All about mesotherapy
According to a 2019 study, 71% of French people admit to having used an alternative medicine practice at least once(1). Thusnaturopathy, homeopathy,Bach Flowersor acupuncture have gradually established themselves as reliable alternatives to allopathy to soothe the small ailments of everyday life. What about mesotherapy? What exactly is this medical technique? What does it treat and above all, is it effective and safe? Small overview.
What is mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy (sometimes called mesopecia, mesolift, mesodrain or mesodissolution) is amedical techniquecreated in 1952 by the French physician Michel Pistor. The latter summed up this therapy with an expression: “Little, rarely and in the right place“. And indeed, she describes this method of care well, the French Society of Mesotherapy (SFM) defining it as “local injections of drugs of the French pharmacopoeia, made through the skin, very superficial and not very painful“(1).
In reality these injections can be:
- intra-epidermal – at the level of the epidermis, therefore superficial;
- superficial intradermal – at the level of the upper wall of the dermis, the second layer of the skin;
- deep intradermal.
The injections are carried outeither manually, withneedles of variable lengthdepending on their depth (from 4 to 13 mm maximum), orusing an electronic injector (assisted technique). The equipment used must besterileandsingle-use.
Theinjected productsare in principleused in general medicine and available in pharmacies. The volume of product injected is generally tiny, the discipline recommending multiple injections but in very small quantities.
Is mesotherapy acupuncture?
Often, it is described as such. But it is nevertheless a question of making a distinction: acupuncture consists of stimulating acupuncture points, located on meridians (energy channels crossing the body), with needles, butwithout injectingany product.
It is also confused withinfiltration. Here again, subtle difference: infiltration consists ofinjecting a drug, mainly an analgesic (painkiller), at the level of a joint or the insertion of tendons, that is to say deeper than in mesotherapy.
When to use mesotherapy?
- Rheumatology , to treat osteoarthritis pain (cervical, lumbar, joints such as the knee , hip, shoulder or wrist), tendinopathy, neuralgia or lumbago, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.;
- …;
- Vascular Medicine , as an adjunctive treatment for pain linked to Venous insufficiency , but also for migraines, headaches and tinnitus;
- Aesthetic Medicine , in particular in the prevention and treatment of skin aging (filling of wrinkles), in slimming, in the treatment of alopecia, Scarsgoldcellulitis ;
- in the context of other conditions , in particular vertigo, functional colopathy or recurrent ENT infections.
What substances are injected during a mesotherapy session?
The drugs injected during mesotherapy sessions are most often non-steroidal anti-inflammatories , AnalgesicsmuscleRelaxing , vasodilators , Homeopathic Solutions , mixtures of vitamins and mineralstag. It should also be specified that the injection of cortisone or cortisone-based products is totally prohibited.
The molecules most often injected are lidocaine, procaine, raubasine, silicon, piroxicam, calcitonin, etamsylate or thiocolchicoside.
Who can use mesotherapy?
According to the SFM, mesotherapy is for everyone , applicable from birth to the end of life. There are almost no contraindications : children, people with serious or chronic illness and the elderly can benefit from it. Current drug treatments , in particular antidiabetics, antihypertensives and antibiotics do not represent a contraindication, but must be reported to the practitioner before any injection. In any case, it is best to seek medical advice before resorting to it.
Note that the first trimester of pregnancy is a contraindicated periodfor mesotherapy care. Another case: that ofallergytag. The mesotherapist must carry out an interrogation and tests of the mesotherapy products, essential precautions in the event of suspicion of aAllergic patient to one of the injectable substances.
How does a mesotherapy session take place?
During the session:
- the skin must be presented bare, without ointment, body moisturizer or make-up;
- it is advisable to avoid wearing tight clothing and accessories that can form a tourniquet (belt, compression boots);
- women should tell the practitioner if they are menstruating at the time of the session;
- in case of illness, it is necessary to inform the mesotherapist of the nature of his treatment.
After the session:
- it is advisable to avoid contact with dust;
- massages should be avoided for 24 hours after the session;
- prolonged contact with water (bathing, swimming in the pool or in the sea, sauna or hammam ) must be avoided for 24 hours following the session;
- sun exposure is not recommended for 48 hours following the session;
- wearing clothes or accessories that are too tight, especially in direct contact with the treated areas, should be avoided for a few days;
- it is also not recommended to apply anything on the injected areas (ointment, cream, milk, make-up) for at least 48 hours.
What are the risks of mesotherapy?
The main risks of mesotherapy are of two types: the risk of bacterial infection and the risk of allergies.
The first obviously depends on the hygienic conditions , both of the Equipment and of the premisestag. It must be said that when there is a break in the skin (which is the case in the case of an injection),the risk of infection or superinfection is presenttag. This is why the mesotherapist is subject to very strictregulatory and ethical obligations , both in the exercise of his discipline and in the maintenance of his own hygiene, that of his office, his equipment or the treatment of waste. Medical .
The second depends on the Seriousness of the Protocol implemented by the practitioner before the Mesotherapysession.Thus he must make every effort to detect an allergic potential in his patient, both by Scrupulous questioning and by possible allergic tests .
It should be noted that mesotherapy uses substances which, taken one by one, all benefit from a marketing authorizationby the High Authority for Health. On the other hand,the mesotherapist makes his own mixtures , so that it is difficult to estimate the effectiveness or the harmlessness of said mixtures. No large-scale study to date has clearly demonstrated the risk/benefit ratio of the practicetag. It must be said that mesotherapy is a French therapy is that it is little practiced in the rest of the world…
What is the cost of a mesotherapy session?
It depends essentially on the purpose of the treatment. Thus:
- a session in the context of Pain Treatment costs on average between 45 and 75€ , depending mainly on the therapist, the type of injection and the number of injections;
What about health insurance coverage? The practice is part of the classification of medical procedures by this authority. Reimbursement is subject to two conditions : if it is carried out during a Consultation by a contracted doctor and for therapeutic purposes , it is reimbursed up to 70% on the basis of the contracted rate (25%). On the other hand, if the practitioner is fromSector 2 (free setting of his fees), the overrun is not covered by Social Security.
Finally, some mutualsmay offerpartial or total reimbursement, provided of course that the mesotherapy treatment is therapeutic and not aesthetic.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.