Are IV Glutathione drips safe for beauty treatments? What you need to know
The beauty industry has numerous products that claim to improve skin health, fairness and other concerns.
Niacinamide, Vitamin C, and Hyaluronic acid are some of the common terms that are well-known to many. Thanks, to the marketing and boom in the skin care industry. IV Glutathione drips too is one among the various skin care treatments that people take up for skin lightening and detoxification.
What is Glutathione?
It is an antioxidant produced in cells, that is comprised largely of three amino acids: glutamine, glycine and cysteine.
IV Glutathione drips involve intravenous infusion of glutathione, which means it is administered directly into the bloodstream. The drip is in high demand in the skincare industry for its ability to beat ageing.
The drug became the talk of the town again but this time it is being linked to the untimely death of actor-model Shefali Jariwala.
"Regarding IV Glutathione and IV detoxifying drips, they are not guideline recommended. They have no high-quality evidence showing any effect. They do have their harmful adverse effects including cardiac conduction abnormalities, arrhythmia, and hypotension. There have been multiple case reports where patients have died after taking those IV detoxifying drips and probably sudden collapse or sudden hypotension was the reason behind those deaths. However, we cannot correlate any sudden cardiac death of a person with a history of having glutathione or detox drips," said Dr Rahul Chawla, Consultant Neurologist, Institute of Brain and Spine, to NDTV.
A study by the National Institutes of Health called for caution regarding the use of glutathione, particularly in its intravenous form, which should be restricted to closely supervised clinical settings.
"The unregulated use of glutathione presents potential risks, emphasizing the need for robust regulatory oversight. Ultimately, the integration of glutathione into dermatological practice should be guided by a balance between its therapeutic potential and safety considerations, supported by evidence-based clinical guidelines," mentioned the research.
Consultation with a medical expert is recommended when undertaking such treatments. Maintaining realistic goals with respect to beauty treatments is advised.
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