Carboxytherapy for Body

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) therapy, also known as carboxytherapy, is the subcutaneous administration of medical CO₂ for therapeutic purposes. The technique originated in France in 1932. The treatment was carried out through the skin by heated carbonated water baths or the application of water-saturated CO₂ directly to patients’ skin. The technique was used for arteriopathy and ulcer treatments. Today CO₂ is infused directly into the subcutaneous tissue, which ensures faster and better results. At Aesthetica Skin Centre, Carboxytherapy is successfully used for skin tightening, especially after weight loss. Also, succeeding studies described the effectiveness of carboxytherapy treatment and demonstrated measurable reductions in the treated area’s circumference regions and showed evidence of its lipolytic effects. These studies further found an increase in collagen remodelling. The controlled infusion of CO₂ increases circulation, which therefore treats cellulite especially, the buttocks and thighs. In particular, carboxytherapy is used to treat dark under-eye circles, stretch-marks, scars, cellulite reduction, and non-surgical fat sculpting on the face and the body.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Carboxytherapy can be used to treat the eyes, face, neck, arms, stomach, buttocks, and legs.

In addition to increasing oxygenated blood-flow to the region injected, carboxytherapy also increases collagen formation in the skin, giving it a more youthful appearance.

One major cause of dark under-eye circles is vascular pooling. The capillary network of the lower eyelids can become congested for a variety of reasons. Typically, the tears drain from the eyelids into the nose. Still, if there is some obstruction due to chronic nasal congestion from seasonal allergies, previous nasal fracture, or a deviated septum, the drainage doesn’t function well, and the blood flow to the lower eyelids becomes sluggish, giving rise to the boggy blue tinge known casually as “allergic shiners.” The lack of appropriate oxygenation to the lower eyelid skin allows the bluish cast to show through the thin skin of the eyelids. Carboxytherapy works to improve the lower eyelids’ capillary network and increase the dermal collagen layer in the softer eyelid skin. By injecting a small amount of carbon dioxide gas into the affected areas, blood flow increases and improves capillary networks giving a circulatory benefit. As a result, the bluish cast is replaced with a healthy pink tone. Once a series of treatments is completed, the skin has a more luminous appearance that lasts approximately six months.

Stretchmarks (striae distensae) occur when the skin is stretched to the point where the dermal collagen ruptures. Carboxytherapy causes new collagen formation and subsequently thickens the skin to improve the stretch-marks’ appearance by rebuilding the collagen matrix.

When injected via a specific technique, carbon dioxide gas is directly toxic to fat cells. The fat cells literally burst and are eliminated by the body.

There is a tank of carbon dioxide gas that is connected by plastic tubing to a flow-regulator. The flow-regulator slows down the speed of the gas according to the rate selected by the aesthetic professional. The gas emerges from the flow-regulator into sterile tubing with a filter connected at the exit to remove any trace impurities before the gas is run through a tiny needle attached to the opposite side of the filter. The pure gas is now ready to be injected beneath the skin via a small needle.

Because of differences in the techniques used to treat the eyelids, stretch-marks, scars, and fat deposits, the sensation is slightly different depending upon what is actually being treated. When treating the eyelids, the lower eyelids will feel puffy, but that will subside once the gas is absorbed over the next five to ten minutes. The treatment of scars is relatively painless because this skin doesn’t have the same ability to sense pain. Some burning pressure from the gas may be felt for a few seconds when stretch-marks are treated, and they can feel a bit itchy, but again this subsides in about five minutes once the gas is absorbed by the body. Scars generally feel no pain because there are no nerves in scar tissue. The treatment of cellulite and fatty deposits on the arms, abdomen, and legs has a burning sensation that also subsides within a few seconds. This is because a more considerable amount of the gas is injected directly into the offending fat deposits and expands under the skin. While the gas is expanding, you may feel some pressure in the area being treated that feels similar to when the arm is squeezed by a blood pressure cuff. The treated areas will feel warm and tingly for up to 24 hours after the treatment as the circulation to the site is improved.

This depends upon the severity of the problem being treated. Usually, six to twelve treatments spaced one week apart yields an excellent result. However, we do recommend that carboxytherapy remain a monthly beauty routine.

The only real possible side effect of carboxytherapy is the potential for a bruise at the injection site. Usually, the eyelids can be treated without leaving any marks, making it a truly “no-downtime” procedure. Bruising is very common when treating the arms and legs, so carboxytherapy might not be a good idea if you plan on wearing a bikini the following week.

There are no known risks associated with carboxytherapy. Carbon dioxide injections have been safely used for years to facilitate endoscopic surgeries of the abdomen. Carbon dioxide is also injected directly into the bloodstream by invasive cardiologists for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

The average carboxytherapy treatment takes approximately fifteen to thirty minutes to complete.

References:

Nach, R., Zandifar, H., Gupta, R., Hamilton, J.S. (2010). Subcutaneous carboxytherapy injection for aesthetic improvement of scars. Head and Neck Institute, 89,(2), 64-66. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/014556131008900204

Georgia, S.K., Lee, K. (2016). Quality survey on efficacy of carboxytherapy for localised lipolysis. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 15, 484-492. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jocd.12242

Pianez et al. (2015). Effectiveness of carboxytherapy in the treatment of cellulite in healthy women: A pilot study. Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 9, 183-190. https://www.dovepress.com/effectiveness-of-carboxytherapy-in-the-treatment-of-cellulite-in-healt-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-CCID

Collections: Body Procedures, Slimming

Category: Cellulite, Collagen Boosting, Skin Firming, Skin Tightening Procedure, Slimming

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Carboxytherapy for Body

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