What Is 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.
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 mineralsr
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.
People who practice mesotherapy say the risks are minimal if you go to a trained practitioner.
Side effects that have been reported include:
- nausea
- pain
- sensitivity
- swelling
- itching
- redness
- bruising
- bumps at the injection site
- dark patches of skin
- rash
- infection
- scars
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.
The bottom line
Mesotherapy is a promising treatment for removing unwanted fat and body contouring.
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:
- corrects hormone imbalances in and around the hair follicle
- delivers nutrients to the hair
- improves blood circulation