I Had a $400 I.V. for Beauty Like Kate Upton — Here’s What Happened
You’ve probably heard that Kim Kardashian, Kate Upton, Neil Patrick Harris, and other stars are using I.V. injections to look refreshed for big events, and many of them are using the New York City-based I.V. Doc for treatments. Page Six reported last week that Kim Kardashian got the Beautify treatment before the Met Ball to get a glowing complexion.
I’ve been supercurious about I.V. treatments since they started popping up in Las Vegas a few years back — as a hangover cure. As the treatments have evolved, it seemed a great time to finally try one myself.
Kate Upton and stylist Bryce Scarlett do a little Met Ball prep. (Photo: Instagram/theivdoctor)
You can book the I.V. Doc or the Hangover Club online or via their apps, and there are many other services like theirs across the country. The I.V. Doc is in New York City, L.A., Vegas, the Hamptons, Chicago, and New Orleans. It’s important to note: They come to you!
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I booked with the I.V. Doc, and the first step was a call prior to my treatment with founder Adam Nadelson, M.D., who asked about prior illness, allergies, age, weight, and what my needs were for the treatment. I’d been traveling internationally and landed the day before, so I told the doctor I was feeling dehydrated and a bit tired. I also wanted to look glowy and refreshed, which Nadelson assured me was not a problem. After hanging up, I felt reassured I was in good hands.
Just two guys getting their I.V.s on. (Photo: Instagram/theivdoctor)
My appointment was for 10 the next morning, and a registered nurse rang my bell right on time. Nadelson selected the $399 Beautify treatment based on my needs (if it’s good enough for Kim, it’s good enough for me), which is a full saline bag, a multivitamin cocktail, anti-inflammatory medication, and a B12 shot.
My nurse, who told me she also works in an emergency room, set up a hanging I.V. bag filled with saline and showed me the three additions, which she added to my drip. At this point, I remembered I was going to have to deal with taking a needle in my arm — normally something I pay to avoid, not to have done to me. But I should not have worried. Just as in the doctor’s office, I looked away when I heard the words “you’re going to feel a little pinch,” and it was done.
Over the course of about 30 minutes the treatment seeped into my veins, and I have to admit I felt a big energy boost. It was a little weird to just chill with an I.V. in my arm, but the nurse was easy to talk to. She told me some patients choose to take the B12 as an intramuscular injection — the vitamin occurs naturally in meat and dairy products, and can result in an energy boost — for a stronger result. No, thank you!
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As the treatment ended, I realized I definitely felt better than before. My skin felt superhydrated, and the dry patches of skin around my nose (thanks, airplane air) had disappeared. I was glowing all over and had energy to burn (and I didn’t have any coffee before!). I can definitely understand why I.V. treatments are a popular hangover treatment.
Of course, as Robin Miller, M.D., explains, “Healthy people can hydrate just fine the natural way, by drinking water.”
Do you need I.V. treatments in your beauty regimen? Probably not, and as Miller explains, “Hangovers improve with time and hydration. … An I.V. isn’t necessary. Avoiding getting drunk is another good idea!”
I look at I.V. treatments as kind of a hack or shortcut. Yes, I had been drinking a ton of water and eating healthy post-travel and I was getting back to feeling like myself, but the treatment sped up that timeline. If you don’t have any downtime after traveling or partying, an I.V. treatment might be just what the doctor ordered.
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