Thriving in West U

Innovative hydration spa refreshes West University with luxe new locale

ThrIVe Drip Spa West U University Houston

ThrIVe’s new West U drip lounge can serve 10 customers at a time in a spacious room with several TVs and reclining loungers.

Photo by Michael Anthony

Inner Loopers looking for an edge with healthy new year’s goals are in for a boost. ThrIVe Drip Spa, the innovative Houston health and lifestyle destination that has become popular in Memorial and The Woodlands, has announced a new West University location.

Located at 3277 Southwest Fwy., the new outpost will offer custom intravenous vitamin drips and B12 boosters that have made ThrIVe a go-to destination for hydration therapy. Benefits, according to cleverly named spa, range from increased energy, stronger immunity and better mood, to healthier sleeping patterns and “noticeably nicer skin.”

As the area’s premier drip spa, ThrIVe offers a menu of customized, medically certified drips and boosters that maximize overall wellness from the relaxing and luxurious Drip Lounge. That includes the Hydrate Drip, which restores fluids and electrolytes to the body following a night out; the Fit Drip, which helps achieve maximum output and improve muscle and fitness health; and the Detox Drip, which removes toxins, relieves stress, and improves well-being.

The spa is staffed by registered nurses with experience working in a clinical setting. The new location features ThrIVe’s largest IV therapy room to date, boasting ten plush recliners below decorative chandeliers emitting soft blue lighting while relaxing music is played overhead. A VIP room offers a perfect setting for group appointments and special events for area residents, businesses, local celebrities, and professional athletes.

The concept’s latest outpost is also adding Emsculpt to its luxury line-up, giving clients the additional option of the body contouring treatment that is said to implode fat cells while building muscle fiber.

Co-founded by sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Eugene Lou; plastic surgeon, Dr. Derek Lou; and former professional baseball player, Royce Huffman, ThrIVe Drip Spa takes traditional medical treatments and serves them up with a modern twist set against a luxe backdrop.

“We feel like we’re the first modern luxury spa in Houston,” said Huffman, in a statement. He added, “We have drawn a lot of interest from diverse set of customers who want a different kind of professional spa experience to rejuvenate, rehydrate, and revitalize through our various custom offerings. We are excited for ThrIVe to have a convenient location inside the Loop.”

health openings

closing the gaps

Texas no longer leads U.S. for racial progress, new report says

Photo by Jerry Kavan on Unsplash

WalletHub's report is released annually ahead of MLK Day.

Texas has been overtaken as the No. 1 state that has made the most racial progress, according to a new study.

The Lone Star State led the nation in 2025, but now ranks in third place behind Georgia (No. 1) and Mississippi (No. 2). It also ranked No. 5 nationally in the list of states with the most racial integration.

WalletHub's "States That Have Made the Most Racial Progress" study is released annually ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The report compares all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 22 relevant metrics divided into two main rankings: racial integration (which the study defines as "the current integration levels of white people and Black people") and racial progress (defined as "the levels of racial progress achieved over time").

The report's author clarifies that the study focuses only on the racial integration between Black people and white people "in light of racial tensions in recent years that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement."

"We released this report ahead of the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation and discrimination against Black people," the report says.

The study further divided each ranking into four main categories measuring the gaps between white people and Black people over time; spanning employment and wealth, education, social and civic engagement, and health. Texas performed the best in education and health, ranking No. 4 nationally in both categories, and it ranked in sixth place for its social and civic engagement. The state ranked 16th in the category for employment and wealth.

According to WalletHub, Texas has "done a lot" to reduce gaps in health outcomes for white and Black residents, such as reducing gaps in health insurance coverage, and reducing the share of Black Texans suffering from "poor health" and diabetes. It also notes that Texas "made the second-most progress when it comes to obesity," but it did not acknowledge the racial bias in body mass index (BMI) that has been increasingly flagged in recent years.

The report further praises Texas for reducing the gap in business ownership between white and Black Texans, and for its improvement in reducing discrimination in the parole system. WalletHub does not offer data behind the parole claim.

"It’s encouraging to look at the data and see that some states have made significant strides toward racial equality over the past few decades," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo regarding the overall report. "This change demonstrates that state-level policies and residents’ attitudes regarding equality have grown considerably better."

Though racial disparity gaps are closing between white and Black people, racial profiling and discrimination is still a major issue affecting Black people and other people of color across the country.

In 2023, a senate bill banned public Texas universities from having diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs, prompting warnings of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, and other marginalized students, including those with disabilities.

The top 10 states with the most racial progress in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Georgia
No. 2 – Mississippi
No. 3 – Texas
No. 4 – North Carolina
No. 5 – Maryland
No. 6 – Florida
No. 7 – New Jersey
No. 8 – Massachusetts
No. 9 – Louisiana
No. 10 – New Mexico

wallethub texas report mlk day