What is hair mesotherapy?
Hair mesotherapy is a procedure in which superficial microinjections are applied into the scalp to deposit, at the depth where the follicle lives, a combination of substances prescribed by the physician for each case. The idea is simple: rather than a compound reaching the scalp diluted through the whole body, it is placed locally, in the area that is thinning. By bringing the active close to the follicle, the aim is to improve the environment in which hair grows —blood supply, nourishment of the bulb— while the follicle is still viable.
It is worth saying plainly: hair mesotherapy is a supportive treatment with evidence that still varies by substance and by type of loss, and it does not cure androgenetic alopecia nor bring back follicles that are already lost. A follicle that has fully miniaturised and disappeared does not return with any injection; what can be attempted is to preserve and strengthen the hair still present. That is why it pays off when it is part of a plan that begins with a diagnosis —knowing what kind of loss this is and how fast it is moving— and is sustained by the appropriate medical therapy.
Sold in isolation as a miracle, it disappoints: it is one of the most oversold promises in the hair industry. As one piece of a well-indicated plan, measured against a baseline study and honestly reviewed months later, it adds. The difference between the two stories is not the technique but the judgement with which it is prescribed.
Techniques used by Dr. Arístides Arellano
Hair mesotherapy is not prescribed blindly: here it is built into a complete hair pathway, where you measure first and treat afterward.
- Diagnosis before injecting. Hair loss is studied with HairMetrix hair analysis to tell androgenetic loss, effluvium, areata and systemic causes apart. Injecting without knowing what is being treated is the industry’s most common mistake.
- Microinjection with depth control. Applications are distributed evenly across the target zone at a superficial scalp depth; the molecule is defined by the physician in consultation, never by a web page.
- A session-based schedule. Treatment is planned as a spaced series of sessions with an objective review months later, not as a single application with a promised result.
- Part of a wider plan. Depending on the case, it is combined with supportive medical therapy or, where the area calls for it, with surgical options such as a hair transplant or ARTAS iX robot-assisted transplant. Dr. Arístides is a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.
How is it performed?
The session is done in the office and usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes, with no operating theatre and no admission. After cleaning the scalp, multiple superficial microinjections are distributed evenly across the area to be treated; a numbing cream may be applied beforehand for comfort, since the sensation is one of brief pricks. The combination of substances, their concentration and the depth of application are defined by the physician at the consultation —never by a web page— because they depend on your diagnosis. It needs no rest: you return to normal activity the same day, taking care not to wash your hair or expose it to strong sun or heat for the following hours. Mild tenderness, redness or small bruises at the injection points are common and settle on their own within a day or two. Treatment is planned as spaced sessions, and any effects, when they appear, are judged over several weeks or months —compared against the baseline study— rather than from one day to the next.
All surgery carries risk and requires a prior medical assessment. Results may vary according to each patient, their anatomy and their individual healing process.
Who is a good candidate?
The best candidate is someone with follicle worth preserving who understands that mesotherapy is support, not a cure. These profiles tend to benefit, always after an assessment:
- People with recent-onset shedding or diffuse thinning, in whom the follicle is still present although weakened and the aim is to slow and strengthen, not to rescue already-bald areas.
- Patients already on medical therapy for hair loss who want complementary support within a supervised plan, added to —not instead of— the underlying treatment.
- People with telogen effluvium or other processes where the aim is to accompany follicular recovery while the cause is corrected, after assessment.
- Anyone who accepts that this is a session-based supportive treatment with variable, measured results, and not a cure nor an alternative to a hair transplant when a graft is what is indicated.
Recommended aftercare treatments
After each session, care for the scalp with simple instructions: avoid washing, scratching or exposing it to strong sun and heat for the first hours, and resume your usual products when the physician says so. If the plan combines mesotherapy with a surgical hair procedure, the aftercare is more specific. See the full guide: Post-surgical recovery and care.
