Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Quick answer: Mesotherapy delivers active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamins and antioxidants directly into the upper skin layers. With a MesoGun such as the Vital Injector 2, a gentle vacuum lifts the skin and fine needles deposit the ingredients at an exact, even depth. Studies show that hyaluronic acid based mesotherapy can improve skin hydration, radiance and elasticity over a course of sessions. Mesotherapy improves skin quality; it does not add volume like fillers or relax muscles like Botox.
Important: this article is an informational overview of published research and Swiss regulations, not medical advice, and not a substitute for an individual assessment by a qualified professional. Individual results may vary. At CP Praxis in Basel and Bottmingen we perform cosmetic mesotherapy with the Vital Injector 2, within the cosmetic depth of up to 0.5 mm.
Mesotherapy is one of the oldest injection based skin treatments, and also one of the most varied. The word is used for very different things: manual injections with a syringe, automatic MesoGun devices, needle free devices, and many different cocktails of ingredients. That is why results, safety and prices differ so much from provider to provider.
In this guide, Magdalena Brügger, founder of CP Praxis in Basel and Bottmingen, explains what mesotherapy really is, how a MesoGun works, what independent research shows, how mesotherapy differs from fillers, Botox and microneedling, and what Swiss rules say about who may perform it.
The video is in German. You can find the key points and chapters in English on our mesotherapy video page.
Mesotherapy was developed in 1952 by the French physician Michel Pistor. The idea was simple: instead of applying an active ingredient to the surface of the skin, where most of it cannot penetrate, it is placed in small amounts directly where it is needed.
In aesthetics, mesotherapy today means the delivery of skin friendly active ingredients into the upper layers of the skin to improve hydration, glow and overall skin quality. In the past, medications were also used. In cosmetic practices in Switzerland, this is no longer the case; more on the rules below.
As Magdalena Brügger explains in the video: when the skin lacks moisture, is poorly supplied with blood or has lost substance, mesotherapy gives the skin back what it has lost, exactly where it is needed.
Your Skin Therapist selects the combination after assessing your skin, ideally with a LumiScan Pro skin analysis.
A MesoGun is a device that delivers the active ingredients automatically instead of injecting them one by one with a syringe by hand. At CP Praxis we work with the Vital Injector 2, an approved, patented MesoGun.
| Manual mesotherapy (syringe) | MesoGun (Vital Injector 2) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Each injection by hand | Automatic, several fine needles at once |
| Depth | Depends on the hand of the practitioner | Exactly set and identical at every point |
| Dose | Varies from point to point | Exactly the same at every point |
| Distribution | Often uneven | Even across the whole area |
| Comfort | More single punctures | Faster, vacuum makes it more comfortable |
Mesotherapy is a broad term, and the evidence depends strongly on what is injected. Here is what the studies say, in plain words.
In a randomised controlled study published in 2013, 55 women received hyaluronic acid based mesotherapy on one side of the face and saline on the other side, in three monthly sessions. The hyaluronic acid side showed significantly better skin elasticity at one and three months, a thicker dermis and a brighter complexion at three months.
A 2025 systematic review and meta analysis of local hyaluronic acid injections found significant improvements in skin hydration and radiance. It found no significant change in elasticity across all studies, which shows that results depend on the product and the protocol.
Not all mesotherapy works equally well. A small study from 2006, using a multivitamin and hyaluronic acid solution, found no significant clinical difference after four sessions. Critical reviews have pointed out that many cocktails are poorly studied. This is why we focus on ingredients with the best evidence and on precise, even delivery.
Mesotherapy is not a miracle treatment. It is a gentle, well tolerated way to improve skin hydration, glow and resilience over a course of sessions, especially with hyaluronic acid. Realistic expectations and the right protocol make the difference.
Important: results vary from person to person. Studies describe averages, and your skin, age and lifestyle influence how your skin responds.
Many people search for mesotherapy against dark circles. The honest answer: it depends on the cause. Dark circles can come from thin skin, dehydration, pigmentation, visible blood vessels or volume loss.
Your Skin Therapist assesses the cause first and tells you openly what mesotherapy can and cannot achieve.
This is one of the most common questions. The three treatments have completely different goals, and as Magdalena Brügger says: you can do all three.
| Mesotherapy | Filler | Botox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Skin quality: moisture, glow, resilience | Volume and contours | Relaxes facial muscles |
| What is used | Hyaluronic acid (non cross linked), peptides, vitamins, antioxidants | Cross linked hyaluronic acid that stays in the skin for months | Botulinum toxin, a prescription medicine |
| Who may perform it in Switzerland | Trained cosmeticians, within the cosmetic range | Doctors, or qualified nurses under medical supervision | Doctors only |
| Offered at CP Praxis | Yes | No | No |
Mesotherapy supports skin quality from within. Healthy, well hydrated skin is a good basis for every other treatment, whether it is done at a doctor’s practice or even surgically. Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, can make a filler more visible.
