A recent article in Harpers Bazaar cited “VitaGlow” as one of the top 14 beauty trends of 2014. VitaGlow involves injecting vitamin directly into the dermis where they supposedly have a pronounced anti-aging effect. I was intrigued when I was contacted by the office of Dr. Klein a dermatologist who administers this procedure. I asked for an explanation of how it works and this is what I received.
Vitamin Injections: A One-Way Ticket to the Fountain of Youth?
In an effort to keep up with major advancements in technology, doctors and scientists have been practicing a fairly new method of injecting vitamins into the facial area. It’s commonly known as facial mesotherapy.
Facial mesotherapy is a process by which vitamins are injected below the patient’s epidermis in order to improve skin texture and tone. Put simply, it’s a natural treatment that helps improve your skin’s complexion.
Although the practice of vitamin injection has been around for over 50 years, more recently, these vitamin cocktails have become a more popular remedy for better, brighter skin, and even weight loss. Given the significant number of benefits people experience from vitamin injections, you can see why the technology has become popular among men and women looking for younger, healthier looking skin.
Injections typically consist of customized, multi-vitamin blend, consisting of low levels of vitamins A through E into specific points on the face, including your forehead, cheekbones, and outer corners of the lips. The results are fairly rapid, and after a series of four to six treatments on a weekly basis, your skin should look fresher and more radiant. You may also need three to four “touch-up” treatments approximately one year afterwards.
Lionel Bissoon, a NYC-based mesotherapist says, “When you deposit vitamins directly into the skin with a needle, you’re giving the tissues exactly what they need, where they need it.” Bissoon also said that neither oral nor topical vitamins can offer similar results. Dr. Lionel Bissoon, who is one of the pioneers of facial mesotheraphy, received his Doctorate of Osteopathy from Des Moines University.
To date, there aren’t many studies available that attempt to prove or disprove the benefits of vitamin injections. Although Bissoon believes that vitamin injections will give you healthier skin, other doctors would beg to differ. In a 2007 study performed by three dermatology surgeons (RG Phelps, D.J. Goldberg, and SP Amin), all three doctors concluded there were no significant changes to the skin after ten different patients were given multi-vitamin injections. The treatment was conducted at four monthly intervals, and patients underwent four sessions of mesotherapy. The patients also had pre- and post-treatment photographs and skin biopsies.
The answer to the question of whether or not facial mesotherapy is the new “fountain of youth” is something to ponder; however, it seems that the benefits outweigh the risks. Although vitamin mesotheraphy is yet to be FDA approved, the procedure is safe, as long as you hire a licensed physician to do the work.
Dr. Jeffrey Klein is a dermatologic surgeon practicing in San Juan Capistrano and Newport Beach in Orange County, California. Dr. Klein is listed a Diplomat for the American Board of Dermatology, the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
What do YOU think? Does Dr. Klein’s explanation of VitaGlow convince you that it’s a “one way ticket to the fountain of youth?” Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.