Mesotherapy

Mesotherapy is one of the treatments most likely to be described in very different terms depending on who is describing it. This page takes the narrower and more defensible position: what the procedure actually involves, what the evidence does and does not support, and which claims made about it are not made here.

What is mesotherapy?

Mesotherapy is the delivery of substances into the skin, specifically the dermis or the tissue just beneath it, through a series of micro-injections.

The mixtures used commonly contain hyaluronic acid, vitamins including A, C, E and the B group, amino acids, minerals and antioxidant combinations. The composition is not identical everywhere, which is one of the points this page returns to below.

At our clinic the treatment is discussed on one axis only: skin quality and the appearance of the skin. That framing is deliberate, and the reason for it becomes clear in the section on evidence.

How many mesotherapy sessions are needed?

The treatment is planned as a course rather than a single appointment, because the intention is a cumulative change.

A fixed protocol applying to everyone is not quoted, and that is not evasiveness. As the next section explains, standardisation is precisely what this field lacks.

Is there evidence supporting mesotherapy?

This deserves a direct answer rather than a reassuring one, because the honest position is more complicated than either enthusiasm or dismissal.

On the supportive side, a randomised controlled study has reported improvement in skin moisture, firmness and viscoelastic properties with hyaluronic acid based mesotherapy. That is a real finding from a controlled design, and it is the strongest thing that can be said.

On the limiting side, there is no standardised dose or protocol for mesotherapy mixtures, and the procedure itself does not hold regulatory approval as a defined treatment; what is involved is the off-label use of approved products. This matters because it means results reported with one mixture do not automatically transfer to another.

The reasonable summary is that the evidence is limited but promising, and that studies are continuing. On that basis the treatment is described here as supportive rather than as a solution, and any claim beyond that is not one this page makes.

There is a further practical consequence of this position. Because the composition of a mixture is not standardised, what is being injected should be a matter of discussion rather than assumption, and a person is entitled to ask what a session contains and why those contents were chosen for them.

Does mesotherapy dissolve fat?

This is among the most searched questions about the treatment, and the answer here is straightforward: that is not a claim made on this page. Where surface build-up and dullness predominate, the heading discussed is Hydrafacial; where a collagen response is being sought, it is Vivace microneedling.

Injection-based approaches promoted for fat reduction or localised slimming rest on a weak evidence base, and presenting them otherwise would not be accurate. For that reason the subject is not covered as a service and no such outcome is offered.

What mesotherapy is used for at our clinic is skin quality: hydration, firmness and general appearance. Anyone whose primary concern is body contour is better served by a different conversation, and that conversation begins with an assessment rather than with an injection.

Is hair mesotherapy effective?

Hair is a separate application of the same principle, and the position here is again a measured one.

In androgenetic hair loss, mesotherapy is best described as a supportive option, with the evidence still developing. It is not presented as a treatment that resolves the underlying condition, and it is not offered as an alternative to established medical management.

The first step in any hair complaint is identifying the cause, since hair loss has several distinct patterns and causes. Where a supportive approach is appropriate, it is planned alongside that assessment rather than in place of it.

The same caution applies to how the treatment is positioned alongside other options. Where a complaint has an established medical pathway, a supportive treatment is planned around that pathway rather than instead of it; presenting it as a replacement would misstate both what it does and what the person needs.

What happens after a mesotherapy session?

The recovery period is short and the expected findings are predictable.

Redness at the injection points, tenderness in the treated area and some bruising can occur. These usually resolve within 24 to 48 hours.

When is the result assessed?

Because the intention is a cumulative change, the result is not judged after a single session. The comparison that matters is made across the course, and any decision about maintenance follows that assessment rather than an early impression. What the skin looks like on the day after a session reflects the injections, not the outcome.

Who should carry out mesotherapy?

This is not a secondary detail. Mesotherapy must be performed by a physician under sterile conditions, and the reason is specific rather than formal.

The risk of infection in this treatment is directly related to the quality of the person performing it and the conditions in which it is carried out. An injection is an injection regardless of what it contains, and describing a mixture as natural does not remove that risk.

The same applies to what is being injected. Knowing the composition, its suitability for the individual and how it interacts with any existing conditions is part of the medical assessment, not an administrative step.

Who is mesotherapy not suitable for?

There is a defined set of circumstances in which the treatment is not carried out, and these are reviewed before each session.