I’ve often wondered why it is that you can see a photo of a celebrity on the beach, looking pudgy and cellulite-ridden one week, and just a few short weeks later, see the same celebrity looking svelte and near-perfect. I always thought the quick change must be due to the magic of Photoshop, and the mercy of a tabloid editor, but the more I learn about mesotherapy, I’m starting to think this could be the secret of Hollywood stars, to looking great when scantily clad.
Mesotherapy is a procedure that uses microinjections of medications into fat cells, to cause the fat to be metabolized in the body. It was first used in Europe, but is now available in the U.S. with a growing number of physicians administering the treatment.
It is a simple, in-office procedure in which the doctor uses a mixture of natural and prescription medication and injects it into fat and cellulite using a tiny needle. Those who have tried it say it is a miracle. Supposedly, you can lose weight anywhere you have extra fat - including underneath the lower lids!
Results can be seen after one or two treatments, though some people may need up to seven for stubborn areas. Results can usually be maintained if the patient does not gain a significant amount of weight after the fat has been metaabolized. Costs vary by city and physician. If any of you have tried it, please comment on your results!
Unlike with liposuction, the patient does not run the risk of having uneven results with the fat loss, and in fact, the procedure is often used to correct such problems caused by previous liposuction treatments.
There seem to be mixed reviews of mesotherapy’s effectiveness by patients who have tried it; however, I imagine as with any medical treatment, results may vary based on physician expertise and technique, and quality of medication used. You can read some of these comments on Realself.com.
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“There is simply no data, no science and no information, to my knowledge, that mesotherapy works,” according to Rod Rohrich, M.D., Chairman, Dept. of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a position statement not endorsing mesotherapy because to date, there has been no established mechanism of action, demonstrated efficacy, or established safety profile with any of the drugs used in mesotherapy.
The FDA cannot control the use of practitioners injecting various mixtures into patient’s bodies because this practice falls under the jurisdiction of state medical boards. Dr. Robin Ashinoff, speaking for the American Academy of Dermatology, says “A simple injection is giving people false hope. Everybody’s looking for a quick fix. But there is no quick fix for fat or fat deposits or for cellulite.” The American Society for Dermatologic Surgeryinformed its members in February 2005 that “further study is warranted before this technique can be endorsed.”
Many dermatologists and plastic surgeons are alarmed about the growing profile of mesotherapy. “No one says exactly what they put into the (syringe),” says Naomi Lawrence, a derma-surgeon at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. “One drug they often use, phosphatidylcholine, is unpredictable and causes extreme inflammation and swelling where injected. It is not a benign drug.”
It is currently banned in a number of South American countries. Even Brazil, which is less strict than the USA in drug approvals, has banned the drug for these purposes.
In Australia, an alternative therapy salon is being investigated by the Health Department after several clients developed skin abscesses on the calves, bum, thighs, abdomen, shoulders, face and neck from the treatment, with one patient also developing a mycobacterial infection.
Clinical studies
In a prospective study, 10 patients underwent four sessions of facial mesotherapy using multivitamins at monthly intervals. This study found that there was no clinically relevant benefit.