IV therapy: The future of wellness  

Arushi Sakhuja   

Conversations around health and wellbeing have been at the forefront in the light of the pandemic. With some shifting their focus on healthy eating and lifestyle patterns, others are turning to new forms of treatments for their wellbeing. In the recent past, IV therapy has been gaining momentum and has been the crux of many health-related conversations. While celebrities in the West like the Kardashians, Rihanna and Gwyneth Paltrow have been avid promoters of the treatment, IV therapy initially sounded like a wellness craze for celebrities. But soon enough, the trend caught on and social media was buzzing with the benefits of the intravenous wellness trip that left users feeling recharged, supercharged, and revitalized with boosted immunity and the coveted skin glow – it even helped cure hangovers! 

In the past several years, IV therapy has gone from common medical treatment to a hot new trend. IV bars and drip bars are becoming big businesses for those seeking to cash in on wellness. Being curious about the new trend, we spoke to Krysha Bajaj, Co-Founder, REVIV, Rohan Jain, Founder, The Wellness Co., Dr Noopur Jain, Founder SkinZest and dermatologist, and Dr Kiran Sethi, Dermatologist and Founder Isya.   

Given the feel good, look good, live good ideology multiple centres have mushroomed in India and continue to do so. “When I was studying, a friend from the UK took me to an IV therapy lounge for a recovery drip. That’s when I started looking into Holistic Alternative Therapy,” shared Krysh Bajaj, Co-founder & Director REVIV, and with this idea, REVIV was brought to India. “We want to take the REVIV lifestyle to more and more wellness-conscious individuals across the country,” says Anjali Tripathi, Co-Founder.   

What is also noteworthy is that during the pandemic, some were turning to IV therapies to help treat the after-effects of Covid. Speaking on the connection between covid recovery and IV therapy Dr Noopur, “IV drip after covid is beneficial for addressing deficiencies, increasing immunity, and detoxing/cleansing. It may help with brain fog, low energy, dizziness, and fatigue which could be the aftermath of having suffered through the virus.”  

Another wellness hub situated in Gurugram, Delhi NCR is The Wellness Co. Believing in holistic wellbeing, Founder, Rohan Jani tells us about his journey, “The motivation to start a clinic in India came from my own personal experience with IVs in the US. I returned to India in June of 2019 and began looking for IV therapy within Gurugram (my home city). I noticed that there were very few reputable clinics providing IVs in Delhi NCR and thought of filling this gap in the market myself with The Wellness Co.” With the Indian market jumping on the trend he felt “People are more willing to spend on their personal well-being and are driven to invest in themselves. We believe that Covid has played a major role in this shift of mentality not just for IVs but for our entire suite of wellness therapies.”  

“Despite the fact that this is a relatively new concept in India, people are opting for IV vitamin infusions,” further adds Bajaj. But it’s not without its challenges. She further shared, “Client inquiries range from determining whether a doctor’s consultation or bloodwork is required before deciding on therapy to determining who will carry it out. As a result, having to regularly educate our clients with preconceived beliefs about these therapies can be difficult.”  

However, being a new concept in India, Krysha, Dr Kiran and Rohan felt it was extremely important to educate the consumers and build awareness. While Dr Kiran turned to social media to spread awareness; for Rohan Jain marketing strategies that focused on educating consumers about the benefits of IV therapy and its role in preventive wellness was the way forward. However, he also believes in the traditional idea of the word-of-mouth strategy.   

How does IV therapy work?  

Being a game-changer in the industry IV therapy has been around for a while now as a cutting-edge holistic way to wellness. Not only does IV therapy offer a burst of vitamins and minerals to improve mental and physical health but the infusions help vitamins and antioxidants reach directly into your bloodstream, with minimal being discarded making them more efficient than oral pills and even food. “ Your body requires a certain amount of vitamins and nutrients each day to function normally. While the exact amount varies from person to person, the demands of daily life can make getting enough of these essential vitamins difficult. Even when taking multivitamins, the metabolic process prevents your body from absorbing all of the nutrients which may impair the absorption capacity in some people, thus reducing the ability to effectively convert nutrients into usable energy for cells,”say Dr Jain. This is when IV therapies come in to help restore the imbalances in your body and give your body the required does of vitamins and minerals. Further, IV drips can improve physical wellness as well as aspects of emotional wellness, such as depression or anxiety, by providing your body with the tools it needs to stay in shape.  

With IV infusion therapy, the dosage can be customised to suit specific needs as opposed to taking vitamins in the form of pills or food, that is present with a predetermined amount. However, in the case of vitamin infusion therapy, your healthcare professional takes into account your age, metabolism, genetics, existing medical concerns, and anything else that is unique to you in order to maximise the benefits.  

It is no surprise that the quality of food and water has taken a major hit with the climate change crisis and increasing population thus impacting the vitamins and minerals present in it. “The food we eat is 50-60% less nutritious than it used to be, and our water is much more polluted. We also take a lot more medications, antibiotics, and painkillers, you name it, our food is more processed – our gut is just not able to take up as much nutrition as it used to. So, IV therapy is a great tool to help with getting the desired nutrition,” correctly pointed out Dr Kiran Sethi. Further, IV therapies also have a 99.8% absorption rate that bypasses the digestive system, thus delivering immediate results. Besides accelerating the effectiveness of supplements, IV therapy also ensures almost 100% absorption of essential nutrients for maximum effect, compared to the 8% absorption of oral supplements,” adds Rohan Jani, Founder, The Wellness Co.   

