Intravenous serums with vitamins and anti-hangover, all about the new aesthetic scam

Imagine for a moment the following scene: two smiling young women in party clothes, reclining on sun loungers in front of a swimming pool and on a perfectly manicured lawn, in one hand a cocktail glass and in the other an IV into which a serum labeled detox is connected. The scene could well be taken from a frame from the Black Mirror series, but we have it on Instagram and it is the latest in aesthetic and wellness treatments offered at home by clinics with few scruples. A scam for people who no longer know what to spend their money on.

What do these treatments consist of?

A call or a Whatsapp message is enough to make an appointment, which will be at the clinic itself, at your home or in the garden of a luxurious villa in Ibiza depending on what you are willing to pay, starting at €100.

The next step is for a health worker to channel an IV into your arm to administer a small bag of serum with almost divine properties.. The whole process lasts about 30 minutes and, after it, they promise that “your physical and emotional state will be balanced”. Almost nothing.

Where does this fashion come from?

How could it be otherwise, of the great celebrities. A couple of years ago characters like Madonna, Katy Perry or Rihanna began to share photos of themselves in their living room with an intravenous drip on social networks. In case any of their followers thought they were sick, they clarified that it was a “vitamin therapy” to be able to better carry out their hectic day to day. Today it is the national influencers who share their images to promote these treatments.

What do these miracle serums promise?

Pretty much everything you can imagine. From making you eliminate toxins from your body (as if you didn't have a liver in charge of doing it) to increasing your energy levels, going through improved circulation, getting radiant skin or having a clearer mind.

In fact, they are given names according to their purpose, and thus we have rescue me serums to recover from hangovers or jet lag, memory serums to achieve more vitality or beauty serums to combat the signs of a hectic life.

Nothing that you cannot get in a totally natural way and without spending so much money.

What do those serums actually contain?

Like all serums, they are mainly composed of water, but they also contain the following vitamins, minerals and amino acids:

– Vitamin C. Also known as ascorbic acid, it has, among many others, an antioxidant function in our body by helping to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.. Eating a kiwi a day will provide you with more of this vitamin than your body needs.

– Magnesium sulphate. This mineral is nothing more than Magnesium salt. An essential trace element that we will get naturally and in sufficient quantities by eating legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables or whole grains.

– B12 vitamin. A fundamental vitamin for the proper functioning of our nervous system and brain. But don't worry, if you include sardines or mussels, Serrano ham, eggs or cheese in your diet, you will have more than enough vitamins.

– Vitamin B5. This vitamin surely sounds more like panthenol to you, and it is a common ingredient in many hair products due to its beneficial effects on it.. It is found naturally in broccoli, legumes, or eggs.

– Sodium. A mineral present in the water we drink, in table salt and in a huge amount of food and condiments. Trust me, we all eat far more sodium than we need at the end of the day.

– Biotin. This amino acid has a positive influence on the health of nails and hair, but it is not only found in these serums. We have it in more than enough quantities in salmon, egg yolk, nuts, bananas or legumes.

But are they really good for anything?

To hydrate and little else. The only thing you are going to get after a therapy with miraculous serums is to have between €100 and €200 less in your current account and very expensive urine. Some of those salts, vitamins or minerals they contain will be stored in your body, as long as their reservoirs are not already full, and the rest of the serum will be eliminated through urine.

The clinics themselves trust these serums so little that they warn their clients that for them to be more effective they must be accompanied by habits such as reducing the consumption of processed foods, exercising 3 or 4 times a week, avoiding alcohol consumption and tobacco or increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the diet. If you do all this you will undoubtedly feel better, but with or without IV.