A Very Special edition of The Wellness Drop 👶💙

Hi Besties…

Today’s edition feels extra special for a few reasons…

Firstly, our Katie officially entered her mum-of-three era this week 🤍 She welcomed a happy, healthy baby boy on Tuesday morning and Rufus has already made himself very at home with his two very proud big brothers. Katie is doing really well and fully in the newborn bubble, so she’ll be taking a little step back from The Wellness Drop while she soaks up these early days. Which means… you’re stuck with me for a bit. (Sorry, not sorry.)

Secondly, earlier this week we hosted the most beautiful Wellness Stroll and we’re still riding the glow. We joined forces with Danae Mercer, whose work centres around helping women feel more at home in their bodies and more at ease with themselves, and with Women’s Best, who spoiled every single woman on the walk with their incredible gear. Honestly their hoodies are legit next-level good. (You know the kind you “accidentally” wear three days in a row)

But the real thank you goes to the women who showed up. Some came with friends, but many came alone. And in a city that asks a lot of you, getting up early and driving across the city, sometimes solo, is actually a big commitment. You made the effort, you stepped into something new, and you showed up. And we love you for it. And it is what truly turns something that sounds as simple as a ‘beach walk’ into something that feels genuinely meaningful.

We’ll be sharing dates for the next Wellness Stroll very soon and we both hope to meet you (yes, you!) very soon.

In other news, it’s been a big week in wellness. From genuinely good updates for UAE wellness lovers, to some very interesting (and slightly eyebrow-raising) moves in health and tech, there’s a lot to unpack below.

So as always Besties, settle in..take what resonates, and leave the rest.

With love, (and one of us deep in the newborn haze) 🤍

XL Hair at Anara Clinic
📍Al Wasl Rd

I actually went into Anara Clinic expecting to do Regenera.

I’d heard such good things about it as a hair growth treatment and thought, great, let’s do that. But this is where I really appreciated the process. Instead of just going ahead, I had an initial consultation with Dr Halah who took the time to really assess my scalp and hair.

They use a specialised camera to look closely at scalp health, hair density, and growth patterns. That assessment made it very clear that while Regenera is brilliant for people experiencing active hair loss or hair fall, my issue was different. Less shedding, more thinning and lack of density and strength. Based on that, she recommended XL Hair, which is essentially hair mesotherapy. It’s a targeted cocktail of biotin, hyaluronic acid, amino acids, and niacinamide, injected directly into the scalp to support growth, strength, and overall scalp health.

The protocol is four sessions, spaced a couple of weeks apart. I’m currently on my second treatment, and honestly, I’m already noticing a difference. I’ve also had my extensions removed recently, which made it much easier to see what’s really going on, and the change in fullness and overall hair quality feels very real.

In terms of the treatment itself, it’s very manageable. You get an anaesthetic spray beforehand. You can feel it, of course, but personally I don’t find it painful at all, perhaps almost enjoyable?! But maybe that’s just me 😂

On the scale of things I’ve willingly put myself through in the name of health and beauty over the last decade, this ranks very low.

(Bonus points: the whole treatment takes about 15 minutes, so you can genuinely pop in and out. Just note you can’t wash your hair for at least three hours afterwards, so expect slightly greasy roots or plan to wear a cap and call it intentional.)

In terms of cost, for all of our wellness besties the full XL Hair course is AED 4,500 for all four sessions. (The consultation and scalp camera assessment is usually AED 500, but Anara are currently including that within the treatment price, so it’s AED 4.5k all in - just mention The Wellness Drop when booking).

If your hair isn’t falling out but it’s not quite what it used to be, XL Hair feels like a really supportive, science-backed option. Not instant miracles, but visible, steady improvement and genuinely good care along the way.

Hair health is a long game. This feels like playing it properly.

📍 XL Hair at Anara Clinic - 1065 Al Wasl Rd - Al Manara - Umm Suqeim 2 - Dubai

📱054 288 3300

This week’s Local Lowdown is for women craving connection, movement and moments that feel a little deeper. From desert ceremonies and soft power workshops to social walks, rides at sea and Pilates pop-ups, consider this your permission slip to choose what actually supports you - without overcommitting or overthinking

🧠 Peak Longevity Fest 2026
Thursday 16th – Friday 17th January
Area 57, Al Khayat Avenue
A two-day, immersive festival bringing together science-backed wellness, longevity innovation, and conscious living. Peak Longevity Fest bridges cutting-edge health science with experiential wellbeing through expert talks, interactive workshops, and hands-on longevity tech. A refined, high-calibre gathering for those curious about living well for longer.
Book Here

