Mesotherapy

The appeal of getting rid of excessive fats via simple injections to the areas requiring treatment, seems like a fairytale to some people. But will there be a happy ending?

Over the years, mesotherapy has been the center of so many debates. Although it was developed more than half a century ago, and has become a popular cosmetic surgery technique, it continues to be hounded by critics, who insist that the procedure is masked in mystery.

Mesotherapy is a method of eliminating fat and cellulite through the injection of certain substances to the areas where fat deposits are. The procedure is also known as “spot treatment” since it focuses on the problematic “sites” like the buttocks, inner thighs, chin, neck, and abdomen. Experts also say that mesotherapy is also effective against cellulite, wrinkles, scars, and is even capable of stimulating hair growth.

Mesotherapy is a pretty simple procedure. A special “blend” of medications, minerals, and vitamins is introduced directly into the fat layer underneath the skin of the patient. The mixture is not the same for the different areas under treatment, and works by melting the fat and transforming them into a form which will make it easier for them to be eliminated via the kidneys and bowels. The injection also treats cellulite by weakening the connective tissue holding the fat down, minimizing the “dimpled” look and achieving a cleaner appearance.

Mesotherapy results in a better body contour, and lesser wrinkles, scars, and cellulite. However, the procedure should not be taken as a weight loss option, rather, as a body-contouring technique. It should be understood that mesotherapy serves to get rid of a few inches from certain areas, and not to “thin down” the patient’s whole body.

Even though mesotherapy is a non invasive method of eliminating excess fat from the body, it has its share of side effects. Patients who wish to undergo this particular procedure may expect to experience the following: bruising, itching, redness, swelling, burning sensation, increased, sensitivity, and liver damage. For majority of the patients, such side effects are highly temporary, with itching and some pain not lasting for more than a few days, and bruising and swelling fading in a week’s time.

Mesotherapy involves a string of injections. Most people undergo between three and ten treatment sessions, each done within a week or a month after the other. The cost of the procedure differs according to the location it is performed, the doctor performing it, and the size of the treated area. However, a mesotherapy treatment generally costs from $300 to $500.

No needle or non-needle mesotherapy eliminates some of the most common side effects associated with the traditional mesotherapy technique, such bruising and pain. This modern method takes out the obstacles that the needle type creates. Patients, who have low pain tolerance, may now enjoy the benefits of mesotherapy without the pain. They can also shorten “in-between” treatment time, improving the efficiency of the procedure. Since this technique does not involve the use of needles, larger areas may now be treated, and patients can benefit from the shorter recovery period needed.

While mesotherapy has been and is still widely practiced in several parts of the world, it continues to reap several criticisms. Some medical experts are concerned about the safety and efficiency of the procedure. They insist that the lack or absence of adequate scientific proofs make mesotherapy a mere “fad” that comes with possible hazardous effects.

So, even if the media screams “thin” as the “in” thing, it is not enough reason to try out any procedure that claims to give you such look faster than you can pronounce its term.