Drip Doctors

How do you get that flawless look your favorite celebs have? No, it’s not makeup. Skincare is the real foundation of beauty today. With all of the #mua popping up on your Instagram feed, the common misconception is no surprise. Sure a highlighter is great, but skip it and go for a natural glow with a vampire facial. Also known as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), vampire facials deliver improved skin tone, clarity and volume, with minimal discomfort or side effects.

Plasma is a primary component found in blood and is made up of many other components such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These platelets aid in the body's ability to heal damaged tissue and promote new cell growth because they contain hundreds of natural growth factors. PRP is an advanced anti-aging and healing treatment.

So how exactly does PRP therapy work?  First, your blood is drawn into a standard vial and immediately after it is inverted to prevent coagulation. Afterwards, it is put into a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the blood. It is then extracted to be injected into the desired areas, commonly the face and even lips to stimulate collagen production for a more refreshed, youthful appearance. However, it can also be injected into the eyebrows and scalp for hair restoration and into joints to aid in tissue recovery and repair.

How can you make this amazing treatment even better? With micro needling of course! When PRP is used with micro needling, it penetrates your skin through the tiny channels the micro needles create, supercharging the amazing benefits. It also addresses under-eye puffiness and dark circles to give you a more well-rested appearance.

You’ve seen the commercials stating that one pill a day can help you to obtain all the vitamins that you might be deficient in or lacking from your diet. Your co-worker once told you that if you take vitamin C every day that you will never get sick or... maybe it was zinc? So you stop by your local pharmacy or grocery store and pick up an oral vitamin supplement, probably unaware of what exactly you’re purchasing. Let’s talk more about what you need to know about oral vitamin supplements.

Did you know that supplements are not regulated by the FDA? They aren’t really regulated by any system actually. Supplements don’t undergo any inspection unless proven to be hazardous and in that case they are forced to be removed from shelves. This includes supplements ranging from protein powders to vitamins. So what does this mean for you? Well, this means that you truly don’t know what you are getting in that supplement, how much is in there, or how well it works. Scary isn’t it?

Now let’s talk about the daily intake of vitamins that you see on your food labels. Did you know that the “percent of daily value” of the vitamins on your food labels are more than likely inaccurate? Most vitamin availability is lost during cooking, heating, juicing, light exposure, or even by oxidation (exposure to oxygen). Some foods you eat even have natural “anti-absorption factors”. Take Thiamine (or Vitamin B1) for example, which is commonly found in whole grains, meat and fish. Raw fish also contains thiaminase, which is an enzyme that breaks down the vitamin thiamine. There are also Polyhydroxyphenols, which are found in foods such as coffee, tea, blueberries, and red cabbage that oxidize the thiazole ring on the vitamins and inhibit the vitamin’s functions. Cooking your vegetables can cause up to 80% of the vitamin to be lost. If you look up the absorption rate of most vitamins through dietary intake they range anywhere from 10-100%. That really doesn’t tell us much does it? These and many other factors play a role in inhibiting your body’s ability to absorb and carry out the functions of many of the vitamins that you consume.

Vitamin absorption from supplements and diet can also be inhibited by alcohol consumption, malabsorption disorders and dietary beliefs. What if there was a way you could give your cells the vitamins they need without any effort at all? Fortunately there is and its called IV vitamin therapy. With intravenous infusions of vitamins, you know exactly which vitamins and how much of them your body is getting without the worries of absorption rates and inhibiting factors. The vitamins are infused directly into your bloodstream, where you get 100% absorption. Your body gets all the benefits it needs regardless of intrinsic factor or HCl available to help digest and absorb it. Not only are you getting the exact amount of vitamins that your cells need (because every individual is different with different needs), but you are also hydrating your body (something that most of us forget is important). All of this is obtainable by a relaxing visit to Drip Doctors or a revitalizing house call via our concierge services. Find out how 1 IV Drip is worth 100 pills to help you look & feel better in minutes!  

