Carboxytherapy
Carbon Dioxide Therapy or Carboxytherapy,”the miracle gas”, has been touted as the biggest beauty breakthrough since Botox. Worldwide, Carboxytherapy is rapidly becoming known as the leading skin rejuvenation treatment. It is a safe, minimally invasive clinically proven method to rejuvenate, restore, and recondition the skin. Carboxy treats loose skin (due to aging or post pregnancy) cellulite, resistant fat and stretch marks. This therapy involves injecting tiny amounts of Carbon dioxide (CO2) beneath the skin to break down fatty deposits and stimulate collagen production. The treatment has no downtime and a single session can take between fifteen minutes and an hour. In short, Carboxytherapy is a simple and safe procedure for beautiful, younger looking body.
What can Carboxytherapy do?
- Brightens and firms the eye contour area
- Diminishes cellulite and resistant fat deposits
- Tightens loose skin
- Fades stretch marks
- Improves venous insufficiency and varicose veins an spider veins
- Treats Scars
- Wound Care
How does Carboxytherapy work?
As one ages especially if there has been yo-yo dieting, subcutaneous capillaries become dormant, decreasing cells of oxygen; this combined with environmental stresses and other variables, inhibits the ability of cells to regenerate and function properly. By the age 30, oxygen levels in your skin drop by 25% and 50% by age 40. The body naturally gets its oxygen through basic breathing, but factors like pollution reduce the levels. The body will first utilize oxygen in the major organs and lastly go to the skin. When the skin doesn’t get enough oxygen it becomes more prone to aging, acne, redness, irritation, and age spots.
Carboxytherapy infuses CO 2 just beneath the skin’s surface; the body interprets this as an oxygen deficit and responds by increasing blood flow and growth factors such as VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) for example encourages production of new blood vessels. This provides a surge of oxygen and nutrients to the treated area and improves circulation, resulting in cell restoration. Increased oxygen concentration also improves the water retention or oedema in the area.
For a dermal effect which reduces fine lines, wrinkles and stretch marks, this increased blood flow stimulates collagen, which will soften fine wrinkles and decreases dark circles under the eye. Long term collagen is stimulated with more regular sheets of collagen laid down. A few months later dermal remodelling occurs with collagen contraction, leading to a tightening effect. Brow ptosis and saggy jowls and necks are improved. For fat reduction, the heated gas at high volume is introduced deep in to the fat which then breaks up the fat cell and stimulates new vessels and rejuvenation.
For cellulite reduction, a lymph drainage treatment increases the circulation to the area, thereby reducing the build-up of toxins which is a major cause of cellulite. When the gas is introduced into the dermis, it breaks down the superficial fat causing the cottage cheese effect and stimulates dermal collagen levels. This all leads to improved texture and appearance of the cellulite or orange peel appearance.
What areas & problems are treated with Carboxythereapy?
Typical problem areas treated:
On the Body Carboxytherapy improves resistant fatty deposits. Once introduced into the fatty deposits, the CO2 changes to Carbonic acid which dissolves the fat cell and releases fat. Increased lymphatic drainage to the area improves the metabolism and excretion of the released fat in problem areas such as:
- Love Handles
- Saddle bags
- Tummy Rolls
- Bra Bulges
- Inner Thighs
- Heavy Thighs
- Buttocks
- Batwing arms
- Double chins
- Lipomas
Additional difficult to treat problems improved by Carboxytherapy include:
- Stretch Marks due to new collagen stimulation and remodelling and contraction down the line
- Cellulite by improving circulation to the affected area dramatically
- Lax skin due to new collagen stimulation and remodelling and contraction down the line
- Wrinkled Décolleté due to new collagen formation
- Saggy bottom due to new collagen stimulation and remodelling and contraction down the line
- Saggy Knees due to new collagen stimulation and remodelling and contraction down the line Flabby ankles
- Hair loss or Alopecia by stimulating hair growth factors
- Acne by destroying the bacteria causing the acne P acnes
- Acne Scars if used as subcision which releases the acne scar from the subcutaneous tissue which tethers the acne scar and in addition stimulates new collagen formation.
- Improves Saggy Brown Elbows due to new collagen stimulation and remodelling and contraction down the line
- Lax skin on arms due to new collagen stimulation and remodelling and contraction down the line
- wound healing (as in diabetic ulcers ) is assisted by dramatically
- venous insufficiency is treated by improving circulation to the affected area resulting in varicose veins and spider veins being improved by shunting blood away from these problem areas
- Post liposuction by improving and reducing fatty irregularities
- Psoriasis by improving increased keratinisation
- Before a surgical procedure such as a surgical facelift to improve wound healing and tissue perfusion. This is especially significant in smokers who have poorly perfused tissues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carboxytherapy is commonly performed with other body shaping treatments for best results especially for resistant fat and cellulite. This combination is one of the most widely used and most effective methods of achieving a significant aesthetic improvement within 2 to 6 months when the effects of collagen stimulation, improved circulation and remodeling become evident. The popular Carboxytherapy also helps improve venous insufficiency which caused varicose and spider veins, an added benefit.
For cellulite and body sculpturing, Carboxytherapy can be safely combined with, so many offered treatments such as mesotherapy, IPL, and Laser. For patients with Stretch marks, Carboxytherapy therapy into the stretch marks stimulates collagen production which then remodels and shrinks the stretch mark to improve the appearance.
Post pregnancy, Carboxytherapy treatments to the affected area improves stretch marks, tightens skin and tummy rolls.
Post liposuction irregular adiposities which are a common phenomena, are evened out.
For hair loss treatments, Carboxytherapy is combined with mesotherapy with growth factors and peptides to stimulate hair growth.
After the procedure, there is no pain, just possibly a crackling sensation under the skin that lasts until the gas is excreted. The area should not be rubbed or immersed in water for about 4 hours. The only side effect is that bruising can occur if one hits a vessel with the needle. However, this only happens in around two percent of patients. Patients can return to work immediately after treatment, a truly walk in, walk out procedure.
Maintaining a good body isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon. Rather than waiting until their problems are bothersome again, patients must appreciate that maintenance goes a long way especially for cellulite and venous insufficiency. A follow up session every 6 to 8 months should maintain results. Carboxytherapy is a retro ageing treatment, but it does not arrest the ageing process; new cells will age naturally over time. At least one yearly cycle is recommended.
The discomfort has decreased because the gas is heated during the procedure and all unwanted air is drained, as an important additional safety precaution.
Because CO2 is non-embolic it is very safe if done with the correct protocols and pre treatment medical consultation with a doctor. Carbon dioxide is a natural by-product of the body and is not toxic even in elevated doses unless a pre existing medical condition exists
After a treatment the gas is totally reabsorbed within 5 minutes and the area treated returns to normal. Widely distributed in Europe and South America, Carboxytherapy has been used safely and effectively on 30 000 + patients with no complications against conditions as persistent and difficult to treat such as cellulite, psoriasis, diabetic ulcers, venous insufficiency and stretch marks.
Carboxytherapy has safely been used for many years and in thousands of patients in laparoscopic operations where large volumes of CO2 are used to insufflate the abdomen. The dosage utilized for aesthetic and therapeutic treatment is less 100cc/min and does not exceed more than 1,000cc of CO2.Carbon dioxide has also been used as an alternative contrast medium in peripheral angiography.
In normal physiology, our cells produce CO2 as a by-product of cellular respiration, the process of breaking down sugars or fats with oxygen.