What Getting An IV Beauty Treatment Is Really Like

We've all been there — had one of those nights; the ones where everything is blurred together in a booze-fueled haze, and you're left cobbling together what happened thanks to Instagram, garbled text convos with your BFF, and crumpled fast food receipts. Well, thanks to Labvantage Lx's Liquifusion Hangover IV, you can kiss those nights goodbye with just one little prick.

The morning after going a little too hard, you're probably attempting to gather your thoughts and locate your belongings, you realize you can feel your heartbeat in your skull, and the sun peeking through the blinds resembles an interrogation spotlight. It's time to face facts buddy: You're definitely hungover and you're desperate for a cure — ASAP.

I know the clear way to avoid a hangover is to avoid alcohol, but come on — drinking can be tasty and fun! And sometimes you get caught up in all that tasty fun, and before you know it you're on a one-way train to a hangover. You can tailor your diet before you drink and try to only eat foods that can help prevent a hangover, or down a ton of coconut water to quickly hydrate, or just try to mask the pain with a pile of beauty treatments, but sometimes you need relief even faster than greasy Chinese food and Gatorade can offer. But while you sit there nursing your pounding head, imagine a world where you could eliminate them easily.

(Not anymore, my friend!)

I was introduced to the new beauty treatment Labvantage Lx's Liquifusion a few months ago at a crowded event, and the option that stuck out the most to me was the hangover IV. While the other treatments seemed like they would be more difficult to judge their efficiency, with a hangover treatment you should, in theory, see actual results and improvement in your day.

But Liz, you say, I can just pop a few Tylenol and not worry about getting pricked. Ah yes, but there are actual benefits to going right to the source. As it's explained on their FAQ page:

"Only 15 percent of the active nutrients consumed orally find their ways into your bloodstream. IV infusion effectively delivers vitamins, minerals, and fluids directly into your bloodstream with 100 percent absorption. The result is a faster recovery time for many symptoms and improving your over-all performances. There are many different varieties of vitamin pills on the market. The problem is that many people in this country do not absorb vitamins from their stomach very well. A large percentage of Americans are on zantac, ranitidine, pepcid, omeprazole, prilosec, or other pills that decrease absorption of vitamins from the stomach and intestines. Celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome also play a role in vitamin deficiency. When vitamin therapy is given IV or the intramuscular route, the vitamins are absorbed entirely, as this delivery route does not depend on the stomach or intestines."

When I first decided to test out the IV treatment, I mentioned it in a casual conversation to my dad. He, who took me to a Reiki class in a woman's basement and pushes hypnotism for my endometriosis pain, scoffed at the idea of an IV treatment being able to give me an actual result or be safe. "The FDA doesn't regulate it," he insisted, all the while forgetting the "safe" things that the FDA has approved over all the years, and forgetting the fact that the majority of the "vitamins" he takes are actually "dietary supplements," meaning that the FDA does not regulate them either.

After a few more calls where the same argument continued, I received an email from my dad. He had contacted my uncle Stewart, the doctor, and told him of my plans. "It seems totally lacking in any reasonableness," Stewart wrote. "If she is doing it for an article, it's probably not going to be harmful, but I don't think it's possible to do anything it claims. Alkalinity, acidity, can't be changed; the body will compensate immediately to neutralize any abnormality." Being the stubborn person that I am (I learned it from you dad!) the push-back I received from my family only spurred me on more. I had my mind set; there was no way I was going to cancel this treatment now.

So I set out that night to get drunk with my friend; but like any ridiculous night of drinking, it didn't wind up the way I had planned. Although my nameless friend (you know who you are!) had promised to get me drunk, I wound up taking care of him and not consuming nearly as much alcohol as I had originally prepared for. Although I imagine my liver thanked him for this distraction, I had hoped to be fall-down drunk in order to secure my morning hangover. So it wasn't a huge surprise when I awoke the next day to just a slight amount of achiness, dizziness, a baby headache, and some glass in my foot. Even though I've had way worse mornings, I didn't feel 100 percent, and was excited with the prospect that I might feel fabulous in less than an hour.

(I woke up like this #flawless?)

The nurse arrived, her portable IV stand and medical gear in tow, and it started to sink in how real this was about to be. The idea that, heaven forbid, my father got to be right and something horrible happened to me and it was all because I decided to write a damn story, flooded into my mind; but it was too late. The IV was set up, the needle was there, the small talk was over, and it was time to have a stranger stick me with a super-sharp needle.

And then it was happening. The needle was in my veins and I was being pumped with what was hopefully the cure for party people everywhere. As I was sitting, enjoying my drip, I chatted with the nurse about the IV and just what types of people (besides writers) get these trendy, offbeat treatments. Besides the random person trying something new here and there, she said that she mostly saw her regulars; one patient with Lyme Disease, another with Lupus, and the third was an international pilot who suffered from jet lag.

We chatted more while I leafed through the treatment pamphlet, thinking about what other treatments I'd consider if I had an extra $200 to throw around, and before I knew it the IV was done, the needle was out, and I was left with a blue and white Liquifusion-branded band-aid. Very trendy.

Obviously the effect was not instantaneous, but shortly after the nurse packed up and left I realized my small headache had completely dissipated and I was able to easily pluck the glass out of the sole of my foot, unlike only a few hours earlier. I felt relaxed and zen, and contemplated taking a disco nap, but I didn't want to do anything that might skew my "data." As I continued on with my day I noticed that my nausea had disappeared and although I didn't feel overflowing with energy, I didn't feel like I had been out until 3 a.m. the night before either.

Overall, I'm glad I tried the hangover IV. I know some people will scoff it off, and others will swear by a bit of the hair of the dog or a little herbal refreshment, but I think that having more options to help us with our bad decisions is fantastic. So give it a try the next time you find yourself with a pounding headache in a spinning room, just maybe don't tell your parents. Images: Liz Black (3); Giphy