Fashion / Beauty

The IV Fix: Innovative Health and Beauty Spa Brings Vitamin Drips and Freeze Therapy to Houston

BY Laurann Claridge // 05.01.16

Bleary-eyed, you drag yourself out of bed, remembering all the fun you had last night. Dehydrated, you reach for a bottle of Fiji water and a couple of aspirin. But wait. Before you self-medicate, there’s a quick fix — provided you’re not squeamish about needles.

Whether you had one too many cocktails, are jet-lagged after a transatlantic flight or just feel tuckered out from the gym, the new ThrIVe Drip Spa can — in 45 minutes or less — hydrate you from head to toe while delivering a hefty dose of vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly into your bloodstream. While there are eight IV drips to choose from, I did as many do and customized mine, creating a tincture of Dr. Myers vitamin drip (made famous years ago by the late Johns Hopkins doctor for whom it’s named) and the beauty drip, which promises to tighten and brighten my every pore. I was admittedly put off by having an IV inserted into my hand, so the RN on duty happily inserted the needle in my arm.

For about 40 minutes, a bag of fluid hung beside my armchair and ottoman, delivering into my body a powerful punch of vitamins B complex and C, calcium, B12, B6, magnesium and more — all absorbed more quickly at the cellular level than my daily handful of gummy vitamins.

Curious to try the chilly cryosauna, I booked an appointment the next morning. Cryotherapy is purported to aid in weight loss, muscle recovery, pain management and even skin tightening; I’m told it can also boost your metabolism and jump-start your immune system, all while burning 500 to 800 calories following your session. In all of 10 minutes, the cryochamber was filled with liquid nitrogen, which vaporizes as it hits the air, cooling the capsule down to between -160 and -220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Preparation involves stripping down to your skivvies and protecting your extremities with socks, down slippers and insulated gloves before you step into the chamber, where your head and neck are lifted to avoid direct exposure to the jarring cold. Sessions last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes (or as long as you can stand it). Miraculously, I managed to stay for three minutes, teeth chattering.

I stepped out feeling completely invigorated with energy akin to downing a shot of espresso — an effect that lasted for hours. Monthly memberships are available. A cryotherapy session is $20 for first-timers, $50 for members and $60 for nonmembers. Injectables from Sculptura to Botox, Voluma to Juvederm Ultra Plus are also administered in this doctor-supervised spa owned by Dr. Eugene Lou, an orthopedic surgeon with Memorial Hermann Hospital.

ThrIVe Drip Spa, 1014 Wirt Road, 832.977.0480, thrivedripspa.com. Laurann Claridge

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