Mesotherapy - a panacea for hair? The opinion of trichologists. Part 2

Mesotherapy or mesoroller?

There is also an opinion that mesotherapy can be replaced by using a mesoscooter at home. A mesoscooter (or dermoroller) is a hand roller with small needles that pierces the skin while rolling over the scalp. As the advertisement promises, drugs penetrate into the resulting holes and are applied to the scalp and the device itself in advance, which increases the effectiveness of their use several times. In fact, this is not true. As soon as the mesoscooter pierces holes in the skin, they are immediately filled with blood, ichor and lymph, so the penetration of external drugs and, therefore, active components into them is minimized. Therefore, it will not be possible to replace mesotherapy with the use of a mesoscooter.

Advantages and disadvantages of mesoscooters –

We have already written about the benefits above, and as you can understand, mesoscooters really allow you to increase the amount of collagen in the skin and increase its elasticity. They are much cheaper than professional anti-aging procedures that use the principle of fractional effects on the skin, for example, fractional lasers (Fraxel) or fractional RF lifting.

On the Russian market, mesoscooters are positioned as an inexpensive alternative to professional mesotherapy or other salon rejuvenation procedures, intended for home use. Abroad, such mesoscooters are also used in salon procedures, and for each new procedure only a new mesoscooter is used. Firstly, no matter what kind of mesoscooters you buy, the needles still become dull and with each subsequent procedure they injure the tissue more and more, especially for mesoscooters with needles made of ordinary surgical steel.

Secondly, you cannot carry out 100% disinfection of a used mesoroller, even with the products that sellers of these products offer in the kit, so the risk of bacterial inflammation of the skin during repeated use remains. In addition, after treatment with disinfectants, steel tends to oxidize, which can lead to the development of contact dermatitis. At the same time, we draw your attention to the fact that it is best to buy only those mesoscooters that are supplied sterile (usually they come in sterile tubes).

The third disadvantage is that it is difficult to control the depth of immersion of the needles into the skin, because a lot depends on the force of pressure on the mesoscooter. The fourth disadvantage is that it is impossible to treat, for example, all areas of the face with one mesoscooter. For example, around the eyes, mouth, nose - it is necessary to use narrower drums (with fewer rows of needles) than for other surfaces. In addition, in the above areas, a needle length of 0.3-0.5 mm is needed, while for the remaining areas of the face and neck - usually 1.0 mm. Those. you need to buy several mesoscooters, or find a set with different attachments.

Well, and most importantly, this concerns the trauma of performing a procedure on the face, and which, of course, with regular procedures will lead to a gradual coarsening of the facial skin! The fact is that the mesoscooter drum rotates around an axis - therefore, the needles enter and exit the skin not strictly vertically, but at a slight angle. It turns out that when the drum moves, the needles seem to rip apart the tissue deep in the skin (in the shape of a triangle). In this case, the top of the triangle corresponds to a puncture of the skin on its surface, but the wider base is located in the deeper layers of the skin. You can see this point in the video, where the work of mesoscooters is compared with the work of the DermaPen fractional mesotherapy device.

Comparison of the mesoscooter and the Dermapen device –

The DermaPen device is an evolution of manual mesoscooters, and it, at its fairly low price, solves the problems that the use of mesoscooters has. The cost of the device starts from 6,500 rubles, and it can operate either from the mains or from batteries. The device is equipped with disposable sterile attachments (1 attachment for 1 procedure) with microneedles. When the device is operating, the nozzle makes reciprocating movements, and you choose the depth of immersion of the microneedles yourself using the regulator - from 0.5 to 2.5 mm.

Thus, only sterile attachments are used, the needles are new and sharp each time, the penetration of microneedles into the skin occurs strictly vertically, i.e. with minimal trauma. In addition, the same attachment can be used on all areas of the face - you will select the depth of immersion of the needles using the regulator. Well, the cost of 1 new nozzle is about 100 rubles, and you don’t have to spend money on disinfection solutions.

Compositions for mesotherapy: what is possible and what is not?

As mentioned earlier, the composition of the injection cocktail is selected individually based on the patient’s indications, objectives and wishes. And this should be a composition specifically for internal administration (certified and approved in our country), and not just a cosmetic drug. Today, there are many ready-made effective mesopreparations for the treatment of hair loss with a high-quality multicomponent composition. The most popular complexes:

• A cocktail of B vitamins - these vitamins are necessary for hair growth and health, normalization of metabolic processes and pigment formation;
• Zinc and copper peptide - block the action of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which causes degeneration of the hair follicle. Such formulations are especially recommended for androgenetic alopecia;
• Amino acids (arginine, lysine, leucine, threonine and others) are building materials for hair, promote the formation of keratin fibers;
• Hyaluronic acid – moisturizes the scalp;
• Growth factors – increase local blood circulation, strengthen hair shafts, stimulate the productivity of hair follicles, and provide nutrition to the roots;
• Coenzyme Q10 – improves blood microcirculation in the scalp, saturates cells with oxygen and improves hair quality;
• Dexpanthenol – soothes irritated skin.

