The French-imported medical technique that’s all the buzz these days is called mesotherapy. Developed in 1952 in France by Dr. Michel Pistor, originally for the treatment of vascular and infectious diseases, sports injuries, and the improvement of circulation, the technique involves the injection of small amounts of various medications into the mesoderm, the layer of fat and connective tissue under the skin. The theory is that when these small amounts of medication are injected into the mesoderm, underlying fat is melted.
Mesotherapy involves a simple series of injections that help break down unwanted small localized areas of fat. This process of breaking down body fat is referred to as lipolysis.
Areas treatable with injection-based lipolysis include:
- Upper and lower abdomen
- Thighs
- Upper arms
- Fat bulges below the bra-line
- “Love handles”
- Saddlebags
- Double chin
- Residual fat deposits post-liposuction
- Cellulite
During your treatment, the solution is injected directly into the fat layers and connective tissue. The injection is relatively painless though some patients prefer the use of numbing cream. The medication produces a chemical reaction in conjunction with the body’s physiology to harden the fat cell wall and begin a breakdown of localized areas of fat.
Benefits from each injection should be evident within three weeks of the treatment. Several treatments, four to six weeks apart, are often required to produce a fully satisfactory result.
The main ingredients used include phosphatidylcholine, multivitamins, and saline. Phosphatidylcholine is natural lecithin that contains two unsaturated fatty acids ( Linoleic- and alpha Linoleic acids) extracted from the soy plant.
Phosphatidylcholine (PPC) is actually produced by the body itself, but the body’s version includes saturated fatty acids (Palmitic-, Oleic- and Stearic-acid ). It is found in all cell membranes and occurs naturally, for instance, in the lungs of the developing fetus from the 4th month on. In this case, it is loaded with Palmitic acid and enables the inflation and deflation of the lungs, preventing them from sticking together. It performs a similar function as a lubricant in the intestines to avoid adhesions.
To make PPC injectable, it requires a solvent which also needs to be a detergent substance; deoxycholic acid is used in the emulsification of fats for the absorption in the intestine.
When injected into fatty tissue with very thin needles, the double layer of the fat cell membrane swells and hardens and the agent, which acts as a detergent, begins the fat breakdown, transforming the fat cells into tiny little fat particles of nano-size (one-millionth of a millimeter). The final process occurs in the liver where the fat is completely broken down into carbon dioxide and water.
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