At REVIV, they have a cure for everything! From a quick fix for a wild night with their  Hydromax or Ultraviv infusion to restore lost electrolytes and decrease inflammation, to an instant energy and immunity boost with the Megaboost is perfect, and the Royal Flush which is the combination of infusions to treat pain and inflammation. But if you want that coveted red carpet glow, opt for the Vitaglow.  

The pros and cons  

The beauty of IV therapy is that it can be taken by anyone above the age of 18 years. Whether you’re looking to boost your immunity, increase energy level, hydrate the body, combat fatigue, recover from muscle soreness or even hangovers, improve vitamin status and hair growth, detoxify and help your skin glow; IV therapy has it all covered! While experts at REVI believe IV therapy is ideal for everyone and best used regularly to replenish and maintain hydration and vitamin levels, they add a word of caution, saying that some people may advise additional diagnostic testing or monitoring before opting for an IV therapy. Over time, one may also experience other benefits like mood upliftment and improved sleeping patterns. “They work either as an SOS for immediate recovery or as a course to improve the overall health and concern,” said Dr Kiran. While the treatment is a safe choice for all Dr Kiran cautions those who have blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease or another severe condition, and suggests a consult before exploring IV therapy. She further says, “It is not necessary for health, except in some cases where only IV nutrition is able to solve the problem. There are some cases where food is not absorbed properly, and then IV nutrition is needed.” Agreeing with Dr Kiran, Dr Jain says, “These are not required, but they are extremely beneficial in terms of effectively delivering nutrients to the body. The ability to rehydrate the body is one of the main advantages of IV drip therapy and IV drip therapy helps to temporarily relieve dehydration-related discomforts by rehydrating the body and cells.”  

The Wellness Co. provides IV therapy at the clinic and even in the comfort of your home for holistic wellbeing. Available at the clinic is a combination of antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals including the Myer’s Cocktail, Men’s and Women’s health drips contain a balanced mix of Vitamin C, Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, B complex, Amino acids and more.  “In an ideal World IV therapy may not be necessary for health but with the kind of fast-paced lifestyles, people are exposed to nowadays, IVs become a necessity. The human body needs to maintain a certain balance of vitamins and minerals which can only be provided with regular exercise supplemented with a clean yet nutritious diet program. IVs are extremely safe and side effects are very rare as well as mild in nature. With that being said, we generally recommend that IVs should be administered to those over the age of 18,” said Rohan. Further speaking about the frequency and side effects he candidly shared, “The benefits of IV therapy for overall well-being can be felt with continued sessions and it is always recommended to take a ten-day gap between infusions. Side effects are extremely rare with IV therapy since the dosages we administer are well within the limits. In rare cases a mild fever, headache and chills have been noted but this is absolutely normal and subside quickly.”

However, when IV drips are improperly administered, Dr Noopur says it can lead to serious complications like clotting, inflammation, bloodstream infection, and electrolyte imbalance. So, we suggest making your way to a well-reputed clinic before taking one. “While you can take up to 3 IV infusion therapies in a week, the average number of sessions depends on the requirement of the client and differs from individual to individual. However, we recommend 4-12 weeks of IV therapy,” say experts at REVIV.     

First-hand reviews of IV Therapy   

“Quick, easy, painless, fun and with great results! Lots of energy and glow. I had done our REHAB and our LIT drips in combination after some travel. I felt LIT for sure.” Dr Kiran Sethi  

“ I first came across IV therapy about 5 years ago while I was attending Rollins College in Orlando, Florida. I had contracted a stomach bug which was preventing me from eating any form of food. Even drinking water was proving to be a difficult task. After about three days I began to feel very weak and could not even bring myself to get out of bed. This is when a friend of mine recommended that I try IV therapy at a clinic nearby. They formulated a custom IV loaded with Vitamin C and other nutrients to replenish my body’s immune system which had been compromised. After about 30 minutes I started feeling the effects of the IV and I noticed a rise in energy levels as well as a feeling of overall well-being. Over the next few days, my body began to recover quite well, and I was even able to consume small amounts of food and water. I had always been a sceptic myself when it came to this kind of thing but after trying it, I began to understand its potential for healing.” Rohan Jain, Founder The Wellness Co.  

“I had acne for a while and had tried almost everything before I tried IV therapy. Added to it was a high dose of Vitamin C and a Glutathione push to help with my acne scars. What I didn’t expect was that it would also help me so much with my active acne! My energy levels were great, and it was also the soundest sleep I have had in a while.” Mohana Patki  

“I returned home drained-out after my trip to Ranthambore. Based on my wellness consultation with REVIV, I was recommended the Megaboost IV therapy + Glutathione IV push. I felt charged up within just a few hours of getting the therapy! Thankful to the REVIV team for their hospitality and expertise.” Gaurav Sharma  

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