Glow drips are the new beauty craze for skin lightening and anti-ageing but are they safe? Here’s what dermat says

Intravenous (IV) infusions are increasingly being sought after for glow and skin lightening. However, the rationale behind using the two most important ingredients in IV drips, glutathione and vitamin C, is their antioxidant power, the power to deal with stressors of the body which cause ageing.

IV glutathione: The anti-ageing elixir everyone’s talking about

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Gulhima Arora, Senior Consultant Dermatologist at Mehektagul Dermaclinic in New Delhi, explained, “Chronic UV ray exposure, radiation, smoking, pollution and even the body’s functional activities cause the release of reactive oxygen species which enhance the aging process by causing inflammation and collagen breakdown. These can be countered by the ingredients in the IV infusions.”

She revealed, “The advantage of using iv infusions is that the drugs are delivered directly into the blood stream and bypass the absorption issues related to ingesting a pill. Oral forms may not be absorbed well from the gut and hence there may be suboptimal effects.”

Dr Gulhima Arora pointed out that other ingredients in IV infusions are vitamins such as B12, electrolytes and the medium in which they are gives, saline or dextrose. She shared, “These give a ‘wellness boost’ along with benefits beyond anti-ageing. Hydration, glow, speeding up of metabolism, increase in energy and cutting down of mental stress due to a feel-good factor are some other benefits.”

The dark side: What you need to know before trying IV skin brightening infusions

According to the expert, the treatment was initially sought to combat the side effects of chemotherapy for cancers and for Parkinson’s disease. However, there are no scientific studies of their use for anti-ageing or safety for long-term (beyond 12 weeks) use.

Dr Gulhima Arora asserted, “A word of caution must be emphasized upon. The potential risk of giving them outside of a facility having proper resuscitation and monitoring measures may be dangerous. IV glutathione infusions are banned in certain countries due to their potential risks of causing severe drug reactions and sudden and cardiac problems such as irregular heartbeats or coronary artery disease. Monitoring by a health care professional during the drip is necessary. The cost and benefit ratio too must be assessed, as these treatments are expensive.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.