Pangaea Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine
interventional natural medicine for rapid, lasting health
Pangaea Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine
#120 - 12011 Second Ave
Richmond, BC
V7E 3L6
(604) 275 - 0163
(604) 677 - 5910 (fax)
The ideas and content within this web-site are solely those of the Pangaea Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine. They do not represent the opinions of any professional organization. This information is not a substitute for individual naturopathic medical advice: any liability is disclaimed from misuse directly or indirectly of this information.
Articles for your browsing. These are past newsletters emailed to our patients and also responses for requests for information. If you have a specific topic you'd like a comment on, please email us.
Mesotherapy treatments are spaced-out every one to two weeks depending on the individual. The number of treatments depend on the size of the individual being treated, the number of body areas needing to be treated, and the chronicity of the problem.
Generally, results can be seen in most patients after 2-3 treatments. The mesotherapy medications almost always work at reducing fat, but if a patient has too much fat in one particular area, it will be too slow and not a cost-effective way to get results. During a complimentary assessment (scroll down to fill out the form for an appointment, or call and ask for a mesotherapy screening), Dr Chan can determine whether or not you will be a good candidate for this therapy.
The medications used are all natural, with the exception of local anesthetic. One of the main medications is phosphatidyl choline solubilized in deoxycholic acid, which is a derivative of soy lecithin. This ingredient is commonly used by both Dr Chan and Dr Ward in the treatment of fatty plaques in the arteries; except that it's given intravenously in that case. Similar mechanisms exist in both therapies, although the location of the fat is different. Another ingredient is L-carnitine, which is used to transport fat into and out of the cell for energy production purposes. Many have taken L-carnitine as a supplement orally in order to try and lose weight; it is much more effective when injected into the site of the problem.
Generally there is some minor soreness after the procedure, which may last for 1-5 days. Although it's unusual to have soreness that persists longer than this, it does occur occasionally. Bruising is common, and although unsightly, it leaves no lasting effects. Allergy is rare, but those who have a known allergy to soy should not be treated. Extremely rare, though serious, incidences of infection have been reported in France; the risk is minimized with the usual aseptic technique taken whenever the skin is punctured (eg for a blood draw).
Usually the area treated will become warm and then over the course of a few days, soft, tender, and somewhat edematous (more fluid than usual). Once the fluid is reabsorbed, the effectiveness of the treatment can be assessed. Dr Chan suggests that the patient takes photos before the treatment for comparison purposes, as it is often difficult to reproduce measurements taken over the waist, hips, etc. Most patients are satisfied with the results after 6-8 treatments, though they typically see results after 2-3 treatments.
Costs
The cost of each mesotherapy treatment (1-2 areas, depending on the size) is $180. This is often enough for treatment of one of the following:
- two love handles
- lower abdomen
- upper abdomen
- one to two lateral thigh
Prepayment of 10 sessions will allow for a 20% discount for a total of $1500.
Set up a complimentary mesotherapy screening (mesotherapy is only done two days a month)
Please fill out the form below and click submit.
Mesotherapy is a researched medical technique that uses a combination of natural medications to shrink fat cells. Very small needles, thinner than most acupuncture needles, are used to inject the medications into the areas of fat. Roughly one tenth to two tenths of a mL of the medication are injected per square 1-2 cm. The effect of the medications is to have a localized fat loss. Thus, the people who respond most readily are those patients that have localized fat such as the love handles, or cellulite over the thigh. This is not a treatment for obesity, but rather it is a technique used to deliver natural medicines to help with body sculpting and localized fat loss.
