Are you looking for a safe, efficient, and permanent treatment to transform and rejuvenate your skin? Then mesotherapy is your go-to procedure.
The concept of mesotherapy has been around for years, first as a cure for vascular disorders and chronic pain before its emergence as a cosmetic treatment. It has since been used to treat various skin concerns, as well as remove excess fat from various body parts.
However, like most cosmetic procedures, mesotherapy has various side effects that you should be aware of before committing to the procedure. In this article, we will explore these side effects in depth and understand how to manage them.
What is Mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy is a non surgical technique used by skin experts to alleviate various skin concerns. It involves using tiny needles to inject small amounts of vitamins, amino acids, peptides, and antioxidants to the skin. The procedure corrects underlying skin issues such as inflammation and poor circulation and nourishes the skin to keep it tighter and smoother
How is Mesotherapy Done?
Mesotherapy is a pretty straightforward procedure, but it should be performed carefully following this comprehensive but simple guide;
1. Get Ready
Once you identify mesotherapy as a skin treatment you would like to use, the first step is a physical examination. This is why consulting with a professional is necessary, as they will assess you to determine if you are eligible for mesotherapy. If you are a suitable candidate for mesotherapy, your practitioner will give you further instructions on what to do to prepare adequately. These include;
- Avoiding certain medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin for a week before the procedure. This is because they may increase the risk of complications and mesotherapy side effects.
- Not taking coffee or alcohol on the day of the procedure, as they may act as blood thinners and complicate the procedure.
- Taking acyclovir-based protective drugs for 3-5 days if you are prone to herpes.
On top of these tips, your doctor should discuss with you the potential risks and side effects of mesotherapy and whether your goals and expected results are attainable.
2. The Procedure
On the day of the procedure, your doctor will apply a numbing agent on the skin around the area you would like to treat to numb it. This will minimize the pain you feel as the doctor pierces the skin. Speaking of piercing, you also have a say on the delivery equipment you would like between a derma pen, derma roller, tiny hydra needles, or a mesotherapy gun.
Then your doctor will place the equipment of choice at an angle on the skin and flick suddenly to pierce the skin. Depending on the area and condition that you are treating, the depth of the punctures should be between 1 and 4mm and every incision should place a tiny drop of the solution you are injecting.
A standard mesotherapy session should take about 45 minutes, and you should be ready to go back to your daily activities as the treatment begins taking effect.
How Does Mesotherapy Work?
After injection, mesotherapy works in various ways, depending on the substance injected into the mesoderm, which is the middle layer of the skin. Different substances work in different ways as follows.
- Injecting enzymes such as deoxycholate helps to break down and eliminate unwanted fat from the skin.
- Hyaluronic acid stimulates the body to produce more collagen and elastin, which are crucial in restoring the skin's natural glow and getting rid of conditions such as wrinkles, fine lines, and scars.
- Amino acids' main function is to create proteins. However, when injected into the skin, they help to transport and dispose of fat cells by burning them off.
- Vitamins and minerals are essential to overall skin health. When injected through mesotherapy, they restore skin firmness and smoothness, temporarily alleviating the signs of aging.
This means that mesotherapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment, but a good aesthetician should be able to help you determine which ingredient will work best to remedy your skin concerns.
Mesotherapy Aftercare
Mesotherapy is a non-invasive skin treatment with very little to no downtime. This means that you can leave the clinic and resume your daily activities immediately. However, most patients take a day off due to swelling around the treated skin areas.
Despite the few risks associated with the treatment, your medical practitioner will provide you with tips on how to take care of your skin after the procedure. Here are some guidelines to follow.
- Shortly after treatment, clean your face with warm water and a gentle cleanser. This will help you get rid of potential infection-causing germs and keep your treated skin clean.
- If you had facial mesotherapy, avoid makeup for the first 2-3 days after the procedure. Makeup could easily contaminate the delicate skin as the punctures left behind after the procedure may not be fully healed.
- Avoid excessive use of alcohol for a few weeks after performing mesotherapy. This is because alcohol could act as a blood thinner, complicating the healing process.
- After two days, you are free to use creams and serums on your skin. However, the skin may not be fully healed, so use creams with antioxidants to reduce irritation on the skin or hyaluronic acid to keep the skin hydrated.
- If you experience swelling, often immediately after the procedure, apply cool compresses for 10-15 minutes every hour. This will relieve the swelling, which should be fully gone after 48 hours.
- If you experience prolonged discomfort, do not use ibuprofen for relief. Instead, use alternative medication such as paracetamol, which has no side effects on the results of your procedure.
- Once your doctor has cleared you to use skincare products, it is crucial to understand that not all ingredients in your preferred products are safe. Therefore, you should avoid active products containing retinol, vitamin C, and beta hydroxy acids.
