Stretchmarks are characterized by wide linear bands of discolored or wrinkled skin that occurs in areas of collagen damage due to stretching. Stretchmarks are usually found on the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and breasts.
Women develop stretchmarks more commonly than men, and they are seen in 90% of pregnant women due to a combination of hormonal factors along with increased stress on the collagen and elastin in the skin.
Stretchmarks are thought to be a result of collagen rupture and breakdown during stretching of the skin, until recently, few treatments actually targeted the root cause of the stretchmark formation, the damaged collagen in the dermal layer. Furthermore, laser and light modalities are not safe for individuals with darker skin tones. Carboxytherapy is the only treatment available for both old and new stretchmarks that visibly repairs the broken collagen and is safe for all skintypes.
Carboxytherapy causes the formation of new collagen and subsequently thickens the skin to improve the appearance of the stretchmarks by rebuilding the collagen matrix.
Carboxytherapy takes advantage of a physiological principle known as oxygen off-loading. With every breath, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants absorb the carbon dioxide that we exhale and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. There are many types of cells that make up the human body—heart cells, brain cells, skin cells… even though they may have very different jobs to perform, all cells take up the oxygen that we breathe in and burn it to make energy to do their job, then give off carbon dioxide as a waste product. With each inhalation we breathe in oxygen to our lungs. This oxygen is picked up by the red blood cells in the tiny blood vessels of the lungs. Each red blood cell has holding space for precisely four molecules of oxygen. The oxygen-laden red blood cells are carried from the lungs via tiny blood vessels that lead to the heart. When the red blood cells encounter an area that has a high level of carbon dioxide, the waste product of cellular metabolism, the red blood cells become distorted, the oxygen is released to the needy tissues and the carbon dioxide is picked up by the now empty red blood cells. The carbon dioxide is carried back to the lungs, we exhale to get rid of the carbon dioxide, we inhale more oxygen, and the entire process begins again. Dark under-eye circles, cellulite, and scars are believed to caused, at least in part, due to poor blood-flow to the region. By injecting a small amount of carbon dioxide gas into the area, we are “tricking” the body into increasing the oxygen flow to the area by compelling the red blood cells to pick up all of the excess CO2 that we injected so that it can be carried back to the lungs for elimination from the body with the next exhalation. .
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 during vacation.
There are no known risks associated with carboxytherapy. Carbon dioxide injection has been safely used for years to facilitate endoscopic surgeries of the abdomen. Carbon dioxide is also being injected directly into the bloodstream by invasive cardiologists for certain diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. .
