| TITLE |
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF A NEW FOOD SUPPLEMENT, VIVISCAL, WITH
FISH EXTRACT FOR THE TREATMENT OF HEREDITARY ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA IN YOUNG MALES |
| ABSTRACT FROM: |
The Journal of International Medical Research 1992, 20:445-453 |
| AUTHOR |
- A. Lassus and E. Eskelinen - Dept of Dermatological Research,
Helsinki, Finland
|
| THE ARTICLE TALKS ABOUT: |
- The article documents the clinical research on the effectiveness
of Viviscal (a dietary supplement formulated with marine extracts and a silica compound)
in treating hair loss.
- A double blinded study was conducted to examine the effectiveness
of Viviscal compared to that of a fish extract in the treatment of hair loss.
- Participants in the study were all young males suffering from
varying degrees of male pattern baldness ranging from class III to class V according to
the Hamilton Scale of baldness. All participants are between the ages of 20 - 30. Most of
them have used 2% minoxidil before the commencement of this study.
- There were a total of 40 participants in the study. 20 were
assigned the Viviscal treatment and the other 20 (the control group) were assigned the
fish extract treatment.
- The study was for a period of 6 months. The Viviscal group was
instructed to take two tablets of Viviscal daily.
- At the end of the 6 month period, the group receiving the
Viviscal treatment showed substantial improvement compared to the control group. All
participants in the Viviscal group reported cessation of hair loss after 2 months. Also,
there was a 38% mean increase in hair regrowth among the participants. According to the
article, "alopecia could no longer be diagnosed in 19 of the 20 patients in the
Viviscal....group".
- The article concluded that Viviscal is very effective in treating
hair loss in young males who has a short history of male pattern baldness. The article
also mentioned that it is not known exactly how Viviscal work in treating hair loss.
- This study involved young males who are in the early stages of
hair loss. Subsequent to this study, a similar experiment has been conducted on
participants who are older and have been suffering from male pattern baldness for a much
longer period. The expriment was documented in Les Nouvelles Dermatologiques 1994: 13: 254-255.
- See review on Viviscal for product
information and pricing etc.
|
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