For many years mesotherapy has been interpreted as a valid therapy for all pathologies. Many doctors have learned mesotherapy passed down by word of mouth from one doctor to another. No one has ever examined the available data to define mesotherapy or delimit its advantages and limitations. This has also caused the suspension of mesotherapy in some countries for some aesthetic reasons. In other countries it has been interpreted as an ineffective technique.
The Italian Society of Mesotherapy created a scientific development plan to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of the mesotherapy technique. Clinical studies and reviews of available data have made it possible to understand the mechanism of action and areas of application. Over the decades, indications without scientific basis have been eliminated by the Italian Society of Mesotherapy and we have concentrated on pathologies with greater efficacy and safety.
Thanks to the scientific data, an international review process has begun to share the role of mesotherapy, its advantages, limitations and correct use in clinical practice with multidisciplinary experts from various countries around the world. Thirty recommendations were made that all experts approved and mesotherapy was redefined as a minimally invasive technique that consists of the introduction of small quantities of pharmaceutical substances with microdeposits into the superficial layer of the skin. Injected compounds diffuse slowly into underlying tissues and produce a drug-sparing effect compared to the parenteral route. Used correctly, this technique can be useful in some clinical indications.
Mesotherapy, known as intradermal therapy, has therefore become a technique used to inject a drug into the superficial layer of the skin which is now widespread throughout the world. Mesotherapy is successfully applied in the treatment of some forms of localized pain syndromes and other clinical conditions and can be suggested when a systemic drug-sparing effect is considered useful, when other therapies have failed (or cannot be used) and when mesotherapy can synergize with other pharmacological or non-pharmacological therapies. More studies are needed to understand the effectiveness of some compounds compared to others but if applied after a correct diagnosis and with the patient’s consent, mesotherapy is an effective therapeutic weapon. The Italian Society of Mesotherapy is now producing the first international guideline that will allow all countries to have an update and information to include mesotherapy in the care pathways of patients.