Words by Korean beauty expert Vicky Lee.
Is your skin in need of a pick-me-up but your long working hours and busy social calendar are getting in the way of a healthy diet and a spa detox trip? The quick fix you’re looking for is called intravenous vitamin therapy and is all the rage in Seoul and London right now.
Let’s face it: a healthy diet, proper sleep and a little relaxing break during a stressful day are absolutely essential to the health of your body and skin, but eating your five portions of greens a day, getting eight hours of sleep each night and finding a few minutes to unwind at the end of a long day are luxuries for most of us.
As a result, your skin suffers: without the vitamins, antioxidants and minerals it absorbs through a nutritious meal and enough time to repair itself at night, your skin is more prone than ever to the aging effects of sun damage, pollution and stress. Not only this causes your skin to develop fine lines and wrinkles earlier than it naturally would, but it also dehydrates it and robs it of its youthful glow.
Vitamin drip is the perfect antidote to these skin woes because they deliver essential nutrients that can prevent and reverse the damage right into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive process entirely. While only about 50% of the nutrients you ingest is absorbed by the body, the number rises to a whopping 90% when they are delivered through IV therapy.
Medical clinics and spas offer a wide variety of vitamin drips, each one designed to provide a different benefit to the patient. Some vitamin drips, for example, boost your natural glow, while others detox your body or increase your energy levels. Nicknamed The Celebrity Drip, the treatment has a cult VIP following, with everyone from Madonna to Rihanna and Kim Kardashian booking a session a day or two before stepping out onto the red carpet for a prestigious award ceremony or movie premiere.
The Celebrity Drip is a mixture of normal saline with strong vitamin C or glutathione, two powerful antioxidants that can boost collagen production, fight the free radicals that cause premature wrinkles, boost sun protection and impart a youthful glow to the complexion. Patients also report an increased level of moisture in the deeper layers of their skin, which helps restore softness and suppleness to the face.
The whole treatment takes about 30 minutes and its effects are already noticeable after a few hours and last for about a week, with multiple sessions recommended to optimize the results. Both before and after treatment blood pressure is taken to make sure that everything is working as normal. This is standard procedure and nothing to worry about.
The truth of the matter is that vitamins are extremely beneficial when taken at an optimal dose but could turn toxic when overdosed. To avoid the risk, choose a professional medical provider who is fully qualified to administer the treatment and concoct the right type of drip that best satisfies the needs of your skin and your body.
I went to Dr. Gabriela Mercik’s Clinic at Harley Street where it offers an advanced version of vitamin drip, Molecular Vitamin Drip and had to find out what all the fuss is about. It is particularly beneficial for skin rejuvenation because, in addition to a blend of vitamins, it is enriched with molecular water, a type of water that has a smaller molecular size than regular water and can, therefore, better penetrate into the pores and deeply hydrate the complexion.
Most importantly how did I feel after the treatment? I definitely felt more energetic and alert, my skin was glowing and it even hid tired skin from the jet lag.
Next time you’re attending a red carpet event, gala or wedding while you feel exhausted, make sure you go for a vitamin drip the day before. Not only it will take a few years off your face, but it’ll also give you all the energy you need to enjoy the occasion to the full!
Where To Get The Celebrity Drips: drgabriela.co.uk
Address: Dr. Gabriela Mercik’s Clinic, 56 Harley Street, Marylebone, London W1G 9QA
Email: info@drgabriela.co.uk
Phone: 02034902798
