Viviscal has a 4.5 star average on Amazon from more than 11,700 reviews and counting. Users rate it as more effective than Nutrafol, and more customers buy it than Nutrafol.

Only about 4% of Viviscal Amazon reviews are 1-star reviews. While Nutrafol Women has a respectable 4.3 overall star rating on Amazon, there are only around 4,300 reviews for it.

This could indicate that it is less popular overall than Viviscal. Around 7% of Nutrafol’s Amazon reviews are 1-star reviews.

But Nutrafol isn’t a bad supplement. While both supplements are made with natural ingredients, only Nutrafol is made with 100% natural ingredients.

A Cheaper Alternative

Exclusive Discount
Folexin | Natural Hair Growth Support Formula

The lowest price on Folexin. Period.

Pros:
  • Impressive 4.45-star average rating.
  • Way more affordable than competitors.
  • Impressive mix of natural ingredients.
  • Unique blend of Biotin and Fo-Ti.
  • Well-known and established brand.
Cons:
  • Diet changes can cause temporary bloating.
Get the Lowest Price Possible
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.

If you like Nutrafol and Viviscal, you should definitely check out Folexin. Just like the other two, it’s a natural hair growth supplement. But it’s almost almost half the cost of similar products.

In our opinion, it’s so much cheaper because they do little advertising. Nutrafol spends boatloads of money on Facebook and Google ads. And where do you think that money comes from?

You guessed it – marking up their supplements. Folexin doesn’t do much advertising, so they’re able to offer their product at a much more competitive price. When they save big, you save big.

And trust us, there’s plenty to love about the product.

It has a blended (Amazon and company site) customer rating of 4.45, with hundreds of 5 star reviews. Even better? We did a full product review on it. Click the link below to learn more.

Read Our Folexin Review

Nutrafol vs Viviscal: Which Is Right for You?

Best for Ingredients
Nutrafol Natural Hair Growth Supplement

Be sure to choose the men's or women's version from the Nutrafol store (there are a few options).

Pros:
  • Products formulated for both men and women, quality sourced ingredients, clinically proven to be effective.
Cons:
  • Frequent dosage, high cost, results aren't immediate.
Check Latest Price Read Our Nutrafol Review
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.
Best for Price
Viviscal Clinally-Proven Hair Growth Supplement

Be sure to choose the men's or women's version from the Viviscal store (there are a few options).

Pros:
  • Fewer doses, wide product range, clinically proven to reduce shedding and increase thickness.
Cons:
  • Not all natural, women's formula does not contain zinc, results take time.
Check Latest Price Read Our Viviscal Review
We may earn a commission when you click this link, at no extra cost to you.

Now that we’ve compared Nutrafol and Viviscal to determine the winner, which one is right for you?

  • Buy Nutrafol if you want all-natural ingredients and don’t mind taking an extra 2 pills per day.
  • Buy Viviscal if you want to take less pills, save money, and don’t need all natural ingredients.

Remember: Viviscal wins in the dose, price, and review categories. Nutrafol wins in the natural ingredients category. Both supplements are clinically proven to be effective for hair growth support and hair health. Both take around 3-6 months to show results when you take the recommended dose. 

If it’s important to you to know the source of the ingredients is 100% natural and traceable, you’ll need to go with Nutrafol. The price is higher, but the supplements are proven to work when you take the recommended four capsules/day dose.  

While both supplements are certainly effective, only Viviscal is backed by nearly 12,000 positive Amazon reviews. The lower price, proven effectiveness, and two tablet/day dose mean Viviscal is the best option for most people. Whether you’re a man or woman, there’s a formula available for you. 

Thinning or slow-growing hair doesn’t have to affect you anymore. With a well-researched natural supplement, you can ensure your body has all the nutrients it needs to grow and strengthen your hair.

After a few months, you should see thicker, fuller, longer hair that looks and feels healthier. For as little as $39.99/month, we’d say purchasing a hair growth supplement like Viviscal or Nutrafol is well worth it.

Click for Frequently Asked Questions

Is Viviscal or Nutrafol better for hair growth?

Nutrafol wins in the natural ingredients category. Both supplements are clinically proven to be effective for hair growth support and hair health. ... While both supplements are certainly effective, only Viviscal is backed by nearly 12,000 positive Amazon reviews.

Can I take both Nutrafol and Viviscal?

Yes. According to Amazon, Viviscal and Nutrafol will not interact with each other, so you can take them both together. However, we suggest only taking one, as you don't want to overload your body with supplements.

Does Viviscal regrow hair?

Yes. In fact, it's clinically proven to regrow hair. It's no wonder that men and women have trusted Viviscal's supplements to boost their hair growth for over 25 years.

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