The treatments complement each other well. Your Skin Therapist can combine them in a personal plan.
Mesotherapy involves needles and active ingredients, so the rules are stricter than many people think. The health department of Basel-Stadt describes them clearly:
At CP Praxis we work exactly within these rules: cosmetic mesotherapy within the cosmetic depth of up to 0.5 mm, with non cross linked hyaluronic acid and skin care actives, performed by EFZ certified Skin Therapists.
Our advice: before any injection treatment, ask who performs it, which qualification that person has, how deep the needles go and which product is used. A serious practice will answer these questions openly.
Mesotherapy is a good choice if your skin:
Mesotherapy is generally not carried out, or only after consultation, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, with active skin infections or cold sores, with known allergies to the ingredients, with certain medications such as blood thinners, or with a tendency to keloid scars. Your Skin Therapist checks this with you before the first session.
As Magdalena Brügger says in the video: mesotherapy is not a one time treatment. The effect builds up over a course.
At CP Praxis, your Skin Therapist recommends the right number of sessions and the interval for your skin, followed by maintenance sessions to keep the result.
Most clients describe the treatment as a light pricking. Thanks to the vacuum of the Vital Injector 2, it is more comfortable than manual injections. For sensitive areas, a numbing cream can be applied beforehand.
Many clients notice fresher, more hydrated skin within days of the first sessions. The improvement in resilience and skin quality builds up over the course and is usually best visible a few weeks after the last session.
At CP Praxis, we focus on skin longevity: keeping the skin healthy and strong for as long as possible, instead of changing a face. Mesotherapy fits this approach perfectly. It gives the skin what it has lost, strengthens its quality from within and creates a healthy basis for every other treatment.
These photos show clients of CP Praxis before and after a treatment plan including mesotherapy with the Vital Injector 2, combined with individual home care and daily sun protection. They were taken with the clients' consent.
Results vary from person to person. The outcome depends on your skin, the number of sessions, home care and sun protection.| Treatment | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mesotherapy Eyes | 50 min | CHF 195 |
| Mesotherapy Face | 90 min | CHF 360 |
| Mesotherapy Face, Neck & Décolleté | 135 min | CHF 415 |
Every session includes a skin assessment and individually selected active ingredients. A short skincare consultation (15 minutes) is free. See all prices in our price list.
Mesotherapy is a treatment that delivers active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamins and antioxidants directly into the upper skin layers to improve hydration, glow and skin quality.
A MesoGun is a device that delivers active ingredients automatically, evenly and at a set depth, instead of by hand with a single syringe. CP Praxis works with the Vital Injector 2, which also uses a gentle vacuum.
Studies show that hyaluronic acid based mesotherapy can improve hydration, radiance and elasticity over a course of sessions. The evidence for vitamin cocktails alone is weaker. Results vary from person to person.
Mesotherapy works as a course of several sessions, followed by maintenance. Your Skin Therapist sets the right plan for your skin.
Most clients feel a light pricking. The vacuum of the Vital Injector 2 makes the treatment more comfortable, and a numbing cream can be applied for sensitive areas.
Small red dots or bumps can be visible for a few hours, and occasionally a small bruise appears. Most clients return to their daily routine the same or the next day.
It can help when dark circles are caused by thin, dry or tired skin. When the cause is pigmentation, visible vessels or volume loss, other treatments are needed. Your Skin Therapist assesses the cause first.
Mesotherapy improves skin quality with non cross linked hyaluronic acid and other actives. Fillers add volume with cross linked hyaluronic acid that stays in the skin for months and, in Switzerland, may only be used by doctors or qualified nurses under medical supervision.
Botox relaxes facial muscles and is a prescription medicine reserved for doctors. Mesotherapy does not affect the muscles; it improves the quality of the skin itself.
Microneedling creates mechanical micro channels to stimulate collagen. Mesotherapy delivers active ingredients into the skin. They are often confused, but they have different goals and can be combined.
Cosmeticians may perform cosmetic mesotherapy up to a depth of 0.5 mm with products that remain in the body for less than 30 days. Deeper, medical mesotherapy, long lasting fillers, PRP and Botox are reserved for doctors.
At CP Praxis, mesotherapy costs CHF 195 for the eyes, CHF 360 for the face and CHF 415 for face, neck and décolleté.
Last updated: October 2026
Magdalena Brügger founded CP Praxis in Bottmingen in 2008, after her Swiss training as a cosmetician HF with a specialisation in podology. Today CP Praxis has locations in Basel and Bottmingen and a team of more than 12 EFZ certified specialists. Her focus is skin health and skin longevity, with original devices and certified care brands.
Book your mesotherapy in Basel or Bottmingen, or learn more on our Mesotherapy in Basel and Bottmingen page. New to CP Praxis? Read what to expect at your first appointment.
Basel: Freie Strasse 103, +41 61 271 16 27
Bottmingen: Schlossgasse 24, +41 61 421 92 09