Although mesotherapy is a very simple, safe and painless method, side effects and contraindications are not lacking: the risk, though minimal, of incurring unwanted side effects should therefore always be expected.
What is mesotherapy
The side effects of mesotherapy are related to the mode of injection, the injected pharmaceutical substance, and the injection technique.
Incorrect injection of the drug
If the doctor does not inject the drug in the correct area or if an excessive amount is injected, the patient may complain of pain; in the same way, even a too acid solution injected into the dermis could cause the patient an unpleasant sensation of discomfort or pain.
Choice of the injected drug
Before proceeding with mesotherapy, the doctor must make sure that the patient is not allergic or sensitive to that substance, in order to exclude unpleasant side events that could also result in a possible anaphylactic shock.
Although it is very rare that the drugs used in mesotherapy lead to serious generalized adverse effects (allergy, eczema, etc.), they can still cause simple reversible localized effects. In fact, following the mesotherapy treatment, it is foreseeable that pomfi (edematous lesions of dermal interest that appear as slightly hinted reliefs) can be formed in the affected area; the wheals, however, tend to regress within a few hours.
Injection mode
An imprecise injection technique can cause the patient a sensation of discomfort, which could turn into pain if the treated area is richly vascularized. In fact, if the area of medical interest is rich in blood vessels, the probability that the needle will break a capillary is very high.
In traditional mesotherapy, 6 mm needles are generally used, with a very thin diameter; the needle goes deep into the mesoderm, an area already rich in nerve endings and blood capillaries. It is very common for the tip of the needle to touch a vase, which, even with a simple touch, breaks, causing pain.
Furthermore, the needles used in the multi-injector could cause ecchymoses: in this regard, mesotherapy is often preferred with a single needle. The contraindications depend almost exclusively on the possible creation of hematomas following mesotherapy: as we have seen, hematomas depend on the vascularization of the affected area. To prevent bruising, salicylates (eg aspirin) could already be given on the same day.
Other side effects
If the mesotherapy sessions have not been practiced correctly, hypopigmented scars or, albeit rarely, hyper-pigmentation lesions may develop in the treated area; nevertheless, the signs should disappear in a few weeks.
Less frequent, but not improbable, is the alteration of the sensitivity of the skin in the affected area: in general, this phenomenon coincides with the treatment and tends to disappear in a few minutes. Furthermore, some injected substances could cause irritation, redness and alter the temperature of the considered area.
Mesotherapy is used in many areas, ranging from the simplest cellulite blemish to the most complex sports microtraumas or venous insufficiencies. Mesotherapy, as we have analyzed, does not involve serious side effects, but it is good to pay attention to the contraindications connected to the clinical history of the subject. In fact, mesotherapy is absolutely contraindicated if the patient is suffering from leukemia, diabetes, blood infections, HIV / AIDS, heart disease, takes heparin or if it was treated in the past with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer diseases. Mesotherapy is also contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation, as it could create side effects for the child.
Advantages and disadvantages
| Mesotherapy: positive effects | Mesotherapy: negative effects |
Helps to solve / alleviate problems such as: Cellulite District adiposity Venous and lymphatic insufficiency Micro sports traumas Motor rehabilitation Osteopathies and arthropathies Dermatological diseases Facial rejuvenation |
|
There is no pain (usually) | The multi-injector (an instrument that uses 18 needles) could sensitize the skin and cause ecchymoses due to capillary lacerations |
Visible results from the first sessions (a minimum of 8 sessions is however preferable to obtain excellent long-lasting results) | Possible development of hypo / hyperpigmented scars that regress in a short time |
It is good to combine sport and proper nutrition | Side effects and contraindications related to the clinical and pathological picture of the patient's history |
The drugs are used at low dosage and have a rapid effect, without affecting the surrounding tissues | Mesotherapy is absolutely contraindicated if the patient is suffering from leukemia, diabetes, blood infections, HIV / AIDS, heart disease, takes heparin or if it has been treated in the past with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer diseases. Mesotherapy must be avoided during pregnancy and lactation |
