Carboxy, or carbon dioxide therapy, or the “miracle gas”, as it is often called, is a relatively new medical treatment that is fast gaining in popularity and credibility in the aesthetic industry.  It is used to treat a whole magnitude of complaints, including dark under eye circles, stretch marks, cellulite, thin, crepey skin, and thinning hair.

A carboxytherapy treatment consists of the injecting of small amounts of carbon dioxide gas into an area.  The carbon dioxide is a very safe and inert gas, and replaces the oxygen in the treated area.  This leads to a relative oxygen deficit, and your body responds by increasing blood flow which in turn leads to an increase in oxygenation and nutrients to the area.  The net result of these physiological changes is a flushing of the area and the stimulation of the synthesis of new tissue, including collagen and other cells.

Patients often complain of dark circles under their eyes as well as puffiness, commonly referred to as “raccoon eyes”. This phenomenon is mostly due to congestion of the capillary system of the lower eyelids. Congestion leads to accumulation of deoxygenated blood in vascular pools. These pools are visible through the thin skin of the eyelids a boggy bluish discolouration

The gas flushes the area, helping to remove any blood pigment that has leaked into the tissue.  The increase in oxygen and nutrients also help to improve the quality of the overlying skin by stimulating collagen production.  Endothelial cells, which line capillaries, are also stimulated, leading to stronger, more constricted blood vessels that are less likely to leak.

“The treatment is effective in about 80% of people that we treat,” says Dr. Chapman.  “Many people are unaware that there is a treatment that can make a difference, and our patients are usually thrilled with the improvement, especially as most of them thought that this was a problem for life.” Usually 4-8 treatments are needed at two weekly intervals.

There are few contraindications to carboxytherapy and it is a very safe procedure. Results improve with each subsequent treatment and a course of 6-12 sessions spaced one week apart is recommended.

Stretch marks are a reality in most women’s lives and lead to much embarrassment and covering up.  Carboxytherapy has been proven to be very effective at improving the appearance of stretch marks.  We tend to get our best results with newer stretch marks and stretch marks in darker skins and often combine carboxytherapy treatments with Fraxel laser for even better results.  At the recent World Aesthetic Congress in Monte Carlo, car boxytherapy was touted as the most successful treatment available for stretch marks.

Sun damaged, thin, and crepey skin will also benefit from carboxytherapy treatments.  Typical areas that are treated are faces, necks, and the décolleté area.  Results take a few months to become evident as new collagen fibers are synthesized, laid down, and start to reorganize.

Laserderm is currently running a trial of treating cellulite with carboxytherapy .  “ We are combining carboxytherapy with traditional cellulite treatments such as synergie , and getting great results, ” says Dr. Chapman. “Carboxytherapy is becoming one of few treatments in the world that really can improve the appearance of cellulite, and studies presented at the World Aesthetic Congress in Monte Carlo, support this.”