Carboxytherapy and its contraindications: before we discuss this treatment, it is a good idea to understand what carboxytherapy is.
Carboxytherapy and contraindications: what is carboxytherapy?
If you want to reduce the appearance of scars, circles under the eyes, cellulite and stretch marks, but you do not want to undergo surgery, you may want consider carboxytherapy. As the name suggests, carboxytherapy is a treatment that works through the subcutaneous infusion of carbon dioxide. Your doctor will need to determine if there are any contraindications to this treatment.
How does carboxytherapy work when there are no contraindications?
If there are no contraindications and you are able to undergo carboxytherapy
The action of carbon dioxide, according to advocates of this treatment, stimulates circulation and increases collagen production, resulting in improved skin appearance. Ageing can reduce blood circulation, which means less oxygen to the cells. As a result, even without contraindications, the process of creating new cells slows down or even stops.
By injecting carbon dioxide, the body requires a greater amount of oxygen with a consequent increase in blood flow and optimal recovery of cell growth. You should be aware of the contraindications.
If there are no contraindications for you to undergo treatment, cosmetic doctors who use this method recommend it to remove:
- Stretch marks
- Cellulite
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Scars
When there are no contraindications for carboxytherapy, it can be used to treat many parts of the body, including:
- Face
- Lower eyelids, dark circles under the eyes
- Neck
- Arms
- Belly
- Hands
- Legs
- Buttocks
As with other aesthetic medicine treatments, there are various opinions on the effectiveness of carboxytherapy. To date, studies proving its effectiveness are not yet complete enough to prove that this treatment provides long-term results.
There are also contraindications for carboxytherapy.
The main contraindications are:
- Angina
- Sleep apnoea
- High blood pressure
- Pressure decompensation
- Acute-phase bacterial skin infections
- Viral infections / local inflammation
- Gangrene
- Congenital heart disease
- Chemotherapy and cancer
- Dialysis
- Epilepsy
- Phlebitis or pulmonary embolism
- Severe anaemia, haemorrhagic diseases
- Haemophilia
- Severe heart failure
- Patients with immunodepression or using immunosuppressant medications
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Recent heart attack
- Kidney failure
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- The use of acetazolamide and diclofenamide
- Congestive heart failure
- Severe cerebrovascular diseases
- Aortic stenosis
- CO2 retention
- Acute thrombosis
Only the doctor can determine if you are fit to undergo treatment.
There are contraindications for carboxytherapy, but side effects must also be taken into account.
Among the advantages of this treatment, according to those who support its absolute effectiveness – having established that there are no contraindications to the treatment – are the very mild side effects.
In addition to contraindications, you should also consider the side effects.
Among the most common side effects:
- If you do not maintain a healthy lifestyle, cellulite returns, so you could frustrate the results obtained after a course of treatment
- Redness and swelling are common on the arms and legs
- You may feel heat or tingling where the injection is made for a short period of time
- Treatment of cellulite and obesity can cause a feeling of pressure in the treated area, caused by the diffusion of carbon dioxide in situ
- Pain: pain may come on rather slowly, giving the operator time to change the injection point. In choosing a health and beauty treatment, pain is usually a determining factor
- Bruising: 30% of patients complain about bruising and discolouration. This is a normal side effect of mesotherapy in general. These disappear in 4 or 5 days
- Oedema, swelling: oedema is frequent. It normally disappears in a couple of days
- Erythema, redness: this may also occur and can last a few days. Carboxytherapy leads to vasodilatation and therefore erythema with reddening of the treated area is inevitable.
- A tingling sensation. This normally lasts no more than a couple of hours
- A feeling of heavy legs: due to vasodilatation. This does not normally last for more than a couple of hours
If you experience unusual side effects, after receiving treatment, you should consult a doctor.
In any case, it will be the doctor who will determine on the basis of the medical history of each individual, whether the patient is fit for treatment and whether carboxytherapy has no contraindications and therefore that treatment can be performed safely.
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