Well, it all depends on what it is that you are trying to achieve.

If you are looking for a 'fun-new-experience' then one session should give you a general idea of what it involves. (I know, you would be surprised what some people would try for 'fun'. I admire those adventurists).

But if the reason for your decision to try this therapy is health related, there is a general recommendation from the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy (I-ACT) to get a series of at least three treatments within about a 2 week period. (This is not the answer to the question of how many sessions someone will need. Please read further.)

That is why almost all the centers that offer Colon Hydrotherapy will offer you a package of at least 3 sessions; some will not even take you unless you sign up for 3 or more visits - where you go from there is totally up to you.

However, neither I-ACT nor myself want you to believe that one session will get your colon completely clean. It simply does not work that way. Because the therapy is way too gentle and the colon is way too long. The sessions then would have to be a few hours long.

Even though we also offer packages for your savings, we would prefer to not sell them before your first treatment.

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When some people call to schedule their first appointment, they ask me how many sessions I think they will need.

It is almost like calling a dentist to schedule your first appointment in many years and asking him, before he even looks in your mouth, to tell you how many times he would need to see you. He will probably tell you that you need to come in first, then he will see what needs to be done and only then he will be able to say how many appointments you will need, in what time frame, and approximately how much it will cost. He would also warn you that he might find some hidden problems as he works on you and the number of visits could increase beyond his initial estimate. This is kind of expected and makes total sense.

Well, the same idea applies here.

I can never tell you how many sessions you or your friend/spouse will need before we get into the first actual treatment. Only then, by seeing how you respond to it and after gathering all the data I need will I become more clear on what might be going on in your colon.

There is no such thing as – “One Answer Fits All” – WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT. If someone can answer your question over the phone without even seeing or knowing anything about you, then they are indeed VERY SKILLED. Or maybe their focus is on a different topic ($)?

But if you still feel like you need an answer right now, here are some VERY GENERAL recommendations for the majority of people who have a typical American life style:

You should have your first two sessions within 24-48 hours of each other. Why?

* 70% of the blood that passes through your body also passes through your colon. On the 1st session, old toxins are going to be stirred up and may get out into your bloodstream. Having your 2nd session within 24-48 hours will help eliminate some of the toxins that have been stirred up - so you are not walking around feeling tired, run down and lethargic.

* Most people do not drink nearly enough water. Because your colon loves water, on your first session it may act like a sponge and absorbs a lot of water. This is good in the sense that it will have a softening effect on fecal matter even long after your session. Because of this softening effect (and other factors), approximately 95% of the time people will have a better release on their second session than they do on their first session.

Give your body a rest for about a week after your first 2 sessions, and follow up with the 3rd session. Because of how long our sessions are, about 70% of our clients who followed this protocol can now say that after their 3rd session they have completed their colon cleanse. They can now move to the maintenance program (see below).

Some people will still need a few more sessions because they had slower initial results (which is rare but possible) and/or had more accumulated fecal matter in their colon. Sometimes the waste is so dense and impacted in the colon that it may take a few more sessions to sufficiently soften and loosen it.

You can stop your treatments at any time, but keep in mind – it is like stopping after taking only half of your antibiotic treatment for an infection and saying: “This is not working.”

The number of treatments required always varies with the individuals and their prevailing conditions. Your life style, level of stress, eating habits, age group, whether you have a blockage, and if yes – how big and where it is; how regular your bowel movements are, and many other important details - everything matters!

Finally, after you complete your cleanse, it would only make sense to 'maintain' what you just paid for.

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However, MY personal experience with treating hundreds of people is – every case is different, and the recommended schedule for follow-up appointments will vary.

If we are dealing with a blockage, then it will only make sense to come back ASAP (the next day). As stated above, the water that would be introduced into your colon for 40-45 min. during your first session will have a softening effect on old fecal matter even long after your session. Therefore, the sooner you come back, the easier it will be to get rid of the blockage. If you chose to come back next year, then we will have to start all over again. However, if you chose to dramatically improve your life style during that year through diet, exercise, stress control and other changes, then the blockage can be easily released through a subsequent colonic irrigation session, if it is not removed through the body's natural functions.

If you are scheduling colon hydrotherapy as preparation for a colonoscopy, then a different schedule will be recommended. Your existing health state will also be considered.

