Mesotherapy For Cellulite Treatment

In France, mesotherapy is considered to be a separate medical specialty. It is a technique that uses mesotherapeutic materials (‘cocktails’) with the method of multiple micro-injections with tiny needles in the treated areas.

In mesotherapy, for the treatment of local fat and cellulite, different materials are used that make lipolysis and are injected deeper into the fat. 6-8 sessions are required depending on the extent and severity of the problem. The interval between treatments depending on the ingredients that are used is 7-15 days. One of the most effective ingredients for lipolysis is phosphatidylcholine.

Phosphatidylcholine is a component derived from soy lecithin and was first used in medicine to dissolve atherosclerotic clots (that consist of fat and clog blood vessels). It acts by affecting the permeability of adipocyte membranes which are mobilized in lipolysis.

It is a very effective method, which aims at the non-surgical correction of defects such as ‘banana rolls’ the excess fat accumulation around the hips and abdominal area (for men, too), the belly fat and other areas such as double chin. It is not a liposuction method, but it may act complementary. It is very effective for cellulite treatment.

The side effects during application are burning sensation and pain during injection, as well as the possibility of bruising. The results are visible after the 2nd-3rd session and have a long duration, provided that a steady body weight is maintained. However, the results are individualized and may require repeated maintenance treatments.

Other substances used in mesotherapy "cocktails" are hyaluronidase and collagenase that act by breaking the septa ("sacs") of fibrous tissue that hold the fat lobes; caffeine that stimulates microcirculation and many others. To improve the appearance of the skin, substances such as retinoic acid, glycolic acid in low concentrations, minerals and vitamins are used in more superficial injections.

Procaine or lidocaine is often added to the mesotherapy ‘cocktails’ to delay the absorption of the mesotherapy drugs and allow them to penetrate more into the connective tissue.

Anti-cellulite creams are not effective in treating cellulite. This happens because the ingredients they contain are in low concentrations (as they are cosmetics and not drugs that are administered by a doctor) for safety reasons. Secondly, the absorption of the ingredients does not reach up to the fat in order to be effective; while with the mesotherapy needles the injection is applied directly to the desired depth.

Mesotherapy is not recommended if the patient suffers from blood clotting disorders, insulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, immune deficiencies, cancer and in cases of anticoagulants intake, pregnancy and lactation (breast-feeding).

Complementary to mesotherapy treatment of improving skin quality is the use of derma roller specifically for the body. These are ‘tools’ with a cylindrical surface in which numerous needles are attached.

There are rollers suitable for the face with smaller needles and others for the body with larger ones.

We firstly apply an anesthetic cream on the area where the treatment will be performed and then it follows the use of antiseptics. The roller with light pressure is rolled by the doctor on the surface of the skin, opening numerous tiny holes into the dermis. This injury stimulates the fibroblasts (collagen-producing cells) into collagenogenesis in an attempt to heal the micro- injuries. The result is a tighter and firmer skin in the treatment area. Also, in this way, the stretch marks are improved (they become shallower and thinner) as they are "filled" with collagen. Repeated monthly applications (4-8) are also required, while the areas where the treatment is applied are abdomen, thighs, buttocks and neck. The healing process after the treatment is very fast (within 3 days) while sun protection is required until it is performed.

The contraindications are the same as injectable mesotherapy.