Carboxytherapy is an aesthetic medicine treatment that treats the appearance of stretch marks on areas such as the abdomen, hips, buttocks or breasts. Carboxytherapy reduces the presence of stretch marks through injections of carbon dioxide gas, the action of CO2 restoring suppleness and elasticity to the skin.
This procedure is indicated for women and men bothered by the presence of these skin imperfections, which may appear spontaneously or following significant and rapid weight loss, pregnancy, a hormonal imbalance, or corticosteroid treatment.
Note: This treatment is no longer performed at our practice. Depending on the indication, it has been replaced by combined peel sessions, laser, LaseMD Ultra, radiofrequency, or Keybody-Skin. These treatments generally offer more significant results than carboxytherapy.
1. Causes of stretch marks
Stretch marks are skin imperfections that appear in the form of streaks, tears or scars of the skin. Stretch marks can be more or less long, numerous and wide depending on the individual. They are generally red or purplish at first, but gradually become pearly and deeper over time.
The parts of the body most often affected by stretch marks are the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, hips or breasts.
The main causes behind the appearance of stretch marks are related to the action of mechanical tension, which weakens the skin, and to hormonal changes. Stretch marks are most often observed during periods of skin stretching. The people most affected are therefore women or men who have experienced a rapid change in weight, women who have gone through pregnancy, or teenagers.
The appearance of stretch marks is explained by the inability of fibroblast cells to produce the amounts of collagen and elastin needed for good-quality skin when the body changes, for example, during rapid weight gain or during hormonal changes such as adolescence, pregnancy, or corticosteroid treatment. This results in a "break" in the skin's elasticity, which becomes thinner in the area corresponding to the stretch mark.
2. Principle of carboxytherapy for treating stretch marks
A carboxytherapy session is an aesthetic medicine technique that involves injecting under the skin, using a very fine needle, sterile medical carbon dioxide gas.
Carboxytherapy has been used since the 1930s to treat conditions of vascular origin (healing of leg ulcers…) and, for about ten years, in aesthetic skin medicine treatments.
The injection of carbon dioxide improves microvascularization of the treated area, thereby promoting healing and tissue renewal. The increase in blood flow is due to the dilation of vessels following the CO2 injection and to the stimulation of their development (angiogenesis). Increased oxygenation of the treated tissues improves the skin's hydration as well as the production of collagen, elastic fibers and melanocyte cells (which give skin its color).
Regaining suppleness and elasticity, the skin shows fewer of the characteristics responsible for the appearance of stretch marks. They do not disappear completely, but are reduced and therefore less visible.
A carboxytherapy session is a treatment indicated for stretch marks, as it reduces the pink or pearly areas and re-tensions the areas of stretch marks that have a crinkled appearance. While stretch marks do not disappear completely after treatment, the appearance of the treated areas will be improved.
It should be noted that a carboxytherapy session can also be a suitable treatment for reducing under-eye circles, firming the eyelid skin and thickening the facial dermis. It can also act on moderate fat deposits (by destroying part of the adipocytes and improving fat release).
The biorevitalizing peel can, in some cases, be an effective alternative to carboxytherapy. It drastically reduces stretch marks with very mild recovery (compared to other types of peels).
3. What happens during a carboxytherapy session and recovery
The procedure takes place directly at the surgeon's practice.
A carboxytherapy session is only slightly painful (it consists of small pricks with a very fine needle) and therefore requires no anesthesia.
The surgeon performs the carbon dioxide injections using a fine carboxytherapy needle at a flow rate of around 80 to 90 cc/minute. The session lasts between 20 and 30 minutes.
After the procedure, the skin reddens due to the dilation of the vessels. This redness then disappears within a few hours.
To achieve satisfactory results, 6 to 12 sessions are generally needed, at a rate of one session per week or every two weeks. After the initial treatment, the result can be maintained with follow-up sessions every 3 to 6 months.
Note: This treatment is no longer performed at our practice. Depending on the indication, it has been replaced by peel sessions, laser, or Keybody-Skin. These treatments offer noticeably better results on stretch marks.
