While the thought of a cure for cellulite, or series of
injections that can slim you down or turn back time may
seem alluring, it's important to be armed with all the
facts when it comes to this procedure.
Mesotherapy uses an unstandardized mixture of various
drugs, herbs and vitamins, injected in hundreds of
micro-doses into the mesoderm (middle layer of the dermis)
to treat a variety of conditions. The growing hype around
mesotherapy purports that it can reduce fat and smooth the
appearance of cellulite in the areas of the body where the
treatment is administered.
However, no clinical studies have yet validated the
results of mesotherapy and there is a host of cautions to
consumers. Among them, unpredictable results and possible
health hazards. Most mesotherapy cocktails used to treat
cellulite commonly include the asthma drug aminophylline,
the cardiac drug isopreteranol, and the drugs
phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate, which occur
naturally in the human body. These may all be approved by
the Food and Drug Administration, but as far as using them
for mesotherapy, their use is far off-label and their
effects greatly unproven. Regardless of these facts, more
and more doctors are advertising mesotherapy.
The warnings
There is no standard formula for the mesotherapy
cocktail, so there is no way that you, as a patient, can
know what is being injected into your body. Nor is there a
standard mix that has been put through appropriate
clinical trials to determine if the treatment is effective
or safe, and to define what potential risks and
complications accompany treatment. While some doctors may
offer their own data to validate mesotherapy as a cosmetic
treatment, the standard of safety you should accept is
nothing less than the rigors of clinical trials that all
drugs must go through to receive FDA approval.
The gamble
Some doctors produce results with mesotherapy, but the
consistency and the longevity of those results hasn't been
determined, and all the possible risks you face are not
yet known. In the United States the procedure is purely
experimental. In other countries, it has been banned:
Controlled medical studies conducted in Brazil documented
a high incidence of hepatitis and liver failure in
patients who were treated with mesotherapy where
phosphatidylcholine was part of the mixture. Following
those studies, the drug was made illegal in that country.
Is there a logical connection? Phosphatidylcholine is used
to treat liver disorders. When introduced into the body
where no disorder exists, the drug may prove harmful
rather than beneficial.
What you can do
If you are bothered by cellulite, excess fat or aging,
the first thing you should do is consult a doctor who is
qualified to treat your conditions with many different
modalities, not one who specifically advertises
mesotherapy.
To make an informed decision, you should have all your
options, including expected outcomes, recovery time and
all known potential risks clearly defined. For example, a
plastic surgeon or dermatologist can remove excess fat
pockets through liposuction, which is FDA approved and
proven safe and effective. These doctors can try to
improve the appearance of cellulite through a limited
surgical procedure called subcision, or through
FDA-approved laser treatments like Velasmooth or TriActive.
A plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon can address
signs of aging or excess fat in the face and neck through
liposuction, laser treatments or surgical lifts.
Most importantly, these procedures have been thoroughly
tested, and every possible complication is known and can
be disclosed to you before you consent to the procedure.
The choice is yours. But given the safe and effective
alternatives to treat the conditions mesotherapy claims to
cure, odds are in your favor when you elect to "wait and
see" rather than "experiment."
Marie Kuechel is an editor at New Beauty, a semi-annual
magazine about cosmetic enhancement. Robert Singer is a
medical doctor. Reach them at editors (at)newbeauty.com.
Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.
