So, since the beginning of the year I’ve been getting intravenous vitamin drips, administered in the middle of my local shopping mall, Brent Cross, as a stop-off whilst I shop.
Visiting Zara a few months ago, next door I noticed the opening of a new THERAPIE clinic next door, featuring ‘Getadrip’ which I had read about in many fashion magazines. I’ve been getting B12 shots for a while via my beautician so I decided to try out their service, as they offer a full range of intravenous vitamins – either as a slow drip (it takes around 20 minutes) or as an instant jab.
Firstly, I should say that you can also get these at Westfield White City, London’s second most mammoth and headache-inducing shopping centre (after its Stratford counterpart). Brent Cross (the UK’s oldest and first ever shopping mall) is smaller, and actually quite calm by comparison.
It felt strange making my inaugural trip to Brent Cross not just to shop, but to be plugged into an IV that promised to rejuvenate my body. The company, Getadrip, sells “IV Vitamin Drips & IV Nutrient Therapy” in the form of concoctions pumped directly into your bloodstream. They have a flagship store in Shoreditch’s BoxPark and also offer home visits. However, I chose Brent Cross because I couldn’t resist the paradox of receiving an intimate wellness treatment in one of the busiest malls in London.
IV vitamin drips have been a fad for a while now. I first noticed Cara Delevingne rigged up to one a few years back after a heavy night out. I’ve also seen journalists having them sent to their offices to relieve hangovers (for which there are specially tailored anti-sickness and hydration drips containing paracetamol). Plus, some festival goers rely on their revitalising benefits to survive four-day benders – for example, a company called EFFECT DOCTORS recently brought its pop-up shop to Glastonbury.
Many people might dismiss vitamin drips as a trend for those with too much disposable income and a flair for amateur dramatics. After all, what is wrong with a good old Berocca or an Alka Selzer, which are approximately 100 times cheaper than your standard IV? True, but the drip approach has certainly worked wonders in my case.
Getadrip’s offerings start at around £30 for basic B12, £75 for hydration and maxes out at a staggering £850 for the ‘limitless drip’, basically containing most of the good stuff that your body needs to function. The company offers more than fifteen types of drip, including an anti-ageing, hair health and skin brightening. This summer I celebrate my milestone birthday, so I’m booked in for the detox drip, which retails at £125 and contains vitamin C, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6, Saline, Potassium, Calcium, Bicarbonate, and an extra four shots of the antioxidant Glutathione administered separately. I’m told it’s also restorative to the liver.
After entering my medical information on an iPad and signing a waiver, the nurse takes my blood pressure, then straps me up and locates my difficult-to-find veins. It was surreal being shot-up on the shop floor of Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Children walked past asking their parents what was going on, as I tried not to be sick or faint at the thought of the nurse puncturing my veins. Once the drip was rigged-up I felt a cold sensation and lay back to relax on branded Getadrip cushions and blanket.
It’s nice to be tethered to something and unable to text (they use my right arm), so although I’m plugged in, I also manage to unplug mentally. One quickly gets used to shoppers walking past gawping. In fact, one even begins to enjoy the idea that they think of one as someone frivolous enough to buy a drip for £125 in the middle of the day.
After around 20 minutes, the IV has drained and I’m disconnected, given a plaster and checked up on. In truth, I feel exactly the same as when I walked in, but the type of drip I use is not meant to elicit instant effects; it’s meant to make me feel gradually better on the inside. Beyond a hangover cure, amongst the options available Getadrip can provide vegans with a much-needed dose of B12, and for people with busy lives who feel themselves coming down with a cold, a big one-shot of vitamins can help to stave off illness.
Will I continue to I visit Getadrip? Yes, if I have the cash. It is a pleasant experience – the staff made me feel totally safe and relaxed despite the setting in the central walkway of a shopping mall. I found the clinical environment of Getadrip itself oddly soothing. I feel quite good the next day, but my arms ache – I’ve had the jabs in both. The fact that I wake at 5am and can run in the gym must mean it’s working. Plus, I feel very ‘well’ in general – in good health and calm. My sleep is better and I don’t feel as hungry. I’d recommend it. Pop in next time you’re shopping at Zara in Brent Cross.