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Described as the biggest breakthrough in beauty therapy since Botox, it is said to eradicate stretch marks, fade scars, melt fat and take years off your skin.
What is this non-surgical miracle? Injections of carbon dioxide gas.
The treatment is huge in the U.S. and is now available in Britain. Celebrity Parisian doctor Jules-Jacques Nabet is one of the first to bring Carboxy therapy here, in the form of the Brazilian Rio-Blush rejuvenation system.
"My patients are seeing amazing results," he says. "It really is the most important anti-ageing therapy since Botox 13 years ago. Carboxy therapy can treat areas such as jowls, bingo wings, stretch marks and the decolletage, as well as cellulite.
"Nothing else works like it for loose skin and stretch marks. It means there is no need for surgery in many cases. The effects are revolutionary."
So how does it work? Carbon dioxide, the invisible, odourless gas that is part of the air we breathe, is injected just under the surface of the skin using a fine needle.
According to many studies, it diffuses into the surrounding tissues and causes blood vessels to dilate.
Wider vessels mean a stronger blood supply, which brings a rush of oxygen and nutrients to the treated area.
Evidence shows the carbon dioxide kills fat cells by causing them to distend, the extra oxygen eliminates fluid build-up between cells, and the skin is stimulated to produce more collagen.
The result, say practitioners, is fewer fat cells and firmer, younger skin. Medical studies have long shown carbon dioxide stimulates circulation.
It has been used in France since the Thirties to treat patients suffering from poor circulation, blocked arteries and heart problems.
More recently, research by the University of Siena in Italy showed Carboxy therapy is effective at smoothing skin and reducing fat.
In the study, 48 women had six sessions over three weeks. On average, their thighs reduced by 2cm, and they lost 1cm from each knee and 3cm from their stomach. At the same time their skin became thicker and their cellulite smoother.
The results on stretch marks and scars are permanent, but doctors suggest that to maintain reduced cellulite levels, you should have boosters every six months.
Carbon dioxide is a natural gas, produced by the cells in our bodies. Nontoxic and routinely used to inflate the abdomen for laparoscopic surgery, it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and expelled via our breath and kidneys.
However, Alex Karidis, a leading cosmetic surgeon, has reservations.
"While it seems there is no risk, this therapy is far from mainstream. It remains to be seen if it works at all.
"Without several more larger-scale studies in reputable journals and strong evidence of its effectiveness, anyone having the treatment is a guinea pig." So is RioBlush Carboxy therapy a miracle cure or just cosmetic hype? We put it to the test . . .
Leah Hardy, 44, a journalist, lives in South-East London with her husband Chris and two children, aged six and two. She had treatment for stretch marks on her stomach and thighs. Leah says:
Each time I was pregnant, I put on three stone. After the babies were born, I was disappointed to find I had livid red marks running from my bikini area halfway up to my belly button. I also had stretch marks on my upper thighs.
The marks had faded to silver and purple, but they were unattractive, indented and put me off wearing a bikini. I remember catching sight of my stomach in the mirror as I put on jeans and thinking it looked like crinkly old ruched blinds!
Dr Nabet explained Carboxy was most effective on newer stretch marks which are still red. These are treated once a week for two to three weeks, though sometimes only one session is needed. Old stretch marks need three or four treatments at three-weekly intervals.
source
What is this non-surgical miracle? Injections of carbon dioxide gas.
The treatment is huge in the U.S. and is now available in Britain. Celebrity Parisian doctor Jules-Jacques Nabet is one of the first to bring Carboxy therapy here, in the form of the Brazilian Rio-Blush rejuvenation system.
"My patients are seeing amazing results," he says. "It really is the most important anti-ageing therapy since Botox 13 years ago. Carboxy therapy can treat areas such as jowls, bingo wings, stretch marks and the decolletage, as well as cellulite.
"Nothing else works like it for loose skin and stretch marks. It means there is no need for surgery in many cases. The effects are revolutionary."
So how does it work? Carbon dioxide, the invisible, odourless gas that is part of the air we breathe, is injected just under the surface of the skin using a fine needle.
According to many studies, it diffuses into the surrounding tissues and causes blood vessels to dilate.
Wider vessels mean a stronger blood supply, which brings a rush of oxygen and nutrients to the treated area.
Evidence shows the carbon dioxide kills fat cells by causing them to distend, the extra oxygen eliminates fluid build-up between cells, and the skin is stimulated to produce more collagen.
The result, say practitioners, is fewer fat cells and firmer, younger skin. Medical studies have long shown carbon dioxide stimulates circulation.
It has been used in France since the Thirties to treat patients suffering from poor circulation, blocked arteries and heart problems.
More recently, research by the University of Siena in Italy showed Carboxy therapy is effective at smoothing skin and reducing fat.
In the study, 48 women had six sessions over three weeks. On average, their thighs reduced by 2cm, and they lost 1cm from each knee and 3cm from their stomach. At the same time their skin became thicker and their cellulite smoother.
The results on stretch marks and scars are permanent, but doctors suggest that to maintain reduced cellulite levels, you should have boosters every six months.
Carbon dioxide is a natural gas, produced by the cells in our bodies. Nontoxic and routinely used to inflate the abdomen for laparoscopic surgery, it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and expelled via our breath and kidneys.
However, Alex Karidis, a leading cosmetic surgeon, has reservations.
"While it seems there is no risk, this therapy is far from mainstream. It remains to be seen if it works at all.
"Without several more larger-scale studies in reputable journals and strong evidence of its effectiveness, anyone having the treatment is a guinea pig." So is RioBlush Carboxy therapy a miracle cure or just cosmetic hype? We put it to the test . . .
Leah Hardy, 44, a journalist, lives in South-East London with her husband Chris and two children, aged six and two. She had treatment for stretch marks on her stomach and thighs. Leah says:
Each time I was pregnant, I put on three stone. After the babies were born, I was disappointed to find I had livid red marks running from my bikini area halfway up to my belly button. I also had stretch marks on my upper thighs.
The marks had faded to silver and purple, but they were unattractive, indented and put me off wearing a bikini. I remember catching sight of my stomach in the mirror as I put on jeans and thinking it looked like crinkly old ruched blinds!
Dr Nabet explained Carboxy was most effective on newer stretch marks which are still red. These are treated once a week for two to three weeks, though sometimes only one session is needed. Old stretch marks need three or four treatments at three-weekly intervals.
source
