Mesotherapy: A Potential Breakthrough in Cellulite Treatment

Mesotherapy is a non-surgical treatment for the removal of fat and rejuvenation of skin. Employing multiple injections of pharmaceutical and homeopathic medications, plant extracts, vitamins, and other ingredients into the subcutaneous fat, Mesotherapy produces results.

While Mesotherapy has not yet been approved by the FDA in the United States, treatments have been performed throughout Europe and South America for over 50 years. The treatment is particularly popular in Hollywood where residents seek the best Mesotherapy specialists with proven track records; results generally take several treatments but are long-lasting and visible.

Mesotherapy: The ApproachesThere are two different types of injectable approaches which can reduce localized fat deposits on the hips, abdomen and buttocks and improve areas of unsightly cellulite. The first is the utilization of a product commonly used in Europe called Lipostabil. Lipostabil is a combination of two active ingredients - sodium deoxycholate and phosphatidylcholine. The combination of these two emulsifying agents acts as a detergent to actually liquify fat cells when injected, thus improving unwanted bulges.

The second Mesotherapy approach is the injection of biologically-active substances such as aminophylline, isopreterenol, ephedrine, carnitine and herbal preparations, amongst others. These combinations also dissolve unwanted fat cells with a similar emulsifying action. There have been scientific studies published in The Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, regarding the utilization of phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate, showing their clinical effect on destroying fat cells and also in treating benign fatty tumors such as lipomas.

FDA studies are presently underway by a company called Kythera to try to standardize formulations that can be used by the aesthetic practitioner. Mesotherapy is controversial due to the fact that there are no standard treatment formulations. The procedure is commonly employed by physicians, such as primary care physicians, who are not traditionally treating aesthetic problems. However, when the right physician has been properly trained, results are phenomenal. In the past, because of the lack of standardization and improper usage, infection, skin ulcerations and other complications have been reported.

Globally, pending the results of ongoing scientific studies following Mesotherapy, it is likely that this already popular modality will evolve into an effective standardized treatment for unwanted fat deposits.