IV Therapy: What Goes In, What Comes Out, and Whether It Is Worth It
Drips promising glow, energy and immunity are everywhere. Some IV treatments are genuinely useful. Many are expensive hydration. Here is how to tell the difference.
Why IV at All?
When you swallow a vitamin, your gut decides how much of it is absorbed, and for many nutrients that is only a fraction. An intravenous drip bypasses the gut and delivers nutrients straight into the bloodstream, so the levels reached are far higher.
That is the genuine advantage of IV therapy. The honest question is whether higher levels do anything useful for you.
Where It Genuinely Helps
Deficiency that tablets cannot fix
Some people absorb nutrients poorly, because of gut conditions, previous surgery or certain medicines. For them, an infusion can correct a deficiency that months of tablets have not. Iron deficiency is the clearest example, and iron infusions are established medical care.
Dehydration
When someone is dehydrated after illness, heat or vomiting and cannot drink enough, intravenous fluids rehydrate quickly and effectively.
Specific, tested needs
Where a blood test shows a real deficiency, a targeted infusion can be a sensible and efficient way to treat it.
Where the Evidence Is Thin
For people who are already healthy and well nourished, the evidence that wellness drips improve energy, immunity, skin or ageing is limited. Much of what is marketed as a glow drip or an immunity boost has not been tested in good-quality trials. And the excess of water-soluble vitamins your body does not need is simply filtered out by the kidneys.
NAD+ infusions, widely promoted for energy and healthy ageing, are an area of active research. The role of NAD+ in the body is genuinely interesting, but clear evidence that infusions change how people feel or age is still limited.
A drip that makes you feel better for an afternoon may simply be the water.
The Risks Are Small, Not Zero
Any time a needle enters a vein, there is a risk of bruising, irritation of the vein and, rarely, infection. Fluid given too quickly can strain the heart or kidneys in people with those conditions. Some ingredients interact with medicines, and high doses of certain nutrients are not safe for everyone, including in pregnancy and some kidney conditions.
That is why a drip should never be given without a medical history, and never in a setting without trained staff and emergency equipment.
Questions to Ask Before Any Drip
Ask before you sit down
- What exactly is in this drip, and at what doses?
- Why do I, specifically, need it?
- Who is placing the line, and what happens if I react badly?
So, Is It Worth It?
Sometimes, yes. For a real deficiency, a genuine need or a clear clinical reason, IV therapy is efficient and effective. As a routine treat for a healthy body, it is mostly an expensive way to be well hydrated. Knowing which one you are paying for is the whole point.
Our med spa and wellness treatments are listed in full, and every one begins with a conversation.
Common Questions
How often can I have an IV drip?
It depends entirely on why you are having it. A drip for a diagnosed deficiency follows a clinical schedule. There is no medical case for frequent routine drips in a healthy person.
Does an IV drip help my skin glow?
Hydration can make skin look fresher for a short while. There is little good evidence that drips produce a lasting improvement in the skin. For skin, sunscreen, a good routine and targeted treatment do far more.
Is an NAD+ infusion safe?
It is generally well tolerated, but it can cause flushing, nausea or a tight feeling in the chest if it runs too quickly, which is why it is given slowly and under supervision.
Dr. Gladys Emokpaire-Oni
Medical Director, Bluorchid Aesthetics
Specialist in facial profile enhancement, anti-ageing medicine, and medical weight loss. Founder of Bluorchid Aesthetics, Lagos. Fourteen years of clinical practice in aesthetic medicine.
