Mesotherapy

INDICATIONS

1. remove fat in areas like the stomach, thighs, buttocks, hips, legs, arms, and face
2. reduce cellulite
3. fade wrinkles and lines
4. tighten loose skin
5. recontour the body
6. lighten pigmented skin
7. treat alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss

The technique uses very fine needles to deliver a series of injections into the middle layer (mesoderm) of skin. The idea behind mesotherapy is that it corrects underlying issues like poor circulation and inflammation that cause skin damage.

There isn’t a standard formula for the substances injected in mesotherapy. Doctors use many different solutions, including:

1. prescription medicines like vasodilators and antibiotics
2. hormones such as calcitonin and thyroxin
3. enzymes like collagenase and hyaluronidase
4. herbal extracts
5. vitamins and minerals

PROCEDURE

You’ll meet with the doctor ahead of time to find out what to expect. You might have to avoid aspirin (Bufferin) and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for one week before the procedure. These pain relievers can increase your risk of bleeding and bruising during mesotherapy.

What happens during your appointment?

During each session, you may or may not have numbing medicine applied to your skin. You’ll get a series of injections using a special short needle. The needle may be attached to a mechanical gun to deliver many injections in a row.

The injections can be given at different depths — from 1 to 4 millimeters into your skin — depending on what condition you’re having treated. Your doctor may place the needle into your skin at an angle, or flick their wrist very quickly while injecting. Each injection may only place a tiny drop of the solution into your skin.

You’ll probably need several mesotherapy sessions to get the desired effect. You should expect to return to the doctor between 3 to 15 times. At first, you’ll get the injections every 7 to 10 days. If your skin starts to improve, the treatments will be stretched out to once every two weeks or once a month.

How effective is the procedure?

It’s hard to say whether mesotherapy works, because so many different ingredients and methods are used in the treatment. Few studies have been done to test the technique. And many of the studies that have been done were small.

The research that does exist on mesotherapy hasn’t shown much of a benefit for skin rejuvenation. A 2012 study

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 of six people who got the treatment for six months didn’t show any real improvement in wrinkles. And a 2008 study

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 of 20 women who got mesotherapy for body contouring found no reduction in thigh size.

How does it compare to liposuction?

Mesotherapy is considered a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction for removing unwanted fat.

Liposuction permanently removes fat from areas like your stomach, thighs, and back. Cosmetic surgeons perform this procedure by inserting a thin plastic tube through small incisions in your skin, and then suctioning out the fat using a surgical vacuum. Liposuction is done while you’re under anesthesia.

Although liposuction is considered effective at permanently removing fat, recovery can take up to six weeks. It also has risks like nerve and blood vessel damage, irregular skin contours, burns, and infection. And liposuction is expensive. 

Mesotherapy isn’t as invasive a procedure as liposuction. There are no incisions. . However, you may need 10 sessions or more to get the results you want.

It’s not clear how well mesotherapy works to remove fat. There hasn’t been enough research done to test it, and the methods that are used differ depending on where you have it done.

Injection lipolysis is another noninvasive treatment that’s similar to mesotherapy. The terms “mesotherapy” and “injection lipolysis” are often used synonymously, though they’re slightly different.

During injection lipolysis, your doctor injects phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate into the fat layer under the skin to break up fat. As with mesotherapy, there is very little evidence to show injection lipolysis works.

The American Society for Plastic Surgeons doesn’t recommend injection lipolysis or mesotherapy for removing fat. They say there isn’t enough research to confirm these treatments work.

What are the side effects and risks?

People who practice mesotherapy say the risks are minimal if you go to a trained practitioner.

Side effects that have been reported include:

1. nausea
2. pain
3. sensitivity
4. swelling
5. itching
6. redness
7. bruising
8. bumps at the injection site
9. dark patches of skin
10. rash
11. infection
12. scars

What is the recovery like?

Because mesotherapy is noninvasive, there usually isn’t any downtime. Many people are able to return to their regular activities right away. Others may need to take a day off due to swelling and pain at the injection sites.

Mesotherapy is a promising treatment for removing unwanted fat and body contouring. However, its safety and effectiveness are still unproven. Many of the studies that have been done have looked at mesotherapy for pain — not for cosmetic treatment.

Mesotherapy as a procedure hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but many of the ingredients used in the treatment do have FDA approval for treating other conditions. As long as the ingredients have FDA approval, they may be used for mesotherapy. This is considered to be an off-label use of the approved ingredients.

Practitioners don’t use any standard formulas for mesotherapy. That means you might get a completely different treatment with one doctor than you would with another. If you do want to try mesotherapy, see a licensed doctor who has a lot of experience with the procedure. This will help minimize side effects.

Can mesotherapy be used for hair loss?

In addition to treating wrinkles and removing unwanted fat, mesotherapy is also used to treat hair loss from alopecia. The treatment injects natural plant extracts, vitamins, or medicines like finasteride and minoxidil into the head.

People who perform mesotherapy for hair loss claim it:

1. corrects hormone imbalances in and around the hair follicle
2. delivers nutrients to the hair
3. improves blood circulation

Yet just as with other uses of mesotherapy, there is little evidence that it works for hair loss. Most of the substances that are injected haven’t been shown in studies to regrow hair. Only finasteride and minoxidil.

Laser Liposuction Technique Melts Fat and Tightens Skin

Laser lipolysis gives traditional liposuction a fat-busting boost.

For those seeking trimmer bodies with minimal effort, liposuction is one of the most popular fast-fixes. But like anything that seems too good to be true, the fat-reduction procedure comes with a few drawbacks, especially if your skin can’t take up the slack. Pockets of sagging skin may defeat the purpose of using cosmetic surgery to bust hard-to-reach fat.

That’s where the newly designed technique of laser lipolysis comes in, picking up where traditional liposuction leaves off. Researchers believe this enhanced technique could be the key to optimum body sculpting, and are bringing the news of their findings to the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 38th Annual Scientific Meeting this week in New Orleans.

How Does It Work?

Laser lipolysis is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat from fiber-optic lasers at various wavelengths to melt body fat. This is a different process than liposuction, which involves removing fat from the body using vacuum suction. The added benefit of laser lipolysis is that it spurs the production of the protein collagen, making skin more taut.

Clinical results were drawn from the laser lipolysis and liposuction procedures of more than 2,000 patients over a three-year span. Researchers found that patients overall lost significant fat bulk in different parts of the body and saw an increase in skin tightness. Patients didn’t suffer from any major complications, though some complained of minor pain and bruising.

FAQ
Q1 How long do mesotherapy results last?
A1 How long will it last? Mesotherapy for skin rejuvenation is generally given in a course of treatments with results lasting between 3-5 months. Top up treatments will be required to maintain the results. Treatment protocols vary depending on the indication and serum used.

Q2 What are the side effects of mesotherapy?
A2 Side effects from mesotherapy treatment may include redness, stinging, and a burning sensation which can last up to 2 hours after injection. Swelling and bruising typically peaks 6-72 hours after treatment. Some patients will experience nodules or hardening at the injection site.

Q3 Is Mesotherapy good for face?
A3 Mesotherapy can instantly improve dull, tired looking skin and superficial wrinkles but can also help to improve sluggish blood circulation, aiding the body to flush out ageing toxins. This treatment can also be used to address hyperpigmentation, treat acne and ‘lit-from-within’ skin glow