IS COLON HYDROTHERAPY SAFE? WHAT 30 YEARS OF PRACTICE HAS TAUGHT ME

Wondering if colon hydrotherapy is safe? A board-certified Los Angeles colon hydrotherapist answers the real question honestly — including who shouldn't get one.

This is, hands down, the question I get asked most before someone books their first session. Usually it comes wrapped in a nervous laugh: "This is going to sound weird, but... is this actually safe?"

It's not weird. It's the right question. So let me answer it honestly, not with a marketing script.

Yes — when it's done by a trained professional, with sterile, single-use equipment

Colon hydrotherapy is a closed, sealed system using warm, filtered water. A new, single-use, disposable speculum is used for every single client, every single time. There's no mess, no odor, and no reused equipment touching your body. The water temperature and pressure stay within safe, controlled limits throughout the session, and I'm with you the entire time — you're never left alone with the equipment running.

The risks you may have read about online — infection, injury, discomfort — are almost always tied to unsterile equipment or an inexperienced, uncertified provider. That's exactly why credentials matter. I'm board-certified, and I've been doing this work for nearly 30 years. Ask any practitioner about their certification and how long they've been practicing. You deserve a real answer.

Does it hurt?

No. Most clients describe it as relaxing, not uncomfortable. You may feel sensations of fullness and gentle movement in your abdomen — which makes sense, since that's literally what's happening — but it shouldn't be painful. If something feels off during a session, you say so, and we adjust immediately. You're always in control.

Who shouldn't get colon hydrotherapy

This matters, and I say it upfront with every new client, not buried in fine print. Per standard practitioner safety guidelines, colon hydrotherapy isn't appropriate for anyone with:

• A history of seizures

• Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis

• Colon or rectal tumors, or colon carcinoma

• A history of bowel surgery or GI perforation

• Current pregnancy

• Severe cardiac disease or severe anemia

• Abdominal hernia or liver cirrhosis

• Actively bleeding hemorrhoids

• Kidney, heart, rectal, or bowel pathologies

• Anyone under 18 or over 70

If any of this applies to you, please don't book — go talk to your doctor first. A responsible practitioner will always ask about your health history before your first session, not after.

What about my gut bacteria — doesn't this wash out the "good" flora too?

I hear this one a lot. Here's how I think about it: good bacteria thrive in a clean environment, not a congested one. Clearing out old, stagnant waste doesn't strip your microbiome — it gives the environment your good bacteria actually need to multiply a fresh start. Nutrients are also absorbed more efficiently in a clean colon than a backed-up one.

The honest bottom line

Colon hydrotherapy isn't a medical treatment, and I'll never tell you it cures a diagnosed condition — that's not what this is. What it is: a safe, professionally administered practice that supports your body's own ability to reset, digest, and move waste, done by someone who takes your health history seriously before you ever lie down on the table.

If you've been curious but hesitant, that hesitation is worth honoring — with information, not just reassurance. Book a free 15-minute information call and ask me anything before you commit to a session.

Leah Joiner is a Board-Certified Colon Hydrotherapist serving Mar Vista and the Westside of Los Angeles for nearly 30 years.