Ever heard of Mesotox? I have to admit it was a new term to me, until I tried the Mesotox treatment facial devised by renowned facialist Vaishaly, who is famed for her skin perfecting treatments and healing hands (more on this later).
The treatment draws on a combination of two injectable therapies – Botox, the muscle-freezing, skin-smoothing toxin, and Mesotherapy, the glow boosting treatment which involves injections of hyaluronic acid, vitamins and amino acids into the skin's upper layers. Yet in contrast, the Mesotox treatment is needle-free – so I was intrigued.
My previous relationship with injectable treatments – such as Botox – has been mixed, from loving the upsides of a smoother forehead and zero frown lines, to not loving the often painful needle application and the occasional downside of my brows drooping. As a fan of non-invasive treatments, with great options including LED light therapy, laser and radiofrequency treatments such as Emface all giving visible and long lasting skin results, this injectable-free option sounded appealing – and I was all in for trying this new hybrid.
The Mesotox treatment is available on its own (30 minutes) or as part of Vaishaly's Signature Facial (90 minutes), which I would recommend for the full experience. This includes a deep cleanse, her magic lymphatic massage techniques and her unique cranial sacral therapy work, in which she is trained.
For me, this was a deep and intense experience before we even got to the main show of the Mesotox. I arrived somewhat shattered and stressed out amidst planning a big event, so I quickly melted into her couch in a deep state of relaxation as she started the massage. And as she moved on to the cranial sacral therapy (which stimulates the release of tension and energy in the body), I had an almost out of body experience. As I drifted off, I felt as if I was hovering above my body looking back down on myself. Not an uncommon sensation, apparently, with energy release work – but one that was unusual to me and also truly memorable!
With the massage complete, next up was the Mesotox – and after assessing my skin's state and needs, Vaishaly mixed up a bespoke blend of Botox, hyaluronic acid and vitamins to target fine lines, dehydration, skin texture and appearance. She worked over my face, applying the bespoke blend topically with a small vial that gently pricks the surface of the skin to aid the absorption. The sensation is on par with microneedling.
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As it was my first experience, I wanted to understand the effects of applying Botox topically on skin – and asked Vaishaly to explain. "I only use a tiny amount of Botox to treat the skin surface, as I'm not injecting it into a very strong muscle to stop contraction. It has a tightening effect on the skin so smooths pores, lines and wrinkles. It also stops facial sweating and can improve the appearance of scars," she tells me. “I recommend the treatment for general maintenance to keep the skin healthy, firm and glowing, but also it is fantastic as a one-off treatment for a special event or pre-party and it suits all skin types and ages.”
Ten or so minutes later, she passed me the mirror to see the results for myself. I could see the instant tightening effect on skin – the treatment had smoothed and refined the appearance of my skin texture, making pores appear less visible while also radiating a healthy glow. There was initially a little redness from the pin pricks, but this went down over the next hour or so, while the smoothness and glow remained throughout my big event and the week following.
The marker of a good facial for me is falling asleep and waking with visible results, and I would say the Signature Facial with the addition of the Mesotox Treatment ticked each of these boxes and beyond. It's less techy than some non-invasive options available, but the results for me were certainly on a level with LED light therapy, where skin appears refined and even toned. I'd say it's a great skin boost for before an event or when you want your skin to really shine.
The Mesotox Treatment starts from £345 at The Vaishaly Clinic, so it is a skin investment, but if you prefer an needle-free alternative to Botox it's on par price-wise. For best results, Vaishaly recommends two treatments, two weeks apart – repeated every three months for continued results.
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