Carboxytherapy is a non-surgical cosmetic medicine treatment for dermatology. Carboxytherapy employs injections or transdermal application to infuse gaseous carbon dioxide below the skin into the subcutaneous tissue through a needle or skin. It has a necrotizing effect on fat tissue fat cells, stimulates blood flow, improves the skin's elasticity and reduces the appearance of cellulite. [1] It has also become a popular treatment for stretch marks. [2] It is non-toxic and less invasive than operations like liposuction. [3] Carboxytherapy leads to a temporary decrease in subcutaneous fat but has shown to reoccur again after a 28 week period. [4] It can be applied for those with androgenic alopecia or alopecia areata. [5]
As of 2018, Carboxytherapy has not approved by the FDA. [3] Risks include inadvertent lipolysis and emphysema. [6]
Carboxytherapy was discovered in 1932 in Royat, France after patients had been soaking in carbon-rich pools with wounds healing and circulatory diseases improving such as Raynaud's syndrome. In the 1950s French doctors began injecting carbon dioxide for treating cellulite. [3]
Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. It often results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are possible factors in bringing on alopecia areata in individuals at risk, but in most cases there is no obvious trigger. People are generally otherwise healthy. In a few cases, all the hair on the scalp is lost, or all body hair is lost. Hair loss can be permanent, or temporary.
Lipolysis is the metabolic pathway through which lipid triglycerides are hydrolyzed into a glycerol and free fatty acids. It is used to mobilize stored energy during fasting or exercise, and usually occurs in fat adipocytes. The most important regulatory hormone in lipolysis is insulin; lipolysis can only occur when insulin action falls to low levels, as occurs during fasting. Other hormones that affect lipolysis include leptin, glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, growth hormone, atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and cortisol.
Mesotherapy is a form of alternative medicine which involves intradermal or subcutaneous injections of pharmaceutical preparations, enzymes, hormones, plant extracts, vitamins, and/or other ingredients such as hyaluronic acid. It has no proven clinical efficacy and poor scientific backing. Mesotherapy injections allegedly target adipose fat cells, apparently by inducing lipolysis, rupture and cell death among adipocytes. The stated aim of mesotherapy is to provide the skin with essential nutrients, hydration, and other beneficial compounds to rejuvenate and revitalize its appearance.
The management of hair loss, includes prevention and treatment of alopecia, baldness, and hair thinning, and regrowth of hair.
Gluteoplasty denotes the plastic surgery and the liposuction procedures for the correction of congenital, traumatic, and acquired defects/deformities of the buttocks and the anatomy of the gluteal region; and for the aesthetic enhancement of the contour of the buttocks.
Pattern hair loss is a hair loss condition that primarily affects the top and front of the scalp. In male-pattern hair loss (MPHL), the hair loss typically presents itself as either a receding front hairline, loss of hair on the crown and vertex of the scalp, or a combination of both. Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) typically presents as a diffuse thinning of the hair across the entire scalp.
Injection lipolysis is a controversial cosmetic procedure in which drug mixtures are injected into patients with the goal of destroying fat cells. This practice, using drugs generally based on phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate (PCDC), evolved from the initial intravenous use of those drug formulations to treat blood disorders.
Erosive pustular dermatitis of the scalp presents with pustules, erosions, and crusts on the scalp of primarily older Caucasian females, and on biopsy, has a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with or without foreign body giant cells and pilosebaceous atrophy.
Liposuction, or simply lipo, is a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery. Evidence does not support an effect on weight beyond a couple of months and does not appear to affect obesity-related problems. In the United States, liposuction is the most common cosmetic surgery.
Injection site reactions (ISRs) are reactions that occur at the site of injection of a drug. They may be mild or severe and may or may not require medical intervention. Some reactions may appear immediately after injection, and some may be delayed. Such reactions can occur with subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intravenous administration.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as autologous conditioned plasma, is a concentrate of plasma protein derived from whole blood, centrifuged to remove red blood cells but retaining platelets. Though promoted for treating various medical conditions, evidence of its benefits was mixed as of 2020, showing effectiveness in certain conditions and ineffectiveness in others.
Aesthetic medicine is a branch of modern medicine that focuses on altering natural or acquired unwanted appearance through the treatment of conditions including scars, skin laxity, wrinkles, moles, liver spots, excess fat, cellulite, unwanted hair, skin discoloration, spider veins and or any unwanted externally visible appearance. Traditionally, it includes dermatology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery, surgical procedures, non-surgical procedures, and a combination of both. Aesthetic medicine procedures are usually elective. There is a long history of aesthetic medicine procedures, dating back to many notable cases in the 19th century, though techniques have developed much since then.
Cellulite or gynoid lipodystrophy (GLD) is the herniation of subcutaneous fat within fibrous connective tissue that manifests as skin dimpling and nodularity, often on the pelvic region, lower limbs, and abdomen. Cellulite occurs in most postpubescent females. A review gives a prevalence of 85–98% of women of European descent, but it is considerably less common in women of East Asian descent. It is believed to be physiological rather than pathological. It can result from a complex combination of factors, including diet, sedentary lifestyle, hormonal imbalance or heredity, among others.
Mitchel P. Goldman, is an American dermatologic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon, dermatologist, and phlebologist, and the founder and director of Cosmetic Laser Dermatology. He is also a past president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the American College of Phlebology, the San Diego County Dermatology Society, and the Sonoran Dermatology Society.
Injectable filler is a soft tissue filler made of polysaccharides injected into the skin at different depths.
Radio-frequency skin tightening is an aesthetic technique that uses radio frequency (RF) energy to heat skin with the purpose of stimulating cutaneous collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production in order to reduce the appearance of fine lines and loose skin. The technique induces tissue remodeling and production of new collagen and elastin. The process provides an alternative to facelift and other cosmetic surgeries.
Nicholas J Lowe is an English dermatologist who has published research into skin pharmacology, botulinum toxins, injectable filler and Lasers in cutaneous and cosmetic Surgery.
Venkataram Mysore is a dermatologist, dermatopathologist, and hair transplant surgeon from Bangalore, India. He has over 30 years experience as a dermatologist, 18 years as a teacher and is currently the director of the Venkat Center for Advanced Dermatology and Post-Graduate Training.
Fat removal procedures are used mostly in cosmetic surgery with the intention of removing unwanted adipose tissue. The procedure may be invasive, as with liposuction, or noninvasive using laser therapy, radiofrequency, ultrasound or cold to reduce fat, sometimes in combination with injections.
Laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD) is a drug delivery technique commonly used in the dermatology field that involves lasers. As skin acts as a protective barrier to the environment, the absorption of topical products through the epidermis is limited; thus, different drug delivery modalities have been employed to improve the efficacy of these treatments. The use of lasers in LADD has been shown to enhance the penetration of drugs transdermal, leading to a higher absorption rate, limited systemic effects, and reduced duration of treatment. Although this technique has evolved in the past decade due to its efficacy through scientific research and clinical practice, there remain some limitations regarding the safety aspect that needs to be taken into consideration.