Mesotherapy: Myth and reality

Mesotherapy simply describes a method of drug delivery. It consists of intra- or sub-cutaneous injections of variable mixtures, including multivitamins, lidocaine, calcitonin, tretinion, hyaluronic acid, hyaluronidase, collagenase, minoxidil, phosphatidylcholine and many others. Mesotherapy can be used for many indications, but its main indication of fat dissolution has been primarily used. Other popular uses include facial skin rejuvenation and alopecia. Given the ease of treatment and its quick effect, with little to no downtime, mesotherapy has become extremely popular. As with any new technology, it is crucially important to assess the benefits and safety. Most of the published data regarding mesotherapy consisted of single case reports and small series. None were large, randomized controlled trials. Given that no large population, randomized controlled trials have ever been performed, it is advised that the use of mesotherapy be limited, and practiced with extreme caution.