Celebrity endorsements are nothing new. Lucille Ball turned into a redhead for Max Factor, children all over the world wanted Nike Air Jordan sneakers once Michael Jordan wore them, and Charlize Theron made Dior a household name. Celebrities can also impact our lifestyle and wellness choices. In 2000, Katie Couric admirably raised awareness of colon cancer by undergoing a colonoscopy on live television.
On the other hand, celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, who baselessly blamed routine childhood vaccines for a variety of health issues, including autism, can have negative impacts on public health. For better or worse, when celebrities speak, an awful lot of us listen.
Perhaps recognizing their ability to influence consumers, in recent years many celebrities have started endorsing various products or practices that are claimed to improve health and wellness. Here are just a few of the celebrity-endorsed “wellness” trends and why you are better off avoiding them.
Colonics
Lots of celebrities like to talk about “detoxing” the body in order to lose weight or eliminate “toxins.” It’s never quite clear what these toxins are, but there seems to be a vague belief that our bodies are constantly under onslaught internally and externally from dangerous organisms. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, through her wildly popular company Goop, Inc., regularly promotes the need to “detox” the body using a variety of products, many of which you can conveniently purchase through her website. In addition to vitamins, teas, and bath salts, which Goop says will help you detox, the website also recommends the questionable practice of colonics.
According to Goop, a colonic is “a way to hydrate and irrigate your colon—a section of your intestines that’s approximately five feet long—by filling it with warm water and then flushing it out repeatedly.” Through the use of a colonic machine, pressurized water is shot into the colon in an attempt to get those toxins out. There are spas that perform colonics, and Goop’s editors recommend the use of an at-home machine called the Implant O-Rama (we didn’t make that name up). Apparently, you can even use the machine to perform a “coffee enema” in which the user injects coffee into their colon.
Despite what the celebrities say, you do not need to detox your body using colonics. In healthy people, the liver is perfectly capable of helping the body process and excrete any toxins. More importantly, using a colonic can cause serious harm such as electrolyte imbalances and dehydration, rectal perforations, and colitis (inflammation of the large intestine). The reality is, the best way to keep your colon healthy is by eating a healthy diet that is high in fiber, exercising, and drinking enough water.
Vampire facials
Kim Kardashian, a popular reality TV star and beauty mogul, has millions of followers on her social media channels and a successful fashion company. Back in 2013, she told her extensive fanbase about a bizarre facial she had willingly experienced, and suddenly the “vampire facial” was a popular trend. A vampire facial involves the more common practice of microneedling along with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is obtained by separating the components of human blood in a centrifuge. Basically, your blood is drawn, spun to extract the plasma, and then reinjected using tiny needles into your face. Proponents assert that these plasma-rich facials promote skin rejuvenation.
While the effectiveness of PRP has been studied in orthopedics (such as for knee osteoarthritis) and for chronic dermatological issues, there is little scientific evidence that it can offer the benefits proponents of vampire facials claim. More concerning, however, are the potential health risks. Vampire facials performed at an unlicensed beauty salon and spa in New Mexico were linked with causing at least three cases of HIV infection and raised concerns about other blood-borne illnesses that could be transmitted through the procedure.
If you are still inclined to try this procedure, make sure to seek treatment only from a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon and confirm that safe hygiene practices are followed, including the use of sterilized instruments and only new and sterile needles. Ironically, even Kim Kardashian later regretted getting a vampire facial, calling it one treatment she would never do again.
IV vitamin infusions
Jane Fonda, Adele, and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the many celebrities who seek out IV infusions of various vitamin concoctions. The purported purposes range from relieving hangovers and migraines to boosting energy, mental clarity, and immunity. On the Goop website, you can find a directory of IV spas offering a plethora of IV vitamin drips (one of which tops out at $999). Model and social media influencer Chrissy Teigen even posted a photograph of herself on Instagram while getting an IV vitamin infusion with the caption “hello body, meet vitamins.”
But do you really need to be spending hundreds of dollars to get infusions of vitamins? Definitely not. While healthcare providers do use IV vitamins to treat some serious health conditions (related to gastrointestinal absorption problems, for instance), healthy people don’t need them. More importantly, high doses of vitamins can be harmful and may interact with prescription medications. If you are concerned that you are not getting enough vitamins in your diet, speak to your healthcare provider for more effective and safe solutions.
Words to the wise: We haven’t come close to touching on all the Wild West wellness trends being promoted (no, you never need to “steam” your vagina or let yourself be stung repeatedly by bees in the name of health). It’s safe to say, however, that simply because a celebrity has tried something, says it is a natural remedy, claims it does wonders for them, or sells it on a hugely popular website does not mean it is either effective or good for you.
Government agencies have cracked down on some of the more outlandish promises, but for a multibillion-dollar industry, these reprimands may be useless. Goop, which is valued at $250 million, had to pay a measly fine of $145,000 for making unsubstantiated claims about what a stone egg inserted in the vagina could do for women. The “jade egg” is still for sale on the website, even though its use could cause serious infection. The show (and the sale) apparently goes on.
While it might not be as interesting or glamorous as some of these trends, the best way for you to stay healthy and feel your best (as well as save money) is to stick with what we know works: eating a healthy diet, exercising, getting regular immunizations, not smoking, and following your doctor’s recommendations.
