The Lanserhof clinic at London’s the Arts Club specialises in highly personalised biohacking treatments. Lotte Jeffs signs up for a drip, oxygen therapy and a life-changing facial.
The future of wellness is less about relaxation and more about hyper personalisation – the exact concoction of ingredients and/or experiences that will make you feel your optimum self.
The Lanserhof at the Arts Club in London’s Mayfair is where the those interested in serious results get their kicks. Or, more accurately, their “drips”. (Note that membership of the Arts Club is not required to gain access to the clinic.)
In a discrete and chic yet clinical-feeling space across the road from the Arts Club, I settled into a beige leather lounge chair for a “Life Infusion Plus IV” drip. I had no real idea of the specifics of what was in the bag of liquid being pumped directly into my veins but at £210 (non-members) I assumed it was the premiere Krug.
The Lanserhof says: “Infusions combine nutrients and vitamins in concentrations higher than it is possible to take orally. This results in better absorption rates and better benefits than oral supplementation.”
The information I was given about the infusion stated that it “aims to help not only improved energy levels, better immune functioning and better skin, but also aims to help with improved sports endurance and recovery and also detoxing the body with Glutathione – a powerful antioxidant”.
The 45-minute treatment was pleasant enough – but mainly due to the fact that it was a chance to lie down without my young daughter shouting at me for a prolonged period of time. I can’t say I noticed the liquid going into my body, but it was satisfying, if a bit weird, to watch it disappearing from the plastic bag into my vein.
Afterwards, I have to be honest, I didn’t feel any different. Perhaps I was so run down at the time that feeling mildly okay was the best result I could hope for.
Lanserhof Resorts have offered an innovative approach to health and fitness for over 35 years. The concept originated in Austria and works to combine elements of traditional naturopathy with the latest medical findings.
At the Arts Club outpost you can visit the spine lab, movement lab, cryo chamber or have an MRI scan or cardio check. There’s a cutting-edge fitness studio, gym, “check-up suites” doctors’ consultation rooms and a space to have more regular treatments such as massage and facial.
I was also offered a facial (AB, £190 for non-members) and I wish I could have that experience every week for the rest of my life. It was one of the best I’ve ever had. For a start the products used were Augustinus Bader, which is like the caviar of skincare.
The therapist looked at my skin and tailored what she did to suit (she used steaming to hydrate). The facial massage was incredible – she was so skilful – I’ve no idea how she moved her fingers in such a way, but my entire jaw relaxed in her hands.
Less blissful but perhaps more useful than a facial if you’re a pro athlete or optimised-self enthusiast is Airzone. This is a kind of oxygen therapy that helps the body replenish lost energy and promotes its self-healing processes through cellular energy generation.
During a session, you lie down while wearing a breathing mask. While you relax, the mask alternately supplies your body with oxygen (hyperoxia) and in turn, deprives it of oxygen (hypoxia).
The oxygen deficit creates stress in your cells. Mitochondria that are already damaged and exhausted cannot withstand the stress and are destroyed, while new, more powerful mitochondria are formed in response.
This may not be a fluffy bathrobes and prosecco kind of a place but with enough money and time to commit to coming back for a series of treatments (apparently the IV drips are most effective when taken cumulatively), I imagine you would really feel the benefits.