Could This Be Love TVSelecting Logical Tactics In Carboxytherapy – Use Your Carbon Footprint to Treat Your Crow’s Feet!
We’re nearly always told by the news media that we will need to all be attempting to decrease our production of buy carbon offsets or CO2 as it is considered to be a very destructive gas which is escalating the greenhouse impact of the planet & contributing to worldwide climate modify, however it would seem that there is a bonus application for this invisible gas that we all breathe out everyday – namely for skin rejuvenation and cellulite reduction.
Carboxytherapy, also referenced as carbon dioxide therapy or CDT is becoming more widely used inside United Kingdom aesthetic clinics and in this month’s feature report we aim to clarify this novel use for CO2.
Background & History
CO2 is, as its molecular name states, made up of 1 carbon atom (C) & two oxygen atoms (O), hence CO2. It is an invisible & odourless gas produced by all humans & animals during respiration or breathing & is conversely absorbed by plants and trees for use in a process called photosynthesis, which aids their growth & in turn generates more oxygen for us to breathe. CO2 is also produced by the burning of fossil fuels, such as in car exhaust fumes & in the production of electricity from coal fired power stations; as a result the issues concerning its over production & our so called ‘carbon footprints’, which have led plenty of sizeable producers to attempt and offset their carbon dioxide production via the planting of more forests.
Despite its often noted potential toxic effects in terms of being a greenhouse gas, it does have a large number of uses & applications within the food, oil and chemical industries, such as in carbonated drinks, raising agents for baking, fire extinguishers, industrial & medical lasers & dry cleaning solutions.
It also has properties which make it helpful to the medical community. 1 such property is its vasodilatory capacity, i.e. the capability to relax the muscles in blood vessels and enable them to dilate or expand. The dilation of blood vessels leads to a reduce in blood pressure plus a better flow of oxygen rich blood around the body.
The helpful effects of CO2 on wellness were first discovered in France in the 1930s when it was noted that bathing in the pools of carbon dioxide rich water at the Royat 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 brought on by blood circulation and fat accumulation issues in their arteries.
Subsequently the therapy was applied to patients with cellulite challenges, where circulation is known to be sluggish, and is now widely used for a number of other aesthetic indications in Europe, & North & South America.
How Does Carboxytherapy Work?
The human body is made up of numerous unique kinds of cells within our major organs and our skin. They all perform distinctive work, but all require energy to do so which they take in the form of the oxygen and then generate CO2 as a waste product.
Every time we breathe in oxygen to our lungs the oxygen is picked up by the red blood cells that are in the minimal blood vessels within our lungs. Each red blood cell can carry 4 oxygen molecules which it takes from the lungs to the heart by means of the blood vessels. As the heart beats it forces these blood cells into the arteries & on a journey around the body to where they’re needed. When they encounter an location with high levels of CO2, which has been developed by the challenging work or cellular metabolism of several specific cells, the red blood cells drop their oxygen molecules to ‘feed’ these cells and picks up the carbon dioxide that they have produced. They then carry the carbon dioxide back to the lungs & we exhale to get rid of it. We then breathe in more oxygen plus the entire process starts again.
Imperfections on our bodies such as dark under-eye circles, scarring and cellulite are thought to be caused, in part, by the poor circulation of blood to those fields, & thus a poor supply of oxygen. Carboxytherapy is stated to work just by tricking the body, as by injecting a minimal level of carbon dioxide gas into the location, it will expand the dispatch of oxygen laden red blood cells to the location to pick up the new ‘waste’ CO2 which the body will then organically eliminate by means of the lungs over time. By escalating the volume of oxygen getting to the region the cells will develop into more active & as a consequence speed up any healing or new cell production required to rejuvenate the location.
What Takes place In the course of Carboxytherapy Treatment?
The most normal aesthetic indications for treatment with carboxytherapy are for cellulite & localised fat reduction, stretch marks (striae), acne scars, skin laxity and wrinkle reduction. Treatments are typically performed on the face, neck, arms, abdomen & thighs.
Carboxytherapy, as performed in the aesthetic clinic setting, is similar in nature to the approach of mesotherapy, yet is used to infuse insignificant quantities of medical grade CO2 gas below the skin’s surface rather than modest quantities of a liquid formulation. It’s done making use of a series of nominal injections with a thin needle attached to a hose which delivers the gas in a controlled flow and dose via a specially designed machine. Dependent on the location treated, it could be attainable 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 CO2 is delivered deeper into the subcutaneous layer of the skin.
Treatment is generally mentioned to be fairly painless, while quite a few men and women will feel a slight pain, pressure or stinging sensation as the gas is delivered to the tissues, frequently defined as a ‘crackling’ sensation, dependent on the vicinity treated. A topical anaesthetic could 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 – five days, dependent on the region treated, and in the case of cellulite treatment a warm sensation in the region for up to 24 hours. Bathing or swimming ought to be avoided in the very first couple of hours after carboxytherapy treatment.
In the case of treating stretch marks, it is mentioned 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 demand to be treated once a week for two – 4 weeks, despite the fact that in many instances a single session is enough, depending on their severity. Older stretch marks will want 3 or four treatment sessions at 3 – 4 weekly intervals.
The outcomes for treating stretch marks and scarring are claimed to be permanent.