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Contraindications to the use of dermaroller

There are the following contraindications to the use of a mesoscooter for the treatment of baldness:

• damage to the epidermis in the head area (wounds, scratches, burns);
• the presence of moles on the scalp (needles can seriously damage a benign neoplasm and lead to its malignant degeneration);
• pregnancy period;
• the presence of a malignant process in the body;
• diseases that lead to blood clotting disorders;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• severe heart pathologies;
• autoimmune diseases;
• acute infections;
• drug addiction and alcoholism.

How often should the procedure be done?

For mild hair loss and for its prevention, the course is 10 procedures with an interval of 7-10 days. In case of severe loss and pronounced AGA, the first 4-5 procedures should be performed at intervals of a week, then 4-5 procedures at intervals of 2 weeks, and then switch to a maintenance regimen once a month. 1-2 procedures will not have any effect even with minor hair problems. You may notice the first changes no earlier than the 4th procedure, and in order to consolidate the result, the course must be completed. What the course should be, and what other therapy besides meso is needed specifically in your situation - the doctor will tell you.

Precautions when using a dermaroller

When using scalproller regularly, the following precautions should be observed:

1. Do not visit a sauna, bathhouse or solarium immediately after mesotherapy.
2. Don't wear tight hats.
3. Before carrying out the procedure, wash your hands well, or better yet, treat them with an antiseptic.
4. Do not carry out the procedure more than once a week (at first you need to do the procedure no more than once every 10 days).

Despite its apparent simplicity, this procedure is still invasive, which means it requires increased caution. Before you decide to use this method, you should consult a cosmetologist. The specialist will determine the feasibility of this method and select the mesoscooter and the drug for it that is ideal for you.

How to care for hair after mesotherapy?

• It is recommended to wear a hat: in winter - to protect hair from hypothermia, in summer - from ultraviolet rays;
• For 1 hour after the procedure, you should not comb your hair; for 4 hours, do not touch the scalp with your hands;
• Any products can be applied to the scalp only after 12 hours;
• Wash your hair no earlier than every other day.
• The solarium, bathhouse, sauna, and swimming pool can also be visited after 1-2 days;
• Carry out active cosmetic procedures on the scalp - no earlier than a week later.

About the choice of serums for mesoscooters -

Any mesopreparations designed specifically for fractional mesotherapy are made only from low molecular weight components so that they can penetrate the skin.
Those. in fact, these products differ little in the composition of active ingredients from conventional cosmetics for rejuvenation. Low-molecular components are significantly inferior to high-molecular components (for example, high-molecular hyaluronic acid, DNA-RNA complexes) in terms of the strength of their rejuvenating effect on the skin. High molecular weight active substances can only be injected into the dermis. High molecular weight HA is able to saturate the dermis with moisture as much as possible and improve the condition of the skin. In addition, it remains in tissues longer (up to 3-4 weeks, if it is partially stabilized, i.e. “cross-linked”), and low molecular weight is destroyed in just about 24 hours. At the same time, low molecular weight HA is not particularly capable of retaining moisture in the dermis - due to too short chains of molecules, and basically it stimulates only angiogenesis and the healing of skin damage.

As for the most effective anti-aging components, they are all predominantly high-molecular (with the exception of some peptides). High molecular weight HA and DNA-RNA complexes are most often used in rejuvenation procedures. It is these products that are used in skin biorevitalization procedures, i.e. in injection mesotherapy. A good but short-term lifting effect can be provided by a component such as DMAE (dimethylethanolamine). Effective concentrations of this component are 2.5-3.0%, but again, at such concentrations, DMAE is present only in preparations for injection.

Considering all this, you should not count on a special anti-aging effect from serums for mesorollers based on low-molecular components, and therefore you should not buy too expensive drugs. But if you make a choice between drugs, then it is better to choose mesopreparations produced by professional companies specializing in this, and not random Russian temporary companies in this market who take on something only when they sense a demand. We will probably surprise you, but there are products much stronger than serums and meso-cocktails for use with mesoscooters, but to know about them, you need to study independent clinical studies.

What drugs work best in combination with mesoscooters?

