Mesotherapy for skin rejuvenation: assessment of the subepidermal low-echogenic band by ultrasound evaluation with cross-sectional B-mode scanning

Abstract

Skin-targeted ultrasound is a noninvasive technique that has been extensively used to evaluate age-related dermal changes, and the presence of a subepidermal low-echogenic band (SLEB) has been related to chronic UVR exposure in several studies. Since SLEB echogenicity is photoage-related, the aim of this study was to evaluate, through ultrasound imaging, the effects on skin photoaging of mesotherapy, a treatment approach currently used in cosmetic dermatology for skin rejuvenation. Twenty women (mean age: 46.7 range 40-60 years) with physical signs of moderate photoaging on the dorsum of the hands were enrolled and treated with multiple microinjections of hyaluronic acid (HA) salts of biotechnological origin (1.000 Kd) every week for 4 weeks. In all subjects, ultrasound evaluation was performed at each visit and 1 week after the last treatment to evaluate SLEB echogenicity changes during treatment. At the end of study, a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase of SLEB echogenicity (with a mean increase of pixel numbers equal to 31.3%) was observed in 15 of 19 subjects who completed the study. Our preliminary study suggests that mesotherapy with HA may be an effective treatment for skin photoaging, as confirmed by ultrasound. Follow-up investigations on larger series of patients are necessary to further evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and duration of effect of this possible therapeutic approach to skin photoaging.

Mesoterapia: uma revisão bibliográfica

“…They showed that this could be an effective treatment for skin photoaging. 58 Brown, 2006, stressed that, to date, the effects of mesotherapy have not been scientifically evaluated. He pointed that there was no dosage standardization and no treatment protocol.…”

“…Park et al, 2008, could not demonstrate the effectiveness of mesotherapy on body contouring using computed tomography scans to measure the cross-sectional areas and thickness of fat injected with a specific solution. 57 Lacarrubba et al, 2008, conducted a preliminary study to evaluate mesotherapy for skin rejuvenation and assessed the subepidermal low-echogenic band through ultrasound with cross-sectional B-mode scanning after multiple intradermal microinjections of hyaluronic acid salts weekly for four weeks. They showed that this could be an effective treatment for skin photoaging.…”

Clinical Assessment of a Mesotherapy Formulation for Skin Rejuvenation in Healthy Volunteers

“…Laccaruba showed that topical HA is a very interesting treatment of human skin atrophy [37]. So, UV irradiation not only decreases the content of HA, but also the expression of CD44 receptors in mice [38] [39]. In 2015, Crisan et al [17] highlighted that vitamin C improves skin structure and reconstitutes the loss of interstitial collagen by using High Frequency Ultrasound.…”

Skin Imaging in Aesthetic Medicine

“…In aesthetic medicine, skin-targeted ultrasound represents a noninvasive means of imaging pores, surface irregularities, and age-related dermal changes [13]. Features associated with photoaging, such as a subepidermal low-echogenic band, can be monitored before and after aesthetic medical procedures to determine their efficacy.…”