It has been suggested that each of the three different functions of the skin (circulatory, neurovegetative and immunological) act in response to medication introduced through mesotherapy (Baran & Maibach, 2010) to promote healing, cell regeneration and hair regrowth.
It is also believed that the skin acts as a natural time-release system of solutions that are injected into it (Latha and Vandana, 2011). This means solutions injected into the skin stay longer in the area where they are required than they would if they were injected into the bloodstream where there is a risk of faster elimination by general circulation. For this reason, smaller quantities are used in mesotherapy compared to conventional methods. This is why it is claimed to have fewer side effects (Latha and Vandana, 2011).
Which drugs are used in Mesotherapy?
Some of the drugs used in mesotherapy have been administered orally or intravenously in treatment of hair loss for many years and their mechanism of action is known. For example Finasteride, which inhibits 5-α-reductase, an enzyme that plays a major role in male pattern hair loss (Lucas, 2001). There is little knowledge however, about how they act when injected into the skin (Sakar et al, 2010) or when combined with other components of the solution. This lack of information on the mechanism of action, effectiveness and interaction of the components used in mesotherapy is also highlighted by Konda & Thappa (2012), Mysore (2010), Sakar et al (2010) and Sivagnanam et al (2010) in their studies.
Two cases of secondary hair loss were reported after mesotherapy to treat alopecia (a hair loss condition) using mesoglycan and homeopathic agents (Duque-Estrada et al, 2009). On the other hand, in a study by Moftah et al (2013), mesotherapy with a dutasteride-containing solution yielded positive results. The efficacy of mesotherapy in treatment of hair loss therefore remains controversial and the mechanism of action, unclear.
References
- Baran, R. and Maibach, H.I. (2010), Textbook Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 4th Edition, Informa Health care, U.K., pp 411
- Duque-Estrada, B., Vincenzi, C., Misciali, C. and Tosti, A., Alopecia Secondary To Mesotherapy, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2009; 61;707-709
- Latha, P. and Vandana, K.R., Mesotherapy – A Review, International Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutics, 2011; 1(1)19-29
- Konda, D. and Thappa, D.M., Mesotherapy: What Is New?, Indian journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2009; 75(1)47-51
- Lucas, .K.J., Finasteride Cream In Hirsutism, Endocrine Practice, 2001; 7:5-10
- Moftah, N., Abel-Elaziz, G., Ahmed, Y.,Hamed, B.,Ghannam, B. and Ibrahim, M., Mesotherapy Using Dutasteride-containing Preparation In Treatment Of Female Pattern Hair loss: Photographic, Morphometric And Ultrastructural Evaluation, Journal of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2013 Jun;27(6):686-693
- Mysore, V. (2010), Mesotherapy In Management Of Hair Loss – Is It Of Any Use?, International Journal of Trichology, 2010; 2:45-45
- Sakar, R., Garg, V.K., Mysore, V., Position Paper On Mesotherapy, Dermatology Specials, 2011; 77(2)232-237
- Sivagnanam, G. Mesotherapy – The French Connection, Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 2010; 1(1)4-8
