We put our butt (literally) on the line to road test Colon Hydrotherapy
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“Who knew letting shit go would feel so good?” That was my first thought after experiencing Colon Hydrotherapy at Authentix Beauty and Wellness.
During my time at HerCanberra, I’ve road tested everything from facials to a naked workout (well kind of, I was naked under the EMS suit) – but never did I imagine I’d be putting my butt (literally) on the line to review a treatment where water gets flushed through my colon.
Yet here we are.
And yes, before we dive in, I want to be crystal clear: I will be talking about poo, bottoms, and colons in this article, along with all the gut-related topics you might not have thought about when it comes to your overall health. It might sound gross (because it often is) but trust me – it’s something worth learning about if you’ve ever experienced the joy of looking six months pregnant after eating a salad.
But let’s rewind and start at the beginning (and answer the question you’re probably too polite to ask) – what exactly is Colon Hydrotherapy?
The down and dirty
In simple terms, Colon Hydrotherapy is a procedure that flushes the colon with water to remove wastes and toxins, cleaning out the body to help it to better absorb nutrients. Basically, it’s the detox du jour – and as it continues to be one of the many wellness trends dominating our social media feeds (just me?) talking about flushing out your pipes is starting to be as common as buying a Gua Sha.
I’ll be honest – I’ve always been curious about trying it. As a girl with many issues with her stomach (including gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, and other digestive issues) the idea of booking something that would not only help me be …ahem… more regular… while also helping with digestive discomfort, bloating, flatulence, weight management, mental health and more just sounded almost too good to be true.
So, when Shahnee Jewel, the Managing Director of Authentix Beauty and Wellness in Braddon reached out, it’s no surprise that I booked in much faster than my usual bowel movements.
Working in the industry for 24 years (including giving our fearless leader, Amanda, her own Colon Hydrotherapy treatment in 2014), Shahnee’s passion for poo began after she had her very first treatment in Melbourne.
Struggling with her own poor digestive issues, she says it literally changed her life for the better – so much so that she studied, trained and imported state-of-the-art specialised equipment from Germany and introduced the ‘closed system’ colon hydrotherapy service to Canberra to help everyone with a bowel.
And if you think it’s a new practice, you’d be wrong. Because as Shahnee pointed out, Colon hydrotherapy has been providing health benefits since the time of Cleopatra.
“There aren’t many people that colonic irrigation doesn’t satisfy! We see people from health gurus, doing regular health cleanses and detoxes, to people just beginning their wellness journey who are focusing their time and energy on their health for the first time, to people facing some very serious health issues,” she says.
“We’ve assisted quadrapalegics and paralegics, those suffering from motor neuron disease, multiple Sclerosis, various cancers, post-op patients and mentally impaired people who have never been able to establish a healthy daily routine.”
With the process claiming to rehydrate the body on a cellular level, reduce toxins to improve brain function, flush the kidneys and liver to help with nutrient absorption, – dropping my knickers felt like a small price to pay for a total body reset.
Dropping my pants (and inhibitions)
I won’t lie – I was a bit nervous at the thought of having a tube popped up my bottom and flushing water through it and emptying me. But from the moment I entered the clinic, Shahnee’s passion and knowledge made me feel wonderfully relaxed.
I was asked to fill in a very comprehensive questionnaire – covering everything from my overall health to any mental health concerns, my diet, exercise regime (if any), my lifestyle and my bowel movements. Shahnee explained throughout the process why the personal information would ensure the treatment was right for me.
It turns out that I was a prime candidate, and I saw nothing but green flags as we spoke about my type-one diabetes and how the treatment might impact my blood sugar levels (yep, that’s a thing).
Explaining that everything she used on me in the colonic procedure was fully disposable, Shahnee then let me take my time to remove my ‘bottom half,’ wrap a towel around my waist, and make myself comfortable on the table.
From there, the action began.
Asking me to roll onto my left side, Shahnee gently inserted a speculum into my rectum, and attached a water inlet hose and a waste outlet hose, which connects directly to the specialised colonic machine.
From here, warm water was gently introduced into my colon as she massaged my stomach to encourage any blockages.
It didn’t take long before , my colon was happily ‘filling and releasing’ as promised.
And, yes, before you ask, you can look a look at what’s coming out if you’re curious. And before you ask again…yes, I did look.
But how does it feel? Well, it depends on the person. But basically, as the water filled my colon, I felt a sensation much like you do when you ‘need to go’ – but there was no pain or discomfort and never any awkwardness since, you know, that’s literally the point of being there.
It turns out the bowel is a magical part of the body connected to many aspects of your health (something I wasn’t aware of). During my session, Shahnee discovered that my fats were being absorbed well, my body didn’t have excessive sugars, I was a little bit dehydrated (shocker), and – plot twist – my liver needed a little bit of love.
Which leads me to my next experience – the liver detox.
The unexpected plot twist: my liver detox journey
Wait…what? As someone who barely drinks (but who does admittedly love an occasional glass of Prosecco or a nice wine), moves her body daily and tries to eat nutritious meals, being told that I should undergo a liver detox was a bit of a shock. But when Shahnee explained that stress can impact the liver, it made sense.
Giving me a herbal detox to take over 16 days to help my liver recover, Shahnee assured me it would help me with any digestive issues I was experiencing. Then, once I’d completed the 16 days, she asked me to come back in for another Colon Hydrotherapy treatment, after which she said that I definitely be feeling the benefits.
Shahnee didn’t sugar coat things – she said the detox would taste horrible. And it did.But while I was taking it, I honestly felt amazing. Not only did I feel more energised, but I felt comfortable in my body (no more random bloating) and could clearly notice my hunger cues – something I struggled with during bad days – because I could tell when I was actually full (and not with gas).
It wasn’t until two days after I completed the detox that I noticed my stomach started to quickly bloat and feel uncomfortable again. Luckily, I had my second appointment scheduled in and this time I knew what I was in for.
Round two: the follow-up flush
This time it was straight down to business and in some very good news,
Shahnee said my liver was looking healthier, and my body was adjusting well to my bowel being retrained. I will say my tummy was a lot grumblier during the second treatment, and I had lots of cramps as she massaged everything out. What can I say? It turns out I’m a gassy gal.
Keeping my mind off things, Shahnee distracted me by talking about the sort of clients she has helped over the years, including many children on the NDIS.
I will say that there was one difference between the first and second Colon Hydrotherapy experience – after the second, I had a much bigger ‘release’ (if you know what I mean) straight after. It felt amazing.
Too much information? Not for Shahnee, who is so pro-poo that her enthusiasm rubs off on you.
Taking a holistic approach to beauty and wellness, Authentix really is a one-stop shop for feeling good inside and out.
Offering a range of specialised services, including full body waxing ,lash and brow tinting, henna brows, lash lifting, brow laminations, and intimate area lightening (also known as anal bleaching), they also provide eyelash extensions, cosmetic tattooing, and a infrared sauna experience.That’s not all. Authentix also offers the opportunity to book in with nurses from Snowy Mountain Aesthetics, who offer intravenous (I.V.) vitamin drip therapy and corrective injectable treatments for wrinkle reduction and volume loss.
After my experience there, I can honestly say I am now a Colon Hydrotherapy convert.
The bottom line: was it worth it? I think so.
For more information visit authentix.com.au
Medical disclaimer
This article represents the genuine experience and opinion of the author. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Colonic irrigation, also known as colonic hydrotherapy, carries potential risks and is not recommended for everyone. This procedure should only be performed by qualified practitioners using properly sterilised equipment. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