There are many clinical studies that confirm that the maximum effect from mesoscooters is achieved when using either products with a stabilized L-form of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or with retinoids. Retinoids refer to various forms of vitamin A, of which there are a very large number. But we immediately warn you that it is pointless to use such forms of vitamin A as retinol acetate or retinol palmitate. The latter are practically not converted in the skin into the active form of vitamin A.

Active forms of vitamin A (in descending order of effectiveness) –

• retinoic acid (Tretinoin),
• 13 cis-retinoic acid (Isotretinoin),
• retinaldehyde,
• pure retinol.

The best option would be to use the indicated forms of vitamins A or C - at least 1 month before the first procedure of using the mesoscooter. Moreover, if you do procedures in the spring or summer, it is better to use products containing 10-15% pure stabilized L-ascorbic acid (this can be a cream or serum), and if in the fall or winter - creams with retinoids. These products should be used as a course, and not applied before the procedure. In the article above, we have already provided links to reviews of similar products on the Russian market.

Below I will give you an example of highly effective preparations with vitamin C and vitamin A (pure retinol), which I, as the author of the article, usually recommend to my patients. This is the American brand “SkinCeuticals”, which, unfortunately, does not have an affordable price. For example, the most budget serum “Serum 10”, containing 10% L-ascorbic acid, will cost about 6,500 rubles (for 30 ml). But these products really work on aging skin.

At the same time, if you use cosmetics with retinol and vitamin C at the stage of preparation for fractional mesotherapy (duration of at least a month), then directly during the procedure you can use a solution of the L-form of vitamin C, which is used for injection mesotherapy. For example, this could be the drug VitaLine® from Mesopharm, which contains 20% L-ascorbic acid (a 5 ml bottle costs only 200 rubles) or similar drugs from other companies.

Just keep in mind that the serum cannot be mixed with anything else, plus every 1-2 procedures it is better to use a new bottle, because the entry of air into it leads to the gradual inactivation of vitamin C. In addition, pharmacy versions of L-ascorbic acid will not suit you; here you need drugs that are produced specifically for mesotherapy.

What should be added to mesotherapy?

Mesotherapy is a truly effective procedure if the injection composition is chosen correctly. But it is important to remember the good old truth, which all trichologists adhere to: if the problem is serious and related to hair loss (and not just a desire to improve hair quality), then an integrated approach is necessary. It is necessary to determine the cause of the loss, if necessary, add vitamins and/or medications orally, adjust the diet, and use external remedies.

Mesotherapy is perfectly complemented by serums for external use based on peptides. Serums have similar properties: - improve local blood circulation; - block the enzyme 5-alpha reductase; — nourish the bulbs with useful substances; - peptides, being growth factors, stimulate the growth of new hair; — make the hair shafts strong, improve the quality and appearance of the hair. Thus, serums will maintain and enhance the effect of mesotherapy between procedures. If you have minor problems with your hair, you can try starting therapy simply with serums at home. And then, if necessary, add more expensive procedures, such as mesotherapy. And in any case, it never hurts to consult a doctor.

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Mesoscooter: reviews, before and after photos

Below you can see photos before and after using a mesoscooter to rejuvenate facial skin. As we can see, after a course of procedures, fine lines actually smooth out, the number of age spots decreases, and skin texture and color improve (Fig. 8-10). Remember that it is very important not to unnecessarily injure the skin when using mesoscooters with needles longer than 1.0 mm on the face, as well as applying excessive pressure to them during procedures. Mesoscooters with needles 1.5 mm long can only be used on the face (for example, in areas with atrophic scars after acne), and only if your skin is not too thin.

Reviews of mesoscooter for scars, stretch marks, acne –

In the photo below you can see photos of patients with atrophic scars after acne, taken before after 4 sessions of using the mesoscooter (Fig. 12). The photos are taken from the clinical study above and are therefore absolutely trustworthy. You can also achieve good results when correcting burn and post-traumatic scars, and chickenpox scars. In Fig. 13 you can see the condition of the burn scar after three procedures with a mesoscooter and 1 procedure with a Fraxel fractional laser.

Scars after chickenpox respond a little worse to treatment with a mesoscooter (than atrophic scars after acne), but nevertheless the result will also be noticeable. A mesoscooter with 2.0-2.5 mm needles also gives a visible result for stretch marks (Fig. 14). Thus, mesoscooters are especially effective when there is “minus tissue”, i.e. atrophic scars and stretch marks (striae). But the maximum effect for these pathologies can be obtained only by combining a mesoscooter with injection mesotherapy. In this case, at the first stage, injections of mesopreparations with nucleotides are made, at the second - drugs with matrikin peptides, and only at the third stage - 6-8 procedures are performed with a mesoscooter.