🍫 NECTAR: A Women’s Ceremony in the Desert
Saturday 17th January, 7:00 PM
Dubai Desert
An intimate evening for women ready to return to themselves. NECTAR weaves cacao, Reiki healing, gentle movement and shared presence under the night sky. Expect depth, warmth and space to breathe again, led by Wellness Drop favourite Liza Hamilton-Smith. Intentionally small to honour the experience.
Book here

💛 Soft Power: From Good Girl Conditioning to Embodied Self-Trust
Saturday 17th January, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Womanly
A 3-hour alignment experience exploring feminine and masculine energy, nervous system regulation and embodied self-trust. Designed for women who want clarity, grounded confidence and softer strength - without overdoing, proving or people-pleasing.
Book here

🚶‍♀️ SCLPT Social Walk
Sunday 18th January, 8:30 – 9:30 AM
Kite Beach
A relaxed, women-only morning of walking, connection and community. Just movement, conversation and coffee or bowls afterwards for those who want to keep the chat going. Location shared on booking. Hosted by Amanda Gieschen.
Book here

🧘‍♀️ 11 Pilates x Rejuven8 Wellness Day
Sunday 18th January, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
A slow Sunday, but make it intentional. This feel-good morning blends movement, recovery, and reset energy, starting with wellness shots and Reformer Pilates at 11 Pilates, followed by a guided Finnish sauna, cold plunge, and breathwork coaching at Rejuven8 Wellness. Time to unwind, refuel, and reset together.
To Book DM @11Pilates_Dubai

🚴‍♀️ CRANK x Glow Deck: Ride at Sea
Sunday 18th January, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Dubai Marina
A UAE-first experience combining movement, music and the sea. Board an elite yacht, enjoy matcha and coffee, then clip in for a 30-minute CRANK silent-disco ride with ocean views. Swim, relax in the jacuzzi and cruise the Marina afterwards.
Book here

🩰 Pilates Pop-Up
Tuesday 20th – Friday 23rd January
Alserkal Avenue
A Reformer Pilates pop-up at YS Pilates in Alserkal Avenue, with a free Snatched activewear gift with every class and exclusive discounts during the takeover. Cool classes, great energy, limited time only.
To book DM @snatchedofficial

 INDUSTRY TRENDS AND NEWS

✨ Privilee’s Wellness Edit Gets That Wellness Isn’t Just the Gym
Privilee has launched The Wellness Edit, a three-month membership curated for people who want to feel better without making wellness their full-time job. Yes, there’s access to gyms and movement spaces, but there are also pools, places to switch off, and permission to just exist for a bit. Because sometimes wellbeing looks like a workout, and sometimes it’s doing absolutely nothing by the pool with people you love. Designed for real life, The Wellness Edit keeps things refreshingly simple. Experiences are chosen for how they actually fit into everyday routines, whether that’s a quick gym session, a swim, or an unplanned “we’ll just stay here” afternoon. Available for a limited time, it’s a calm, flexible approach to wellness that feels easy to return to, not another commitment to manage.
Our take: Wellness decision fatigue is very real. Too many options, too much optimisation, not enough ease. The Wellness Edit feels like it’s on the same mission as us, cutting through the noise and making it simpler to choose what actually supports you, without turning wellbeing into another job.
Find out more

🤖 ChatGPT Is Moving Into Health
OpenAI has launched a new ChatGPT Health feature in the US, allowing users to share medical records and data from apps like Apple Health, Peloton, and MyFitnessPal to receive more personalised health insights. OpenAI says the tool is designed to support understanding, not replace medical care, and that health conversations are stored separately and won’t be used to train its AI models. The launch reflects growing demand for data-led, personalised health support - with over 230 million people already using ChatGPT for health-related questions each week.
Our take: Personalised health support sounds great, but context really matters here. AI can help people make sense of information, not make medical decisions for them. When it comes to health data, trust, transparency, and restraint are non-negotiable.
Read More

🥗 The Food Pyramid Just Got Flipped
New US dietary guidelines have turned the traditional food pyramid on its head. The updated advice prioritises protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables, while strongly discouraging added sugar and ultra-processed foods. Meat and dairy move centre stage, grains take a back seat, and sodas, artificial sweeteners, dyes, and preservatives are firmly called out.The shift leans on “common sense” over dense science, focusing on outcomes like muscle, gut, brain, and metabolic health. While the report is shorter and more accessible, it will shape food policy for the next five years, from school lunches to federal programmes.
Punchline: The intention is clear and largely sensible. Fewer ultra-processed foods, more real food. But changing how people eat, and how food systems operate, isn’t simple. While the message may resonate, the leap from guidance to real-world behaviour could be a bumpy one.
Read More

