/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49408425/Headshots-_Dr_Ali2016__1_.0.0.jpg)
Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
With paparazzi hounding everything celebs do these days, privacy would seem to be their ultimate luxury. And that's exactly the service Dr. Ehsan Ali M.D.—also known as the Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor (along with colleague Dr. Keller Wortham M.D.)—provides. A licensed primary care doctor, the NYU grad can administer check-ups and treat standard ailments in the comfort of his patients's own home, but lately treatments like a vitamin-packed IV drip and cosmetic injectables have been a favorite of his high-profile clientele during house calls. Past patients have included Lana Del Rey, Liam Hemsworth, and Bella Thorne.
Though the discrete nature of Dr. Ali's services make him a top choice for top stars, plenty of lesser-known (but just as busy) individuals dial him up, especially if they have a hesitancy toward medical buildings. Getting the doc to treat you might not be as out-of-reach as you think; concierge membership starts at $100 per month, and prospective patients can expect to tack on an additional $100 per area for Botox, $100 to $200 for that popular vitamin drip, or a even physical exam, priced between $200 and $500.
Dr. Ali recently gave us the inside scoop on his most sought-after service, his craziest celebrity story yet, and the famous face everyone's trying to copycat.
What does a vitamin drip do and who needs it?
Everyone's a good candidate, especially people who aren't taking good care of themselves. People who are very busy or active and start feeling like they're always tired, even if they've tried eating and sleeping properly. When you take a multivitamin, it goes straight to your stomach, and you lose about 50% from the acids. What's left then takes a few hours to absorb. The drips go 100% into your bloodstream and people feel it right away. The fluid helps refresh and re-hydrate you. It's not a rush, like a shot of espresso, but more like a rejuvenation like, "I've slept a whole night, I feel so good!" type of thing.
How long does it last and how often should it be done?
People typically say for the next few days they feel good. People who are sick feel it the most. Let's say you came back from Coachella and partied and didn't sleep all weekend—you'd feel it like that. And it kind of gets you back where you need to be.
What type of clients request the vitamin drip most?
It's all over the place! I have a lot of high-profile celebrity patients; they're on tour or about to go on tour, they're shooting a music video, they didn't drink anything all day. I have attorneys that are traveling to New York or they're in court all day. Health nuts, they come in every month for supplement purposes. A lot of celebrities like it for good skin and hair. We get these bags under our eyes and it helps fill that out. Then of course there's people who party too much. It's commonly known as the "hangover treatment."
What other at-home services do celebs request?
Since I am a primary care doctor, general medical services. With a lot of at-home services, you get a nurse or nurse's aid. I'm the only actual doctor that's going out. So if people just have a cold or cough and they want a simple check-up or blood work done but don't want to go to an office. They want their Botox or fillers. They want to get it all in! They want to get those things done in a comfortable, private environment.
In terms of cosmetic procedures, what's the biggest trend you are seeing?
Botox in general is popular and will stay popular because everyone gets older and gets wrinkles and Botox is a temporary fix. But when a celebrity does something and it becomes the talk of the town or what's trending, that becomes popular. So now Kylie Jenner had her lips done, or people say she had her lips done, and everyone wants to imitate her.
Is there a particular celeb that patients are saying they want to look like?
It would be Kylie right now.
Any crazy encounters you've had during a house call?
I have so many! I got a call around midnight, there was a very high-profile person visiting who was having a party at a hotel. When I got the call, the assistant said the gentleman was not feeling well and some of his guests might not be feeling well also, and asked if I would bring some of the IV's out. When I got there, there were nude strippers and escorts walking around everywhere—and that's okay! He's having his fun, I'm not judging. But I was caught off guard, to say the least. There was a lot of stuff they were using and that same high profile person, I guess he needed to flush his system out. I guess sometime they're tested on set, especially if they're getting paid $5 million to do a movie or something!
In addition to incorporating a vitamin drip to our routine, what other tips do you have for maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Drinking lots of water. For people who are at a desk—I know everyone is busy, they forget—I tell them just to buy the big sports bottles and keep it at your desk, and every time you look at it, you'll be reminded to drink. Lack of fluid sounds generic but it's actually huge. The other two important ones are getting enough good, REM sleep, and eating properly. I never used to eat breakfast. Ever. But your brain needs that sugar, so even if it's just a handful of nuts—you should be eating something every four hours. Also a good multivitamin is a basic, it doesn't sound exciting or glamorous but it's very beneficial for anyone who might be lacking in certain nutrients, like vegetarians who don't get enough B12—which is found in red meats—or women who have low iron during their menstrual cycle.