Mesoscooter for acne - on many websites selling mesorollers it is written that they also help reduce sebum production in patients with acne. Of course, there will be an effect from such therapy, but it will be much weaker than, for example, when using some other fractional techniques. The most effective way to reduce sebum production and reduce the thickness of the dead skin layer is a hardware technique in which fractional exposure to microneedles is combined with radiofrequency exposure - fractional RF therapy (RF means “radio frequency”).

This technique can also be used for skin lifting. Studies have shown that after such therapy, the amount of sebaceous gland secretion decreases in different patients from 40 to 80%. Another interesting effect is that the use of mesoscooters on the scalp leads to an increase in transfollicular absorption of melanin, i.e. transport of melanin into the hair follicle. For example, this may be useful for increasing the effectiveness of laser hair removal treatments in patients with blond hair.

Mesoscooter for hair: reviews

Patient reviews of the hair roller will be especially good if you simultaneously use the drug Minoxidil. This is due to the fact that in 90% of cases in men and in 50% of cases in women, hair loss is associated with male sex hormones (androgens) and is called “androgenetic alopecia.” Therefore, monotherapy with mesoscooters without parallel use of minoxidil will be significantly less effective in most patients. For many other causes of alopecia, a combination of a mesoscooter and the drug Perfectil will be effective.

Mono use of a mesoscooter can only improve blood circulation in the scalp, increase the penetration of mesotherapy products, strengthen hair follicles, prolong the anagen phase, and all this prevents telogen hair loss. But all this does not affect the very cause of the development of androgenetic alopecia. Therefore, almost 100% of the photographs (confirming the effectiveness of mesoscooters for alopecia) were taken from patients simultaneously using minoxidil, which is probably not entirely fair. Using the link above you can read an article on the use of mesotherapy in patients with alopecia.

If you have noticed, with androgenetic alopecia, hair in areas of the scalp that are especially sensitive to androgens gradually becomes thinner and lose color. If you use a dermaroller without minoxidil, you can still expect the following effects: reduction of hair loss, increase in hair thickness, prolongation of the anagen phase, restoration of hair color. This process will be more pronounced when special hair meso-cocktails with peptides, vitamins, and amino acids are used during procedures.

Mesoscooter for the body against cellulite: reviews

Patients are very fond of inexpensive home remedies, but below we will explain to you why a body roller for cellulite will not help you. Cellulite treatment takes place in 3 stages. At the first stage, it is necessary to restore venous outflow, lymphatic drainage, reduce intercellular edema, and this can only be done by injection (using drugs for lymphatic drainage vascular injection). Using these drugs with a mesoroller, rather than by injection, will not bring any effect.

At the second stage, you need to use drugs that activate lipolysis and inhibit lipogenesis (lipolytics). These drugs are injected only into the subcutaneous fat, for example, deoxycholate, L-carnitine, phosphatidylcholine, etc., and they absolutely cannot be used with mesoscooters.

The third stage is restoration of skin tone, skin lifting, strengthening of the dermal framework. At this stage, injections of mesopreparations with DMAE and organic silicon are usually used. And only at this stage can the mesoscooter have an additional effect in the form of lifting. But again, in this case it is better to use it in combination therapy, and not as a mono-procedure.

→ Mesotherapy for correction of fat deposits

What is a mesoscooter (dermoroller)

This is a plastic pen with a rotating shaft, to the base of which micro needles are attached. The device helps start the rejuvenation process, corrects skin defects and models problem areas of the body. The number and quality of needles varies depending on the model, size and cost of the device. Plastic, steel, silver, gold, titanium and platinum coatings are used.

The action of the mesoscooter is based on the principles of acupuncture. Stimulation of active points triggers the process of collagen production and regeneration of skin structure. But that’s not all, by rolling the mesoscooter over the skin you puncture it, thereby causing wounds, the body responds to any damage by quickly starting the recovery process.

When does the effect occur after using a mesoscooter?

The effect of using a dermoroller comes very quickly if it is used correctly and all rules are followed. In some cases, the effect is evident after the first procedure.

After several sessions, the body’s immunity and resistance to external negative factors increases, the skin on the neck and face becomes more elastic, blood circulation is normalized, fine wrinkles are smoothed out, facial contours are tightened and take on clearer outlines.

After 7 sessions, expression lines and deep wrinkles are smoothed out, the area of ​​acne is reduced, large pimples disappear, the depth of acne pits and other defects is reduced, pores are narrowed, and the oval of the face becomes more toned.

For women with acne, freckles and age spots, improvements occur after one course of procedures. It lasts eight weeks, with one session per week.