What is Mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy uses injections of vitamins and enzymes, hormones and plant extract to tighten and rejuvenate the skin and remove excess fat.
The technique was developed by Michel Pistor, a French doctor, in 1952. It was initially used to relieve pain. It has enjoyed popularity in the United States and elsewhere around the globe over the years.
Today, mesotherapy can be used for:
- Remove fat from the abdomen, stomach, thighs and buttocks.
- reduce cellulite
- Lines and wrinkles can be faded
- tighten loose skin
- Recontour your body
- Lighten pigmented skin
- Alopecia is a condition that results in hair loss.
This technique employs very fine needles to inject a series of injections in the mesoderm, or middle layer of the skin. Mesotherapy addresses underlying problems like poor circulation or inflammation that can cause skin damage.
There is no standard for mesotherapy substances. There are many options available to doctors, including:
- Prescription medicines such as vasodilators or antibiotics
- Hormones like calcitonin or thyroxin
- Enzymes like collagenase or hyaluronidase
- Herbal extracts
- Vitamins and minerals
What does it cost?
The cost of mesotherapy varies depending on what type of treatment you are receiving and how many sessions you require. A single session typically costs between $250 to $600. Insurance companies rarely cover mesotherapy because it is not considered medically necessary.
How can you prepare?
You’ll meet with your doctor before the procedure to find out what to expect. One week before the procedure, you might need to stop using aspirin, Bufferin (or any other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs). Mesotherapy can be more dangerous if you take pain relievers that cause bleeding or bruising.
What happens during an appointment?
You may have numbing medication applied to your skin during each session. A special needle is used to administer a series of injections. The needle can be attached to a machine gun to deliver multiple injections at once.
Injections can be administered at different depths depending on the condition being treated. They may reach as far as 4 to 6 millimeters under your skin. The doctor might place the needle at an angle into your skin or move very fast while injecting. You may only get a small amount of the solution per injection.
To achieve the desired effects, you will likely need multiple mesotherapy sessions. Expect to visit the doctor 3-15 times. Initial injections will be given every 7-10 days. The treatments can be extended to every two weeks or one month if your skin begins to improve.
How efficient is the procedure?
Because mesotherapy uses so many ingredients and techniques, it’s difficult to determine if the treatment works. To test the technique, very few studies have been conducted. Many of the studies that were done were not large enough to test the technique.
Research on mesotherapy doesn’t show much benefit for skin renewal. A 2012 study that included six participants found no significant improvement in wrinkles after six months of treatment. A 2008 study involving 20 women who received mesotherapy for body contouring showed no decrease in the size of their thighs.
How does it compare with liposuction?
Mesotherapy can be used to remove unwanted fat.
Permanently removing fat from your stomach, thighs and back with liposuction is possible. This procedure is performed by cosmetic surgeons who insert a thin plastic tube through small incisions into your skin and then suction out the excess fat with a surgical vacuum. Under anesthesia, liposuction can be done.
Liposuction can be used to remove fat permanently. However, it can take up for recovery. There are also risks such as nerve and blood vessel damage, irregular skin contours and burns. Liposuction can be expensive. The average procedure cost was $3200 in 2016.
