Vital - distributed monthly within the Detroit Free Press & The Detroit News. Also available free in hundreds of local racks

« Articles

Skinny Shots

Mesotherapy injections are designed to melt fat in problem areas

By Karen Buscemi

Chances are there’s a part of your body where, no matter how much you diet and exercise, you don’t get the results you desire. If only there were some way to tackle that trouble spot for good.

Now, using a cosmetic treatment called mesotherapy, some doctors believe they have found the weapon to win the war on these elusive pockets of fat.

Mesotherapy was developed in France by Michael Pistor, M.D., in 1952. The treatment consists of a series of injections directed at specific areas of fat deposits located just below the skin. The relatively noninvasive procedure is supposed to work by breaking down targeted fat cells, which then can be naturally excreted from the body.

According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, while the combination of ingredients used in the injections differs from doctor to doctor, it generally contains traditional medication, such as aminophylline or isoproterenol (both used to treat breathing difficulties such as asthma), and homeopathic medication, including artichoke extract, vitamins and minerals.

None of the injected drugs has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in mesotherapy, according to Karen A. Weaver, a Chicago attorney and registered pharmacist whose law firm represents clients who develop mesotherapy products. It’s an issue that concerns John Voorhees, M.D., dermatology chair at th

“Aminophylline and isoproterenol both have cardiac side effects that can cause rapid heart rate,” Voorhees says. “When you’re injecting something that has known side effects, you have to know about the patient. I wouldn’t do it. It’s hazardous.”

Charles Mok, D.O., of Allure Medical Spa in Shelby Township, is board-certified in the procedure by the American Board of Mesotherapy, and points out that the medications used in the procedure have been around for 30 years and used safely in other settings.

“The biggest holdback is that [mesotherapy] has only been in the United States for about four years or so,” Mok says. “Most of the time, it takes a significant body of evidence for something to become mainstream and accepted.”

FIGHTING FAT

That body of evidence will include finding the most efficient ”cocktail” of injected ingredients, along with the lasting effects of mesotherapy.

“That’s one of the questions that remains to be answered,” Mok says of mesotherapy’s permanency. “Anecdotally, most people who have mesotherapy tend to keep [the fat] off.”

Isabelle Adams, of Shelby Township, says she’s kept off much of her fat since having mesotherapy on her abdomen, thighs, hips and the sides of her knees three years ago. She says the treatments took her from a size 12 to a size 6.

“The results are fabulous. Other than the needles, I think it works perfectly,” says Adams, 60. “I have seen some fat come back, but that’s because of my diet.”

Mok agrees that patients who gain a significant amount of weight after mesotherapy treatments can expect fat to return to problem areas.

Mesotherapy requires no hospital stay or general anesthesia, and there is no downtime after treatment. While thighs and buttocks are the most popular areas for mesotherapy, the procedure also can eliminate excess fat under the eyes and chin. In fact, mesotherapy can be used on any area of the body with pockets of fat, according to the American Society for Mesotherapeutic Liposculpture.

Mok says the ideal mesotherapy candidate is a person who is at a stable weight. “It’s not for somebody who needs to lose weight,” Mok says. “It’s for people who have areas that are resistant.”

He adds that most patients require four to eight treatments for fat deposits, and eight to 10 treatments for cellulite – those pockets of fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks that lead to a dimpled appearance because they’re just below the skin.

According to the American Society for Mesotherapeutic Liposculpture, a mesotherapy session costs roughly $300-$800 (compared to $5,000-$10,000 for liposuction), although that varies widely, depending upon the clinic and the treatment package chosen. Since it’s considered a cosmetic procedure, mesotherapy is not covered by insurance.

In a 2006 article published in the American Journal of Mesotherapy, “Advancing Mesotherapy Through Clinical Trials,” attorney Weaver notes that the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has launched a double-blind placebo study on the procedure. These clinical studies, Weaver says, are exactly what is needed to give the treatment credibility.

“The whole area is still in development, but once there are certain ways to deliver the therapies, the clinical trials will be there to support them, and then it will be a more robust mode of therapy,” says Weaver.