Find Mesotherapy Treatments in Your Area
a) What is Mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy is a treatment that introduces microscopic quantities of products into the skin to treat a variety of conditions. Homeopathy medications, traditional pharmaceuticals, growth factors, peptides, vitamins, minerals and amino acids are a selection of products that are commonly used. All medications are selected for the specific condition being treated.
Used correctly, mesotherapy is effective in the treatment of painful musculoskeletal conditions, cellulite, pigmentary irregularity and in the management of facial skin ageing.
b) Types of Mesotherapy devices
Mesotherapy devices
- Micro-needles
- Mesogun
- No-needle Mesotherapy
Microneedles
“FILLMED, formerly Filorga Medical, has launched the NANOSOFT, an intradermal implantation device that the company explains sits in between a mesotherapy and micro-needling device.
According to the company, the NANOSOFT delivers the company’s patented formula NCTF which contains 59 active ingredients plus hyaluronic acid. It features three microneedles of 0.6mm depth made from crystal silicone which creates micro-wounds to stimulate cellulate communication and the wound healing response.
During this, NCTF is delivered to treat indications such as fine lines, wrinkles, tonicity, pigmentation and pore size reduction, the company states. The product is distributed exclusively by FILLMED and laboratory Cosmedi Ltd.”
“This ionic balancing formula has 55 ingredients to repair the skin layers. Fillmed NCTF 135HA® actively repairs the skin to replace minerals that are deficient such as Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium and Calcium.
Also with pure hyaluronic acid, it gives instant results to improve your skins natural brightness and water levels. The filler has many uses including filling wrinkles and the back of hands, inside of legs and arms, as well as the abdomen and neck area.
Ingredients and Concentration: 23mg/ml hyaluronic acid (non-animal)
What happens following injection?
NCTF 135HA stimulates the production of skin cells so that the added nutrients and vitamins can work in optimum conditions under the skin. NCTF 135HA also stimulates human tissue growth. This treatment can help eliminate dark circles under the eye area, as well as reducing nasolabial folds and marionette lines. A number of other benefits include redefining the nose-eyebrow area and increasing lip volume.
What's Inside the Formula?
“There are 14 vitamins inside NCTF 135HA. Vitamins A, B, C and E are just a few that contribute to skin cell stimulation. Alongside this, there are also 24 different amino acids that help produce elastin and collagen, two significant proteins making up the skin layers.
To combat free radicals, there are also 2 anti-oxidants to ensure your skin remains healthy and glowing. The aim of the collaboration is to provide dermatologists and aesthetic practitioners with the least invasive microneedle device on the market today, to enable treatment of thin skin, fine wrinkles and other sensitive locations for optimal results.”
Mesogun
Manual Mesotherapy administration through a freehand technique has its drawbacks. As the needle is rapidly injected over an area, inevitable variability in-depth and quantity is injected.
The Vital Injector is the latest device in the mesotherapy world. When placed on the skin it sucks the skin up while at the same time inserting the needles. The suction is a key component to the treatment as it holds the skin firmly in place to ensure accurate depth delivery of the skincare solution, but at the same time, it distracts the nerve endings. In doing so, the needle penetration is made much more comfortable for the client.
Advantages
- Good comfort level for client and therapist.
- Procedure is faster and relatively painless.
- Accurate delivery system.
- Versatility – Ability to perform various modes including nappage.
No-needle Mesotherapy
No-needle options seek to achieve the same result as injection mesotherapy. It looks at ways to encourage the penetration of active ingredients when applied topically to the skin using mild electrical currents. This assists the transportation of the substance between the skin cells.
Described as a pain-free option, it is said to provide a viable mesotherapy alternative for needle phobics. No-needle high-frequency mesotherapy helps with skin rejuvenation, slimming and cellulite by:
- Stimulating the function of collagen cells for improved skin tone and wrinkle reduction.
- Stimulating microcirculation for reduced water retention, improved cell nourishment and detoxification.
- Exerting an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action for more youthful and healthy skin and an anti-ageing effect.
A topical solution of active ingredients is applied to the target area. Penetration is encouraged directly into the middle layer of skin with the use of Electroporation and Electro-osmosis. This high-frequency technique ‘penetrates’ the skin at the exact depth that is needed for optimum results.
Depending on the specifically-tailored concoction, mesotherapy helps fight free radicals, encourages cellular activity, circulation, lymphatic drainage, fat cell disbursement, collagen and elastin production.
c) Mesotherapy indications and does it work?
Mesotherapy indications
- Skin-rejuvenation, glow, lift, pigmentation.
- Body-cellulite, Lipodissolve, body contouring.
- Hair-telogen effluvium, androgenetic alopecia.
Does mesotherapy work?
The French Society of Mesotherapy (FSM) does not recognise mesotherapy as an effective treatment skin rejuvenation treatment. It does, however, claim that the procedure can help mitigate pain, migraines, blood circulatory disorders, sports injuries and neuralgia. There is some evidence to suggest that mesotherapy treatments work when targeting pain.
There are several studies debunking the myth that mesotherapy could take the place of plastic surgery or other tried-and-true treatment methods like laser therapy. In terms of facial rejuvenation, one study found that patients who underwent mesotherapy to improve skin reported no significant improvements after three months. The same study found that the skin’s collagen and elastin levels were not altered during mesotherapy treatment.
d) Mesotherapy contraindications and complications
It is claimed that side effects following mesotherapy are extremely rare in experienced hands and if they occur they are mild. Despite the involvement of multiple injections in mesotherapy, the main reason cited for less frequent untoward effects is the much less dosage than one large dose used in modern medicine.
Non-specific common adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, mild pain, skin sensitivity, oedema, itching, erythema and tender subcutaneous nodules at the injection site.
Pigmentation problems include post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation which may remain for many months and can be very distressing, though not serious. Rarely full-thickness skin and fatty tissue death have also occurred.
Hypersensitivity reactions like immediate or delayed rash distant from the treated area have also been reported. Adverse effects due to faulty techniques include localised infections, scars and subcutaneous nodules.
The contraindications to mesotherapy include a body mass index greater than 30, known hypersensitivity to any of the components, less than 18 years of age, pregnancy, lactation, patients on anticoagulants, cardiac drugs, disease conditions like insulin-dependent diabetes, liver and kidney disorders, AIDS, seizure disorders and lupus.
Conclusion
Although mesotherapy has been used for decades in Europe there is little scientific or clinical evidence to support the technique. There also appears to be no standardisation within the practice in terms of what substances are used, quantities used and amount and frequency of injections.
Few recent studies have shown promising results for mesotherapy in various aesthetic indications. The purported advantages of mesotherapy are its non-surgical approach, minimal or no pain experienced, fewer complications and less downtime.