Safety and efficacy of mesotherapy in the treatment of melasma: A review article

Abstract

Background Mesotherapy is a popular novel therapeutic modality that is defined as intradermal or subcutaneous microinjection of pharmaceutical compounds. Although this novel treatment method is used commonly in aesthetic dermatology, there is little information about details of injections, efficacy, and side effects of mesotherapy in melasma. Aim In this review, we evaluated efficacy and safety of various types of mesotherapy in the treatment of melasma. Method We searched Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed for related articles with keywords “melasma” OR “chloasma” AND “mesotherapy” OR “injection.” Inclusion criteria were articles that evaluated intradermal injection of lightening drugs and published dates between January 2000 and September 2021. Exclusion criteria were articles in languages other than English or non‐human studies. Results Thirty‐three articles evaluated efficacy of mesotherapy in melasma, including 28 articles about tranexamic acid, 4 articles about vitamin C, 2 articles about glutathione, and 2 articles about triamcinolone. Conclusion Mesotherapy is a good alternative or adjunctive choice in patients who are refractory to first‐line therapy, patients with low compliance with everyday use of topical therapy, patients with contraindication to oral tranexamic acid therapy, or who wish short downtime and fast recovery period. Further studies with large sample sizes are required to determine ideal concentrations of mesotherapy substances and intervals between sessions and to evaluate the efficacy of different substances for mesotherapy as monotherapy compared to combination therapy and other treatment modalities for melasma.

Understanding Melasma-How Can Pharmacology and Cosmetology Procedures and Prevention Help to Achieve Optimal Treatment Results? A Narrative Review

“…Punctures were made to a depth of 1 mm, every 1 cm, using a 28-30 G needle. The frequency of relapses ranged from 0 to 100% in individual studies, but even in the case of relapses, the degree of skin pigmentation was lower than at the baseline [235].…”

Mechanisms of ultraviolet‐induced melasma formation: A review

“…In contrast, mesotherapy can achieve superior efficacy with a low-dose injection, which has resulted in the widespread acceptance of this strategy. 73 Although the emphasis of mesotherapy varies with drug components, it focuses more on repairing the skin barrier from the perspective of delivery. Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure and is employed in mesotherapy applications.…”

“…Owing to inefficient absorption, topical drugs fail to achieve good efficacy in melasma management. In contrast, mesotherapy can achieve superior efficacy with a low‐dose injection, which has resulted in the widespread acceptance of this strategy 73 . Although the emphasis of mesotherapy varies with drug components, it focuses more on repairing the skin barrier from the perspective of delivery.…”

Effects of mesotherapy introduction of compound glycyrrhizin injection on the treatment of moderate to severe acne

“…Mesotherapy uses the process of trauma and repair to achieve the purpose of treating many stubborn skin diseases 14 . At the same time, mesotherapy increases the absorption rate of drugs due to the proper destruction of the epidermis, so that drug therapy can achieve higher efficiency 15 …”