Carboxytherapy In Cloonoon

Carboxytherapy, also referred to as carbon dioxide therapy or CDT is becoming more widely used within UK aesthetic clinics. But how can a gas that we are regularly told by the news media we should all be trying to reduce our production of, because of global climate change, be applied medically for skin rejuvenation and cellulite reduction?
 
Carbon dioxide is, as its molecular name states, made up of one carbon atom (C) and two oxygen atoms (O), hence CO2. It is an invisible and odourless gas produced by all humans and animals during respiration or breathing and is conversely absorbed by plants and trees for use in a process called photosynthesis, which aids their growth and in turn produces more oxygen for us to breathe. CO2 is also produced by the burning of fossil fuels, such as in car exhaust fumes and in the production of electricity from coal fired power stations; hence the concerns regarding its over production and our so called ‘carbon footprints’, which have led many large producers to try and offset their carbon dioxide production via the planting of more forests.
 
Despite its often noted potential harmful effects in terms of being a greenhouse gas, it does have many uses and applications within the food, oil and chemical industries, such as in carbonated drinks, raising agents for baking, fire extinguishers, industrial and medical lasers and dry cleaning solutions.
 
It also has properties which make it useful to the medical community. One such property is its vasodilatory ability, i.e. the ability to relax the muscles in blood vessels and allow them to dilate or expand. The dilation of blood vessels leads to a decrease in blood pressure and a better flow of oxygen rich blood around the body.
 
The beneficial effects of carbon dioxide on health were first discovered in France in the 1930s when it was noted that bathing in the pools of carbon dioxide rich water at the Royal Spas helped to speed up wound healing.
 
Carboxytherapy, (the therapeutic and medical use of carbon dioxide), has now been used by the medical community in Europe for over 60 years, having been investigated in France in the 1950s by a group of cardiologists (heart specialists) who used the therapy to treat patients with various illnesses caused by blood circulation and fat accumulation problems in their arteries.
 
Subsequently the therapy was applied to patients with cellulite problems, where circulation is known to be sluggish, and is now widely used for a variety of other aesthetic indications in Europe, and North and South America.
 
If you are considering carboxytherapy the following information will give you a basic understanding of the procedure. It can't answer all your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient and the practitioner. Please ask a practitioner about anything you don't understand.

Your first discussion with a practitioner should clearly set out your expectations and what the practitioner thinks will happen to your skin as a result of carboxytherapy. A medical history should be taken, to ensure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have the treatment, and you would normally be asked to sign a consent form at this time which means that you have understood the potential benefits and risks associated with carboxytherapy.

Photographs may also be taken by the practitioner, as a “before and after” comparison at a later date.

Procedure
Carboxytherapy, as performed in the aesthetic clinic setting, is similar in nature to the technique of mesotherapy, but is used to infuse tiny quantities of medical grade carbon dioxide gas below the skin’s surface rather than tiny quantities of a liquid formulation. It is done using a series of small injections with a thin needle attached to a tube which delivers the gas in a controlled flow and dose via a specially designed machine. Depending on the area treated, it may be possible to see the gas as it travels within the surface layers of the skin as a minor protrusion. In the case of treating cellulite, the carbon dioxide is delivered deeper into the subcutaneous layer of the skin.
 
A topical anaesthetic can be applied to the skin if required for comfort.
 
Follow-Up Treatments
In the case of treating stretch marks, it is said that these respond better to treatment when they are most recent and still red in colour, rather than when older and of a more faded, silvery appearance. Newer striae will most likely require to be treated once a week for 2 – 4 weeks, although in some cases a single session is enough, depending on their severity. Older stretch marks will need 3 or 4 treatment sessions at 3 - 4 weekly intervals.
 
In the case of cellulite reduction, the introduction of the CO2 under the skin is combined with manual massage to help evenly distribute the gas and make it circulate within the tissues. When it comes into contact with the fat cells, it is claimed that it can literally kills them by stimulating a metabolic reaction of fat burning mechanism within the body. The vasodilatory effect in the small blood vessels surrounding the fat cells increases the amount of oxygen and blood flow to the area which eliminates the build up of fluids and toxins between the cells causing lymphatic drainage, and also improves the elasticity of the deeper skin areas by stimulating the production of new collagen, leading to a rejuvenation in the upper layers which reduces the tight, cottage cheese or orange peel look to the skin associated with cellulite.
 
Results are said to be seen immediately, with an improved and smoother look to the skin. As the blood circulation improves and the natural fat burning continues, the area becomes firmer over time with a reduced circumference, although multiple treatment sessions and top-up maintenance sessions every 6 months will be required.

Treatment is generally said to be fairly painless, although some people will feel a slight discomfort, pressure or stinging sensation as the gas is delivered to the tissues, sometimes described as a ‘crackling’ sensation, depending on the area treated. A topical anaesthetic can be applied to the skin if required.
 
Side effects include minor swelling, redness (caused by the vasodilation), bruising and pain at the injection sites lasting anywhere from 1 – 5 days, depending on the area treated, and in the case of cellulite treatment a warm sensation in the region for up to 24 hours.

The risk of any scarring is very rare with this procedure.

As long as you are generally healthy and don’t have any skin diseases or infections in the area treated, there are few medical reasons why patients should not undergo this treatment.

Although there is no evidence that this treatment is harmful for pregnant women, you would generally be advised to wait until after you have given birth before embarking upon a course of treatment.

Depending on the area being treated, you should expect to pay approximately £100 per session of carboxytherapy, with reduced fee packages available from most private clinic providers.

Treatment with carboxytherapy is still very new in the UK in terms of the number of practitioners offering the treatment and those suitably skilled and trained to carry out the procedure. In general, as this treatment is more popular in Europe and has origins in France, many of those doctors practicing in the UK are indeed French. Two such doctors, Dr Daniel Sister and Dr Cyrille Blum, both with clinics based in London, have kindly provided some case studies to illustrate the wide range of treatment indications and results achievable with the aesthetic application of carbon dioxide therapy.

Nasolabial folds and marionette lines on the face (before on the left, after on the right) treated with 12 sessions of carboxytherapy, twice a week for the first 3 weeks and then once weekly for 6 weeks.

Images © Copyright Dr Cyrille Blum, London, UK.

Stretch marks on the abdomen (before on the left, after on the right) treated with 4 sessions of carboxytherapy over 4 months.

Images © Copyright Dr Cyrille Blum, London, UK.

Stomach (before on the left, after on the right) treated with 10 sessions of carboxytherapy, twice per week for the first 2 weeks then once weekly for 6 weeks.

Images © Copyright Dr Cyrille Blum, London, UK.

Arm (before on the top left, close up on the skin in the top right and after below) treated with 5 sessions of carboxytherapy, once per week.

Images © Copyright Dr Daniel Sister, London, UK.

All before and after photographs featured are real patients, your results may differ.