In the case of cellulite reduction, the introduction of the CO2 below the skin is combined with manual massage to help evenly distribute the gas & 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 or fat burning mechanism inside the body. The vasodilatory impact in the nominal blood vessels surrounding the fat cells increases the level of oxygen & blood flow to the region which eliminates the establish up of fluids & toxins between the cells causing lymphatic drainage, & also improves the elasticity of the deeper skin fields 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 related with cellulite.
Results are stated to be observed quickly, with an improved and smoother look to the skin. As the blood circulation improves and the organic fat burning continues, the location will become firmer over time with a reduced circumference, even though numerous treatment sessions & top-up maintenance sessions every six months will be needed.
Dependent on the vicinity being treated, purchasers should expect to pay something like £100 per session of carboxytherapy, with reduced fee packages available from most providers.
Clinical Information
Clinical data on the use of CO2 for aesthetic indications is at the moment quite limited, while there are a number of key studies emanating from Europe and South America which shed significant light on its efficacy in the treatment of fatty tissue.
In 2001, a study from the School of Siena in Italy looked into the treatment of localised fat deposits on the thighs, knees and/or abdomen in 48 ladies working with carbon dioxide therapy. The CO2 was administered subcutaneously twice weekly for three consecutive weeks, i.e. a total of 6 treatment sessions.
Results showed that on average the ladies lost 2cms of circumference from their thighs, 1cm from the knees & nearly 3cms from the abdomen. The skin in the treated areas also presented a thicker appearance than before treatment, with cellulite appearing smoother. Few side effects were observed; although of those noted, such as the presence of a crackling sensation under the skin (reported by all patients), pain at the injection site (reported by 70% of patients) & slight haematomas (reported by 30% of patients), all solved incredibly swiftly.
A later study from the same School published in 2004 viewed the effects of CO2 on skin irregularity & its use as a complement to liposuction. It evaluated the treatment of 42 patients treated for fatty tissue accumulations on the thighs & knees. The group of patients were divided into three groups, in one group only liposuction was performed, in the second carbon dioxide therapy was administered three weeks after liposuction was performed in twice weekly applications for ten consecutive weeks, & in the 3rd group CO2 therapy alone was administered, once again twice weekly for ten consecutive weeks.
The outcomes were then analysed by reporting on variations in circumference measurements & skin elasticity after 2 months. The authors noted that liposuction alone did not in the main have a positive adequate effect on skin irregularity and could in reality cause uneven locations, in spite of this the addition of CO2 therapy provided an improvement in skin smoothness & elasticity, meaning that in their opinion it offers a fantastic complement to liposuction procedures. CO2 therapy also showed positive outcomes in decreasing fat accumulation as the circumferential measurement results of those treated with liposuction & carbon dioxide were better than for those treated with liposuction alone.
A study from Brazil published in March 2008 viewed whether the intradermal and subcutaneous injection of carbon dioxide into the skin of rats would enhance the turnover of collagen.
Following biopsies it was noted that collagen turnover had indeed increased as compared to the control animals (which were injected with saline) & that the collagen formations were more pronounced in the fields where the gas was injected intradermally as compared to where it was injected subcutaneously.
The authors noted that the outcomes obtained corroborated clinical observations of aesthetic improvements in human facial skin injected with carbon offsetting although that future clinical studies were required to address the comparison between intradermal & subcutaneous injection procedures as well as the amount of gas to be used and the frequency of treatment sessions.
As this treatment becomes more popular in Britain, and maybe the USA, it’s hoped that more studies of this kind will be done on the a number of potential aesthetic indications for carboxytherapy.
Case Studies
Treatment with carboxytherapy is still incredibly new in the UK in terms of the number of practitioners offering the treatment & those suitably adept and trained to carry out the process. In general, as this treatment is more widely accepted in Europe & has origins in France, numerous of those physicians practicing in Great Britain are indeed French. Two such physicians, Dr Daniel Sister (drdsister.com) and Dr Cyrille Blum (drcyrilleblum.co.United Kingdom), each with clinics based in London, have kindly provided a lot of case studies to illustrate the wide range of treatment indications and results achievable with the aesthetic application of CO2 therapy.
Summary
In spite of the wide variety of indications which carboxytherapy is in a position to turn its hand to, it appears that almost all data collected & remedies performed are for the reduction in the look of cellulite & fatty tissue.
The market for cellulite & fat related body contouring remedies is one of the biggest growth locations inside the aesthetic arena. In truth a report from Medical Insight Inc, published just this August predicted that the international medical aesthetic sector, right now estimated to be worth $5.2billion, will see growth reach $8.9billion by 2012 due more often than not to the expansion in body shaping and skin tightening technologies. It predicts that body shaping will grow by 22.7% in annual supplier sales and skin tightening by 18.9%.
This is also corroborated at ground level by the large variety of body contouring treatment types & devices now obtainable on the market-place, providing everything from mechanical massage to heat induced lipolysis by way of lasers, ultrasound & radiofrequency, such as Endermologie®, Smartlipo®, Ultrashape®, Velasmooth®, Thermage® or Accent® to name however several. Add to that mesotherapy and carboxytherapy techniques plus the number of available treatment alternatives for flabby bums & tums which now bombard the consumer is quite mind boggling.
As experience with carboxytherapy evolves & more clinical information turns out to be obtainable you could ensure that we will be here to update you with the facts as they emerge.
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