REFERENCES:

Gropper, Sareen Annora Stepnick., and Jack L. Smith. Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Belmont, CA, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013.

“Nutrient Recommendations: Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.

“Office of Dietary Supplements - Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.

HCG, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a pro-hormone that is naturally produced in the placenta during pregnancy. Controversies surrounding the efficacy of HCG Injections for weight loss still exist. Critics claim the caloric restrictions are responsible for weight loss results, not the hormone itself. However, with properly administered doses and monitoring of HCG, it has proven to help the body make more hormones where there are deficiencies and imbalances most are unaware of. Whether it is thyroid, menopause or andropause, the HCG hormone offers help in balancing out your body’s hormone levels.

There are many HCG related products on the market all claiming to work, but only injections have been shown to raise the blood levels of HCG, making it the only effective way of taking the hormone. Any drops, pills or sprays are likely to be dissolved before ever reaching the blood, rendering them ineffective. Injections should only be taken with a prescription and under medical supervision. In conjunction with a low calorie diet, you can lose up to one pound per day on an HCG diet plan.

How exactly do HCG Injections work? They change how you lose weight, faster and more effectively. The presence of HCG in the bloodstream helps curb the appetite. Generally when people lose weight a lot of muscle is lost as well which in turn slows down metabolism. By raising hormone levels in the body, such as testosterone, HCG creates an anabolic state which contributes to lean muscle gain. With HCG injections, there is more of a pure fat loss which results in the desired shrinking in inches and clothing size. The lean muscle gains allows for stronger metabolism and helps people maintain their weight loss long after the diet is successfully completed. Other benefits of HCG injections include increased libido and fertility as well.

Unfortunately, there is still no magic pill or injection that can alone produce the weight loss results you desire. Diet, exercise and commitment are always key to help you achieve the optimal results. At Drip Doctors, we take a specialized approach to weight loss and weight management. We customize each program according to your eating habits, metabolism, body needs and weight loss goals. With in house lab draws and one-on-one physician review of results, we can pinpoint your hormone deficiencies and create the optimal weight loss plan. Call your local Drip Doctors to schedule a free consultation! It is our mission to help you look and feel your best!

What if you could get more time by slowing down the aging process? No, its not a time machine or magic, it’s real science. I’m talking about an amazing little compound called NAD+ which stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It is found in every single cell in your body, regulating how quickly your cells age. NAD+ is an essential coenzyme of Vitamin B3 (niacin) that promotes cellular regeneration. It is also involved in the conversion of cellular energy. Studies have found that by replenishing cellular levels of NAD+, like via intravenous treatment, it can repair DNA, protect brain cells from damage, reduce inflammation and turn on enzymes that help prevent aging.

By activating enzymes called “sirtuins” via intravenous NAD+ directly into your bloodstream, it helps you control your “good genes” in ways that promote healthy aging. With 100% absorption, it works rapidly to repair cells throughout the body and neurons in the brain. There are over 5,000 different biochemical reactions throughout our bodies and enzymes like NAD+ participate in more reactions than any other vitamin-derived molecule. That’s a huge job for just one enzyme and a humbling new perspective about work.  

Our bodies naturally produce NAD+ but it has been observed to decline with age, hindering the natural repair mechanisms within our cells. So, if you can increase the levels of NAD+ in your body, you may be able to stay healthy longer. There are numerous therapeutic benefits from intravenous NAD+ therapy for anti-aging. By replenishing cells with NAD+ you are also activating the restorative enzymes involved with regulating inflammation.

Some would even go as far to call intravenous NAD+ a miracle detox. With proper IV treatment it can serve as a catalyst in ultimate brain renovation, allowing us to mentally reach higher than ever before. It is also known to alleviate drug dependency through renovation of opiate receptors. When administered in conjunction with other forms of substance abuse recovery treatments, studies have shown it helps eliminate cravings. As with all science, there is always loads more research that can be done but to date most studies have shown to produce profound benefits of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Fingers crossed, looks like we may figure out a way turn back time after all.