This was in one of my Aesthetic magazines sent to doctors. I take these with a grain of salt – they aren’t scientific journals like I usually blog about – but I like to see what is out there.
This was a “Board Forum: Strategies to support skin and hair health.” There were multiple MDs, and these were their approaches to skin care products.
Do you recommend nutraceuticals for hair or collagen support?
- Dr. TS uses Viviscal PRO currently. They used to carry biotin, but they stopped carrying due to “abnormalities it may cause on lab testing and its widespread availability over the counter.” They try to choose products with better data.
- Dr. MS states Viviscal dominated the market in the 1990s because it partnered with doctors. Nutrafol then rolled out a non shellfish origin supplement. Both have patented proprietary formulations, have biotin, and antioxidants. He carries both brands.
Viviscal is AminMar C marine complex, mollusk and shark cartilage source.
Nutrafol is Synergen Complex. It states it has an ingredient which blocks DHT and Sensoril Ashwagandha to relieve stress on hair follicles.
For skin treatment
Retin A continues to be the gold standard topical treatment for photodamaged skin. It improves fine lines, wrinkles, surface roughness, and discoloration. The issue is tolerability, as it can irritate skin, causing peeling and redness, and sometimes itching, burning, and stinging.
There are weaker retinoids that are in over the counter products. These are less potent.
There are new products coming to market which may have a better formulation. One is a bioengineered retinoid called AlphaRet, which has a conjugated retinoid with a lactic acid. They also add Vitamin C, Vitamin E, green tea extract, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide, and botanicals. In a split face study, it was compared to .025% Retin A and 1% Retinol. It was equal to the RetinA but had improved tolerability and hydration.
My thoughts? Most people on Retin A are on .05 or .1%, so comparing this to retinol and .025% is not as impressive. These studies listed did not include histology. So as I stated at the top, I take all of this with a grain of salt. Real skin improvement and efficacy is shown by biopsies and slides, not “it looked better.” But interesting to see where the world is going.
In general, most supplements are not regulated by the FDA. When looking at these, please know independent testing often shows that the supplements do not have ANY of the things listed, or they have them in different amounts. There is a well known placebo effect, and it tends to go up when the supplement costs more. Read my blogs on herbals HERE.
But some of these do have photos showing improved hair growth. So again, jury is out for me on this one.
Are there any over the counter products you would advise patients to avoid?
- Many doctors stated ordering products off the internet is concerning. You can get anything, and some things can injure skin and hair. It is good to have a doctor guidance to see what is okay for your skin type (pigmenation, pore size, sensitive skin, etc) and make sure it is an authentic product.
- Dr. S thinks the DIY pore vacuums are dangerous for certain skin types. If you have sensitive skin it can cause abrasions and potential infections.