Vitamin Injection vs IV Drip – which is best?
Longevity and wellbeing is in. Looking good from the outside, and anti ageing treatments used to be the number one requested treatment in aesthetic clinics. However clients are now looking for treatments to improve their health and wellbeing – ultimately to live well for longer.
That’s why vitamin injections and IV drip therapy are on the rise.
So the question is – Vitamin Injections vs IV Drip – which is best?
Both of these methods can be used to deliver vitamins into the body for health benefits. The main difference is how quickly the body is able to absorb the vitamins.
Here I’m going to give you a simple summary to both, so you can understand why you might choose one over the other. (I carry out both of these in my Medispa and it’s something I get asked a lot)
Vitamin Injections
Firstly a vitamin injection beats a vitamin tablet hands down! That’s because tablets are digested in the stomach and that process destroys a lot of the vitamins. Whereas an injection bypasses the digestive system, and goes into the muscle eg. your arm.
The vitamins enter your bloodstream and are absorbed fairly slowly. They diffuse through the muscle before reaching your bloodstream.
The process of a vitamin injection is very quick – as it’s just an injection usually into the arm or the buttocks. This means you don’t have to sit and wait for the treatment (unlike IV drip therapy which takes time).
The dosage of vitamins is often less in an injection than an IV drip, so you’re not getting as much, but you are definitely getting more than if you take a vitamin tablet.
Main Benefits:
- Very quick method of introducing vitamins or minerals into the body, with an injection into the muscle eg. your arm.
- More effective than taking a tablet as very little is lost.
- Fairly inexpensive
Cost: More expensive than tablets, but less expensive than IV drip. From approx £30 per injection.
IV Drip Therapy
An IV drip has the benefit of delivering vitamins or nutrients directly into the bloodstream, so it’s the method which has the quickest effect.
It involves inserting a needle or cannula into a vein and attaching a drip of fluid suspended on a stand. The contents of the bag are infused into your bloodstream over the course of around an hour. (This depends on the size of the IV bag)
You are attached to the IV bag for a period of time, so you will need to sit still and be patient for the process to complete.
Since the IV bag contains fluid as well as the vitamin chosen you are getting more than one benefit.
The fluid is made up of sodium chloride and sterile water. The water entering your body is incredibly hydrating. The Sodium chloride which is less than 1% provides electrolytes, which are good for tissue repair and nerve and muscle support.
This fluid is classed as an isotonic IV solution – which helps to keep the fluid balance inside and outside the body’s cells.
The effects of IV therapy can often be seen within hours or a few days after the infusion.
Main Benefits:
- Instantly helps with dehydration and can also be used to administer vitamins and minerals effectively.
- The solution goes directly into the blood stream for maximum absorption and effectiveness.
- Can have multiple vitamins in the IV bag at once, so you’re getting multiple vitamins in one go.