Before and after
Most patients want to see before-and-after photographs before deciding. Out of respect for each person’s privacy, Dr. Arístides Arellano shows real cases —always with documented consent— during your in-person consultation, where you can review results from patients with a starting point similar to yours. Results may vary from patient to patient.
Approximate price
A session starts at approximately $2,500 MXN, depending on the areas treated and how much product your case needs. Approximate price — the definitive cost is set at your private consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano.
About Dr. Arístides Arellano
Dr. Arístides Arellano is a plastic surgeon holding a specialty licence: he practises under a Mexican medical licence (D.G.P. 1125959) and a specialty licence in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (0002008), both issued by the Directorate General of Professions (DGP), which reissued his certificate of professional standing in 2025. His career began before Mexico’s present-day specialty-board system existed: he belongs to the founding generation of plastic surgery in Puebla, the second generation of a surgical tradition started in 1971 by Dr. Francisco Arellano Ocampo. Trust is verified, not promised: both licences are public and anyone can look them up in the DGP’s National Registry of Professionals.
Related patient guide
If you are weighing mesotherapy as a step before, or an alternative to, surgery, understanding how many follicles your case really needs will help you decide with data: read How many grafts do I need? A hair-transplant guide.
Trust is verified, not promised. All 210 scanned documents —degree, licences, diplomas, publications and certificates, from 1977 to 2025— are open in Dr. Arístides Arellano’s credential archive, alongside an explanation of the difference between a specialty licence and a board certification.
Recovery · step by step
- Same dayThe microinjection session is done in the office (20–30 min) and you return to normal activity. Redness and mild scalp tenderness may occur.
- First 24 hoursNo hair washing and no strong sun or heat. Small bruises or tenderness are expected and settle on their own.
- Days 2–3Washing and usual products are resumed as instructed. Local discomfort has usually gone.
- Course of sessionsThe schedule is delivered over several spaced sessions across weeks or months, according to the plan set at the consultation.
- Review months laterThe effect is judged objectively, ideally compared against the baseline hair study. If it does not help, the plan is adjusted; if it does, it continues.
Frequently asked questions
Does hair mesotherapy cure baldness?
No. Hair mesotherapy is a supportive treatment, not a cure. On its own it does not stop androgenetic alopecia or bring back follicles that are already lost. Its role is to accompany a plan that begins with a correct diagnosis and is sustained by the appropriate medical therapy.
Does hair mesotherapy hurt?
Discomfort is usually mild. These are superficial microinjections and a numbing cream can be used for comfort. Brief pricking, redness and occasionally small bruises are common and clear up on their own within a few days.
How many sessions do I need?
It depends on your case. Hair mesotherapy is planned as a series of spaced sessions, not a single application. The exact number is defined at the consultation based on the type of loss, the hair diagnosis and the response seen at follow-up reviews.
How soon are results visible?
Not overnight. When there is an effect, it is judged over several weeks or months, compared against the baseline study. No patient judges their own hair objectively in the mirror, which is why the review is done by measurement rather than impression.
Can I have mesotherapy instead of a transplant?
Not always. Mesotherapy and a transplant answer different situations. If the follicle is already lost, no injection brings it back and a graft may be what is indicated. Mesotherapy supports; it does not replace surgery when surgery is the right choice. The diagnosis decides.
Do I need a study before mesotherapy?
Yes, it is advisable. Injecting without knowing the type of loss is the most common mistake. A hair diagnosis distinguishes androgenetic alopecia, effluvium, areata and systemic causes, and some of these are treated in a completely different way from mesotherapy.
Can the injected substances be named?
No medication or dose is named on this site. The combination is prescribed, adjusted and supervised in consultation by the physician who signs it. A web page is not a place to prescribe, and the selection depends on your individual diagnosis.
Every case is different. Discuss yours in a personal consultation.
Book a consultation on WhatsAppEvery figure published on this site is approximate and is not a quote. Any procedure or treatment first requires a private assessment consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano —$800 MXN, charged separately— and it is at that consultation that the definitive cost of your case is determined.
Educational content; it does not replace a medical consultation. Results may vary from person to person.