Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy is a technique that uses injections of vitamins, enzymes, hormones, and plant extracts to rejuvenate and tighten skin, as well as remove excess fat.
Today, mesotherapy is used to:
– remove fat in areas like the stomach, thighs, buttocks, hips, legs, arms, and face
– reduce cellulite
– fade wrinkles and lines
– tighten loose skin
– recontour the body
– lighten pigmented skin
– 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:
– prescription medicines like vasodilators and antibiotics
– hormones such as calcitonin and thyroxin
– enzymes like collagenase and hyaluronidase
– herbal extracts
– vitamins and minerals
How do you prepare?
You have to avoid aspirin 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 procedure?
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.
What are the side effects and risks?
– nausea
– pain
– sensitivity
– swelling
– itching
– redness
– bruising
– bumps at the injection site
– dark patches of skin
– rash
– infection
– 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.