🧘 The Experience Store Brings Wellness to talabat
The Experience Store has launched TES Wellness on talabat, bringing curated wellness and preventative health experiences onto one of the UAE’s most-used lifestyle platforms. The offering spans diagnostics, recovery, stress management, and lifestyle-led wellness, all positioned around ease and accessibility through talabat’s rewards ecosystem.
Our Thoughts: We’re intrigued… and slightly puzzled.Making wellness easier to access is always a good thing, but it often asks for a different headspace than ordering dinner. Still, the intention-to-action bridge is interesting, and as lifestyle platforms keep expanding, maybe this will feel less like a mismatch and more like an experiment worth watching.
Read More

⌚ Whoop Is Bringing Wearable Wellness Into Residential Living
Whoop has partnered with Wasl Group to introduce its screen-free wearable health devices into residential communities across Dubai. The rollout includes employees, partners, and buyers at Ashwood Estates in Jumeirah Golf Estates, with plans to expand through Wasl Fit, Wasl’s wider fitness and engagement platform. As wellness continues to shape real estate and urban living, wearables are moving beyond gyms and elite athletes into everyday environments. With its focus on sleep, recovery, and strain, Whoop’s presence in residential settings reflects a shift towards more continuous, lived-in health awareness.
Zooming Out: We gotta say it..this feels like a natural evolution. Wellness is becoming less about facilities and more about consistency. Screen-free tracking keeps the focus on insight rather than obsession, though how people choose to use the data will be the interesting part.
Read More

🔥 H&M Is Coming Into 2026 Hot
Heat-led training and recovery rituals are starting to shape how activewear looks and feels. H&M Move’s latest wellness-focused drop centres around SculptMove, a smoothing, body-enhancing fabric inspired by hot Pilates, infrared saunas, and cold plunging. With sculpted silhouettes and subtle ’90s minimalism, the collection reflects how wellness now stretches beyond the workout itself. What’s interesting is the shift in mindset. This isn’t just about what you wear to move in, but what supports the full ritual around it. From recovery-inspired fabrics to accessories that nod to post-workout care, the drop suggests recovery is becoming just as considered as the workout, especially as the activewear space continues to evolve.
Wellness Bestie Take: Let’s be honest, most of us are in activewear far more days than we’re actually in the gym (not just me right?!). So it makes sense that what we wear now reflects the full wellness ritual, the warm-up, the recovery, the coffee run, and everything in between.
Read More

🔮 TREND TO WATCH

✨ Beauty Is Playing the Long Game
As filters, fillers, and flawless feeds hit peak fatigue, beauty is shifting away from quick fixes and towards how people actually feel. Consumers are increasingly anti anti-aging, favouring resilient, inside-out routines over instant results. As beauty and wellness converge, skin and hair are being reframed as signals of internal health, with growing demand for evidence, personalisation, and real outcomes. Mentions of “clinically proven” are up 45% year-on-year, while “science-backed skincare” has risen 37%, signalling a clear shift towards smarter, more informed beauty choices.
Our take: Beauty will probably always have an element of turning back the clock, and that’s okay. But what we are starting to see is a tide change in expectations. Biohacking has helped bring hormones, sleep, and nervous system health into the conversation, and beauty is starting to meet people there, supporting the body as a whole rather than always chasing quick fixes.
Read more

🔬RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

🥂 Why Dry January Works Better With a Substitute
A new report from Oar Health found that nearly half of regular drinkers take part in Dry January, most commonly motivated by health, reducing overall consumption, weight loss, or a post-holiday reset. While 73% completed the challenge, cravings, social pressure, and lack of support were the biggest barriers to success. What stood out was what actually helped people follow through. 89% of participants who incorporated zero-proof drinks completed the challenge, suggesting that substitution, not restriction, plays a key role in behaviour change. Having something to replace the ritual made it easier to stay social, manage cravings, and avoid the all-or-nothing mindset that often derails intentions.
Bottom Line: This isn’t really about alcohol, it’s about human behaviour. When change feels isolating or joyless, it rarely sticks. When people feel supported and still included, whether that’s through zero-proof drinks or other swaps, consistency becomes far more realistic. Less white-knuckling, more working with real life.
Read more

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📤 Send it — to someone you always end up chatting to about tech, longevity, and doing wellness a bit more thoughtfully