Fad or Future: Are IV Infusions As Good As They Say?

If you’ve been paying attention to health trends over the past couple of years, you’ll be well aware of IV infusions — the vitamin and mineral-rich elixirs that help to treat everything from morning sickness and hangovers to low energy and poor immune health. 

Endorsed by healthcare professionals worldwide, the question must be asked: are IV infusions a fleeting health fad that oversells and underdeliver or a stepping stone to optimal health and wellbeing?

What makes this incredibly versatile treatment a game-changer? Keep reading to learn all there is to know about IV infusions, including what they are, how they work, their benefits, and the different types. 

Simply put, IV therapy is a treatment that delivers vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and electrolytes quickly into your bloodstream for rapid absorption and results. Fluid is administered through an IV drip directly into the vein, allowing it to travel rapidly through your bloodstream, ensuring your body can quickly reap the reward of the highly concentrated vitamins and minerals. IV infusions are performed by a licensed medical professional (generally a nurse). 

Typically, orally administered medication takes longer to reach the bloodstream than IV infusions, making it a potentially suitable treatment type for those wanting maximum results in minimal time. As oral vitamins are broken down in the stomach and digestive tract, your body can only absorb a limited amount of the nutrients. However, when administered through an IV infusion, your body can absorb the vitamins and minerals at a much higher percentage. 

Contrary to popular belief, IV infusions aren’t a temporary health fad or industry buzzword; they’ve been around longer than you might think. Research suggests the first successful infusion device dates back to 1656 when scientist Christopher Wren pumped substances into the bloodstream using a quill and a pig’s bladder. While the device lacked durability, it showed signs of promise. In the 1960s, Dr John Myers created the “Myers Cocktail,” a vitamin and mineral cocktail designed to help manage symptoms of common health problems, including fibromyalgia, asthma, respiratory tract infections, seasonal allergies, cardiovascular disorders, and more. 

A quick recap:

• IV therapy delivers vitamins and minerals directly into your bloodstream, ensuring maximum absorption and effectiveness.
• IV infusions provide a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than orally administered medication.
• Licensed medical professionals perform IV infusions.  

From helping alleviate dehydration to supporting hair, skin and nails, IV infusions have become an increasingly popular treatment for various reasons. There are several different kinds of IV infusions carefully designed to help treat one or more of the following:

• Strengthen hair and nails
• Support cognitive function and mental clarity
• Replenish electrolytes
• Boost immune health and energy levels
• Hydrate and replenish skin
• Relieve hangover symptoms
• Support workout recovery
• Relieve headaches
• Help flush out toxins
• Help relieve cold and flu symptoms 
• Reduce fatigue

There’s a lot to be said about the power of delivering nutrients via an IV infusion, and in our professional opinion, the results can be highly effective. Here’s why we love IV infusions: 

• Better absorption — When it comes to nutrition, sadly, we aren’t what we eat; we’re what our bodies absorb. Unfortunately, several factors affect your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, including age, general health, genetics, metabolism, and more. However, when vitamins and minerals are delivered straight into your bloodstream, it increases nutrient uptake into your cells, which allows your body to get more goodness from the ingredients. 
• Higher concentration — Your body receives higher concentrations of vitamins and minerals when delivered through IV infusions, compared to food, supplements, or oral medication — where only 40% of the nutrients are absorbed. As the vitamins and minerals aren’t ingested, they don’t need to go through the standard digestion process, which often weakens the concentration of ingredients. 
• Efficient — As nutrients are delivered straight into your bloodstream, your body can reap the benefits of the vitamins and minerals faster than ingesting the nutrients orally. 
• Ease and convenience — If you’re feeling under the weather or seeking a quick and convenient option to help support your health concerns, IV infusions are quick, easy, and convenient. The cherry on top? For most people, there’s minimal discomfort!
• It may improve skin health — If you’re religiously sticking to your skincare ritual and seeing minimal results, guess what? The problem may lie beneath the skin. Unfortunately, if you’re struggling with poor inner health, no amount of serum or moisturiser will counteract it. Certain IV infusions will help hydrate and nourish your insides, which may improve your skin’s look and texture. 

When you visit us at Dr Tanya Skin Clinic, our fully qualified nurse will take you for a consultation to understand your concerns and what areas of your health you want support with. Upon deciding the right IV infusion for you, our nurse will carefully connect you to the IV, which is a quick and easy process. 

To help you gain a simple visual of the setup, the IV infusion fluid is contained in a bag suspended from a pole, which is connected to a catheter that is safely injected into your vein. Infusions use gravity to help deliver said fluids into the bloodstream at a consistent and controlled rate. 

How long IV infusions takes depends largely on the individual and the treatment they’re receiving. As a general rule, we ask our customers to set aside 45 minutes to one hour for the infusion. During this time, you’re welcome to lie back and relax while the IV is hard at work. 

One question we’re frequently asked is how long it will take to feel the effects of the vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, there is no one simple answer to this; it will differ from person to person. Generally, people will feel it relatively fast due to how quickly IV infusions work their magic. 

Hot tip: Make sure you're adequately hydrated before your appointment. It'll make it much easier to find your veins!

IV infusion ingredients can vary dramatically depending on the type of treatment and clinic. For general health and wellbeing, you’ll commonly find ingredients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Magnesium, Calcium, Glutathione, and more. Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients you’ll find in many of our IV Infusion treatments. 

At Dr Tanya Skin Clinic, we offer a variety of IV infusions to help support a range of skin and health concerns, which include:

Love the sound of our infusions? Book in with our incredible team today at Dr Tanya Skin Clinic. Simply click here. 

Not entirely sure if you’re ready to commit to an IV infusion? No worries, we completely understand that skincare treatments are highly personal. If this sounds like you, we highly recommend one of our incredible booster shots, designed to help support your inner health and immunity from the inside out. 

While IV infusions have found their time in the spotlight over the past few years, these incredibly powerful treatments aren’t a fleeting beauty trend. They’ve been used throughout history in the medical world and are now gaining well-deserved popularity for their contribution to general health, wellness, and immunity. 

From boosting cognitive function and energy to supporting skin, hair, and nail health, Dr Tanya Skin Clinic offers a versatile mix of IV infusions to help support a range of health concerns. 

Like all treatments, IV Infusions don’t come without risk and won’t be suitable for everyone. As always, we recommend consulting your healthcare practitioner before jumping in. 

Please book a consultation with our Gold Coast-based team today to learn more about our IV infusions.