FACIAL REJUVENATION BY NEEDLE-FREE INJECTIONS OF HYALURONIC ACID AND VITAMINS: NEEDLELESS MESOTHERAPY
A recent anti-aging medical method, called needle-free mesotherapy, has become extremely popular in recent years: it involves infusing large doses of vitamins (A, B3 or C) or hyaluronic acid and growth factors deep into the skin.
This technique, called mesotherapy (“meso” meaning middle in Greek), was first used by innovative anti-aging doctors, who began injecting active ingredients to rejuvenate and revitalize the skin.
High doses of active molecules delivered to the deepest layers of the dermis (places that beauty creams cannot reach) induce fibroblasts to produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. This leads, after only one or two sessions, to visibly renewed and radiant skin.
THE CHALLENGE OF NEEDLELESS MESOTHERAPY – DEEP PENETRATION
Collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid are the molecules that give the skin its elasticity and apparent youthfulness. However, with age or due to aggression by free radicals (excess sunlight, smoke, chemicals, pollution, etc.), they decrease both in quality and quantity leading to the development of wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots.
These molecules are produced by the fibroblasts which are located in the deepest layers of the skin, under the epidermis (which is located between 0.5 and 1.5mm down of the surface). Strong stimulation of fibroblasts is essential to any serious anti-aging therapy and that is why doctors use needles. Due to its protective function, the epidermis only lets a few molecules through. For example, only a very small amount of vitamins (less than 1%) penetrates with creams or masks and large molecules do not penetrate at all. On the other hand, hyaluronic acid is a large molecule, 4000 times larger than a vitamin and much larger than the pores of the skin. It is therefore impossible to infuse it, unless using a more sophisticated method.
THE THREE TYPES OF MEDICAL INJECTIONS
Botox: a small toxin that paralyzes muscle contractions to reduce expression lines. It must be injected deep into the muscles. Its effects last approximately 6 months.
Hyaluronic acid: aturally elastic molecule, injected in areas of depression, mainly the nasolabial fold and around the mouth. Its effects last between 6 and 12 months.
Mesotherapy: cocktails of vitamins and active substances injected over larger areas to produce a lasting change. Mesotherapy can also be used to dissolve fats, through a phenomenon of lipolysis.
The injections are very effective but they have all these disadvantages in common: they hurt, they must be given under strict medical conditions with specific injectable products that can have side effects such as inflammation and bruising. This is why, over the last few years, we have observed the emergence of a new class of devices that all have the same goal: that of momentarily weakening the skin’s natural barrier in order to allow the desired molecules to penetrate deeper and in greater quantities.
NEEDLELESS INJECTION TECHNIQUES
There are three fundamental techniques you should know of.
Ionophoresis: A low-voltage current that pushes molecules of opposite polarity, like a magnet through the skin. Iontophoresis allows only the administration of small ionic compounds (special molecules with an electrical charge).
Phonophoresis: the use of ultrasound to push molecules into the skin. This technique is considered more powerful than iontophoresis and does not require polarized molecules or cocktails. Ultrasound is like an invisible force that pushes molecules into the skin.
Electroporation(electromesotherapy): considered by many professionals to be the most powerful method of transdermal administration and known as needle-free mesotherapy. It is able to grow “macromolecules” in the skin, such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, proteins. It allows a large part of the active molecules to be infused into the skin. It is the only technology capable of offering an instant filling effect, comparable to injections with needles. The number of trans-dermal pathways available with electroporation is 500 times greater than with iontophoresis. This is why this technique is much more efficient, especially for large molecules. For small molecules such as vitamins, the penetration between the two techniques is similar and will depend on the degree of polarization of each molecule.
ELECTROPORATION WITH ACTIVE INGREDIENTS (ALSO KNOWN AS NEEDLE-FREE MESOTHERAPY)
Electroporation, derived from molecular biology, is a way of introducing substances into cells. This consists of using high intensity electrical impulses of very short duration (less than one millisecond) to increase membrane permeability by opening instantaneous micro-channels in the skin. This dramatically increases the cutaneous penetration of active substances such as skin nutrients, vitamins and growth factors and ultimately gives visible results, helping to reduce the signs of aging. It’s a double action :
- Hyaluronic acid or Botox-like neuropeptides have an immediate visible effect.
- The active ingredients administered to the fibroblasts continue, over a long period of time, to cause positive and corrective changes.
As nowadays, many combinations of active ingredients are available, its range of potential corrective treatments is very important since it can treat various problems such as aging, acne, pigmentation, rosacea, oily, dry, dull and sensitive skin, sagging skin, scars, blemishes, etc. In the most advanced anti-aging medi-spas, electroporation has become the indispensable last step in other techniques such as peeling, microdermabrasion, scrubs and facial massages.
WHAT TO EXPECT OF AN ELECTROPORATION SESSION?
The esthetician examines the client to identify the skin problems she wishes to treat and, based on the results of the analysis, establishes a treatment assessment. The session begins with a deep cleansing of the skin to remove impurities and make-up. This step is very important because it helps to obtain a better penetration afterwards. Microdermabrasion is recommended for most of the common problematic areas such as acne scars, smoker’s wrinkles around the mouth or for clients with advanced skin damage due to the sun. Once the skin is ready, the esthetician choose specially designed electrodes therapy cocktails. They are sometimes mixed to obtain a personalized effect and then applied to the skin. The needleless mesotherapy machine will produce gentle electrical impulses that each client will feel lightly and which are often associated with a pleasant tingling sensation. Most clients will be very relaxed during the procedure, which usually lasts 15 to 30 minutes. Clients will quickly feel the benefits and notice that their skin looks luminous and moisturized, with a reduction in wrinkles and blemishes. With a single treatment, most clients will feel their skin toned and tighter. Any session can be repeated twice a week. Results tend to improve with the number of sessions as the benefits of the skin infusion are cumulative.
The effectiveness of the mesotherapy treatment can be improved if the treatment is combined with an initial microdermabration treatment and if so would be the case we recommend that at least 10 days pass between the treatments, allowing new skin the time to grow.
SV