But there is one thing I can assure you of – if you are not on a maintenance schedule, then it is going to take more than one visit to 'flush' the colon completely (if this is your intention).

Speaking of intention, I would assume that most people's reason for getting a colon cleanse is to improve their state of health. How can someone improve their health without following through the process and quitting half way?

We do not walk into a gym and say “If after today's exercise I don't see my muscles getting big and tight like the guy on your brochure, then you guys are a scam! I am not coming back.”

Well, the guy on the brochure did not get big and muscular after just one visit. He committed to his health for as long as he needed to get this big. Also, if he wants to keep it, then he probably realizes that he needs to switch his exercise to a maintenance schedule (whatever that might be for him, since we are all different in so many ways).

Also, we would not walk into a dentist's office and say “If my teeth are not going to be fixed today and look like those on your ad – you are misrepresenting your services. And I am not going to come back!”

Obviously, if we want our teeth to look like that we would need to commit to do whatever needs to be done and then to do the maintenance on our part. Which means we would take good care of our teeth at home and go to see a dentist for a cleaning a few times a year.

I hope you see my point.

How many people would buy a membership to a fitness club out of a good intention to get healthier and get tuned-up, pay hundreds of dollars, only to go to the gym few times and then quit, before getting the results? Such a waste of time, money and energy. At least they don't blame the facility for not getting their results and say that exercise doesn't work.

Unfortunately, what happens with colonics is that people will hear about how great and effective the therapy is and decide to try it. When they come in for their first treatment they already have their mind set to be 'cured' right after the first session. And if they do not, then they say: “This does not work for me!”

I am happy to disappoint you – IT DOES WORK!

I have seen quite a few people who got 'cured' from whatever condition they needed. These people understood the process and committed to it until they got their results. Nothing can be achieved if not followed through. Sorry.

For most people it doesn't matter how convincing important facts are for scheduling 'follow-up' sessions back to back, it is not convenient for them to do that anyway. I'm sorry, I hate to be 'the bad guy' here, but you can't have your cake and eat it. You have to decide where your priority is – is it Convenience or the Results?

By the way, you are paying for your first session to get started anyway. Why wouldn't you go through the process to get the results you are looking for? I am doing my part – I am offering you almost 1 hour cleansing time (some times even longer). But you need to bring your colon in.

Just a short note for people who are concerned about the 'Frequency and Safety' of this procedure. Some stay-in holistic clinics with 7- to 10-day programs include colon hydrotherapy sessions every day, back-to-back for their patients' detoxification protocol. That is how SAFE it is.

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Another sensitive topic for people who are new to Colon Hydrotherapy is Maintenance.

For those who do follow through the process, it comes as a big surprise that maintaining the colon is as critical as cleansing it.

With a quick observation it becomes very obvious that our bodies need CONSTANT maintenance in so many different ways. We all change clothing, brush our teeth, take showers, feed our bodies, evacuate waste... on an every-day basis (I hope). Other things might need to be done on a different schedule. But you can not do something just once and expect to reap the benefits from it for the rest of your life. It simply does not work that way.

Would you take one shower and expect to be clean for the rest of the year? No.

Why would you change oil in your car over and over? Because it does not last forever.

Why would you brush your teeth every single day? Would it not be enough to do it just once?

Would you exercise until you achieved your results and then quit, thinking that now you are done and you will stay like that until your last day? Of course not.

The better care you give to yourself, the longer you last, and be in good health while you DO last. We all choose what parts of the body we want to maintain and what parts we will ignore. But we want to be able to use all of them.

I find it interesting when people tell me that they don't have money for a colonic, which is just an inner shower; but no one ever considers not taking regular showers, no matter how bad their finances are. It is like washing only the right side of the body, trying to save on their water bill. We can find money for all that food that we shovel in, yet we have no money to get it all out of our bodies. Think about how silly that is.

EVERYBODY'S MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. There is, however, a general recommendation that would be wise for us to consider. Even though our own body is the best indicator of when to schedule the next visit, if you are a person who has a typical American life style you should 'flush' your system about once a month (by using whatever method you chose). I would only hope that you spend enough time educating yourself about the long term safety of your choice before you decide to settle on it.

I hope you will see how important a complete initial cleansing and subsequent maintenance are.

Disclaimer: Information on this website is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, or treat a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for medical care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your primary care provider.

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