- If you experience swelling, do not sleep on your stomach. Instead, sleep facing up to enhance blood circulation and elevate your face slightly
- Mesotherapy involves using needles to pierce the skin and inject the selected substance. However, this leaves micro punctures on the skin and could cause extreme skin sensitivity. Therefore, you should avoid high-temperature environments such as saunas and steam rooms.
Adhering to these post-procedure care tips for your skin after mesotherapy will go a long way in preventing the complications that could arise and ensuring you get your desired results.
Side Effects of Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy may be one of the safest skin treatments in the cosmetic world, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't pose any risk of complications and side effects to your skin and overall appearance. Some of the side effects are
1. Swelling and Redness
After a mesotherapy procedure, you should expect swelling and redness as the skin reacts to the piercing. However, these side effects should not last for more than 48 hours, and your practitioner should guide you on how to alleviate the swelling using cold compresses.
2. Pain
During the procedure, your doctor will use a numbing agent, so you will only feel tingling sensations instead of pain or major discomfort. However, once the effect of the aesthetic wears off, the treated area could become painful, a side effect which can be solved using recommended medication.
3. Bruising
Any cosmetic procedure that involves using needles presents a significant risk of bruising. This is a common occurrence if you have sensitive skin and it could take up to weeks to heal properly. However, the key to avoiding significant bruising is avoiding blood thinners days before the procedure.
4. Sensitivity
The skin around the treated area becomes delicate after a mesotherapy procedure due to the tiny wounds formed as the needles pierce the skin. Therefore, you should avoid exposure to direct sunlight and continuously touching the delicate treated area.
5. Itching
During the initial healing stage, it is normal to experience itching as the skin replaces old tissue with new, improved, ones. This could prompt you to scratch your skin, leaving permanent scratch marks and leading to more severe complications.
6. Allergic Reactions
You may be allergic to certain materials that your doctor plans to use during your mesotherapy procedure. When injected blindly, these substances could cause allergic reactions, characterized by severe itching, prolonged swelling, and rashes. Luckily, these substances are otherwise harmless and your doctor can test on another part of the skin before injecting.
7. Edema
According to the National Institute of Health, mesotherapy can cause fluid to fill in your skin tissue. This fluid could be a result of poor injection or a sign of an allergic reaction to the injected substance.
8. Darkening
Mesotherapy could also cause the skin around the treated area to darken.This is a common occurrence as the skin starts to heal from the procedure, but when it is fully healed, the dark areas lighted and the skin goes back to its original state,
9. Infection
Like most procedures that involve puncturing the skin, mesotherapy comes with a significant risk of infection. Therefore, if you don't adequately take care of the open incisions made by the needles, they could become an entry point for germs and bacteria which cause infection.
10. Skin Dryness
Nothing is quite as frustrating as experiencing skin dryness in select body parts, but it is common as the wound healing process begins after mesotherapy. The dryness could be a result of flaking after the small punctures heal, and all you need to do is use a gentle moisturizer regularly to restore the skin's natural looks.
How to Manage Mesotherapy Side Effects
Are you worried about the side effects of mesotherapy? Well, you don't have to because they are generally manageable. Here’s how:
Consult With a Professional
This is the first and arguably most important step in the mesotherapy procedure. Before settling on a skin treatment, you need to find out everything you can about it, and it starts with choosing a skilled and experienced practitioner. The best doctor knows how to perform the procedure and educates you on everything you need to know about mesotherapy, including its benefits, side effects, and more. Knowing about these side effects makes it easier to manage them
Observe Hygiene
Proper hygiene is a crucial factor in determining the success and efficiency of your mesotherapy procedure. The procedure leaves open punctures on the skin, which could be exposed to germs and bacteria, ultimately causing infection. Therefore, ensure to wash your hands thoroughly and disinfect before touching the treated part.
Proper Aftercare
After a mesotherapy procedure, your practitioner should provide you with a detailed guide on taking care of your skin. These tips, as discussed earlier, play a major role in shaping the results of the procedure and getting rid of or managing various mesotherapy side effects.
Be Patient
The main purpose of a mesotherapy procedure is to transform your looks by making the skin smoother and more even. However, you should be ready for various complications throughout the process. Whether you want to get rid of wrinkles or simply reduce body fat, the results don't just show up overnight. Therefore, just follow all the necessary guidelines and wait patiently for that much-needed youthful glow that mesotherapy is known to achieve.
Conclusion
There is no doubt about mesotherapy's ability to transform the skin by getting rid of acne scars, fine lines, wrinkles, and even removing excess fat from under the skin. However, we can also agree that the procedure comes with various side effects, similar to any other cosmetic treatment that requires use of needles.
Understanding these side effects is the first step towards managing them and setting you on course to skin nourishment and lasting results.
At Diaminy, we partner with you to ensure that you have everything you need for your skin treatment and beauty needs. This is why we are your one-stop shop for all things beauty, ranging from the latest products in the market to industry news and informative posts to guide you through your beauty enhancement journey.
Reach out to us now and we'll position you perfectly to reap the benefits of your mesotherapy procedure.
