I have very thin hair and always have. It’s curly and dry, so it breaks easily at the ends. Once my hair reaches a certain length (roughly mid-chest), it essentially stops growing. I also use very little product and am hesitant to add any to my routine. That changed, however, when I agreed to an eight-week trial period of Revela Hair Revival Serum, a new product formulated to stimulate hair growth.
There are many fallacies surrounding hair regrowth that companies capitalize on. Revela isn't one of them. For example, women often experience postpartum hair loss. Although hair will typically grow back, these women often panic and buy regrowth solutions. “We're trying to find women who've been dealing with hair loss or thin hair for a long time,” says co-founder and CEO Evan Zhao. “We want people who take their hair seriously and are going to put in the effort”
After combatting ultra thin hair for a lifetime, I was up to the challenge for testing out Revela's Hair Revival Serum. My trial period has now concluded and I have been pleasantly surprised with the results.
The Formula:
The concept behind Revela came from a group of Harvard scientists who were working to combat the effects of cancer. “Over the pandemic we thought, hey, these tools are really cool. Maybe we can use them to find better solutions for things that people care about," says Zhao. The company settled on hair loss.
Zhao and his team identified ProCelinyl as the key ingredient after using artificial intelligence (AI) to comb through millions of possibilities. ProCelinyl effectively stimulates hair growth by reawakening dormant hair follicles. There is a correlation between hair follicle cells and hair volume—how much you grow, how thick it is, etc. Below a certain threshold of these cells, hair will not grow. Once the threshold is reached, the more cells you have, the more hair you grow. Until you cap out. For someone who already possesses the maximum level of follicles, ProCelinyl will do nothing for them.
Revela is not going to eliminate the stress that spikes your cortisol levels—toxic to your hair—or regulate your nutrition. It focuses solely on the follicle. Addressing those outside variables on your own is a proactive way to bolster the effects of Revela.
My Review:
As Zhao notes, hair regrowth is a very slow process and this isn’t a product geared towards instant gratification. It’s also not going to work for those who don’t put in the work. I applied the serum to my scalp along my part 1-2 times per day for eight weeks. I’m someone who struggles with consistency (I barely moisturize regularly), but luckily I was able to stay on track—this is key.
After this period, I started to experience a small number of baby hairs growing along my part and at my crown. My hair also seemed less prone to breakage towards the end of my trial period.
Before.
After.
I don’t have serious issues with hair loss, but I do believe I have a lower number of hair follicle cells than normal. This product seemed to provide an adequate solution to growth and overall strengthening of my hair. I’m not a product junkie, so I will admit I was hesitant to apply a serum to my own head that claimed regrowth. Further research coupled with Zhao’s expertise and my own experience alleviated my hesitation around this specific product.
I implore anyone looking into this product (or suffering from the plight of hair loss) to do their research beforehand. It's not a singular solution—consider the other factors involved and make sure you fit the criteria to use the product. Zhao's explanation, though he didn't sugarcoat it, made me feel better about my own usage. All in all, I think this product is one of the best (and most realistic) solutions available for hair regrowth.
