Carboxytherapy

Carboxytherapy - Who does it?

Plastic Surgeon Cosmetic Doctor
Cosmetic Dermatologist Cosmetic Nurse

AKA Carbon Dioxide Therapy, CO2 Injections

What is Carboxytherapy?
First popularised in Brazil, carboxytherapy claims to be the ultimate non-invasive cure-all cosmetic treatment. It can be used to treat fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, scars, stretch marks and even cellulite, so it's no wonder the procedure has received a lot of press since hitting UK shores.

The theory is that injections of carbon dioxide under the skin increase blood flow and speed up the body's natural healing process.

Who's suitable for Carboxytherapy?
As you can see from the long list of indications above, almost anyone could be a candidate for this treatment.

It's commonly used to counter the effects of ageing, but as stretch marks, cellulite and dark circles can strike at any age, it's not restricted to the older market.

As this is a non-surgical procedure, there are very few contraindications - so long as you are fit and healthy and don't have any active skin disease, you're likely to be accepted for treatment.

If you are seeking treatment for stretch marks, it is usually advisable to have these treated when they are new and still red in colour, as they don't respond so well when they have faded.

What's the Carboxytherapy treatment like?
Tiny quantities of carbon dioxide gas are injected just underneath the surface of the skin in a series of micro-injections on the area that needs treating.

The tiny needle that is used is hooked up to a machine that releases a controlled amount of CO2 to ensure that neither too much nor too little is delivered.

For cellulite treatment the injections need to go deeper, into what is known as the ‘subcutaneous' layer of the skin, where the fat cells are found, and this is often combined with massage to the affected area, to help distribute the gas evenly among the tissues.

What happens after Carboxytherapy?
There is no downtime associated with carboxytherapy, so you won't need to book a week off work, although the treatment area might be a bit red and puffy for a couple of hours afterwards, so you might not want to go straight back to the office.

Generally you should see an improvement after the first treatment, but a course of four to six treatments, spaced about one week apart, is usually recommended for optimum results.

Will I have a scar after Carboxytherapy?
The risk of scarring is extremely rare from carboxytherapy - worst case scenario is usually a bit of bruising at the site of injection, which should disappear after a few days.