Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a form of oxygen therapy that’s effective at treating various conditions like sports injuries, brain injuries, and even autism. A study carried out by ‘Medical Gas Research shows that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can be an essential option in treating photo-aging skin while providing a good advancement in complexions.
Over time, the skin tends to be caught up with various conditions due to factors like the rate of exposure to UV radiation, age, and others. However, HBOT has proven to combat wrinkles caused by UV radiation.
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How Do Wrinkles and Other Skin Damage Come About?
Before we go deep into how HBOT helps to treat your skin, we’ll need to have a good understanding of how wrinkles come about on the skin. Most skin conditions, especially wrinkles and acne are a result of aging, too much exposure to UV rays, bad life choices like smoking, and bad nutrition.
Wrinkles are said to be more in females than in male skin. This is in relation to the increased rate of estrogen in women. Also, the skin tends to age and gets caught up with wrinkles when exposed to UV radiation.
Ultraviolet radiations (UV-radiations) are the major cause of wrinkles and possible skin damage which may be signs of esophageal aging (a decrease in the size of the opening of the esophagus) or photoaging. It may also result in esophageal angiogenesis or the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, leading to wrinkles.
How Can HBOT Help With Acne?
Strains of bacteria primarily cause acne breakouts in the skin, affecting nearly 80% of the American population. Getting rid of the acne-causing bacteria from clogged pores can be done using oxygen and is very effective at reducing the symptoms.
When you try to use soap and water to get this done, it won’t be able to get deep into the oily follicles. Even antibiotics stand ineffective against some acne-causing bacteria. However, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is suitable for acne treatment.
How Many Sessions of HBOT Will Help With Acne?
The number of sessions of HBOT for combating acne depends largely on the severity of the acne. Patients may be required to carry out HBOT up to 3times in the first week and reduce the number of sessions as time goes by till there’s a possible improvement in the condition.
For fast and effective recovery, patients may be advised to use creams and lotions known to boost the rate of oxygen delivery and blue LED treatments coupled with the HBOT.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Combating Skin Damages
The effect of HBOT isn’t just limited to combating acne, as it also helps treat skin diseases. Research shows that using hyperbaric environments (environments comprising more than 90% oxygen) for at least 2 hours helps to limit the rate at which wrinkle formation and epidermal thickness take place after going through ultraviolet rays (UV radiations).
Exposure to a hyperoxic environment boosts the tension of the skin by 10x when compared to the control group. While crosschecking the other group treated with only UV radiation, their skin tension increased by 5x, whereas treatment with a hyperoxic environment for the other group after UV radiation noticed a lesser tension in their skin. This research, therefore, postulates that when the skin is exposed to a high-oxygen environment, the rate at which wrinkle formation occurs after UV radiation exposure reduces significantly in the skin.
How Does HBOT Work for Skin?
The main process of HBOT is letting patients breathe in pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to treat various conditions. The air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber allows the body to absorb a sufficient amount of oxygen. This oxygen gets deep in the oily follicles and helps clear clogged pores.
Aside from acne symptoms, HBOT can also help improve skin infection and reduce the rate of inflammation. HBOT doesn’t just boost the oxygen concentration in the skin; it also reduces the effect of harmful bacteria on the skin. When carrying out HBOT, the air pressure in the chamber comprises oxygen, which disables acne-causing bacteria toxins and reduces inflammations. This also fosters the production of collagen and elastin to keep the skin looking all fresh and healthy.
What are the Skin Benefits of HBOT?
Naturally, the body’s ability to produce collagen (a protein that is the major building block of the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and skin) starts to depreciate when we approach age 25. As we grow older, the lack of collagen depicts that our skin’s barrier becomes less firm. This leads to the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging.
Aside from this, exposure to sunlight and other factors like lifestyle choices (let’s say smoking) can also affect the skin aging process. When you carry out HBOT, your body takes full advantage of the high amount of oxygen to boost the rate of collagen production. This helps inhibit those annoying signs of aging skin.
In addition, HBOT boosts the rate of blood circulation in the body, thereby improving oxygen delivery to areas lacking oxygen. This well-known treatment is known to speed up the healing processes of worn-out tissues. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can fix skin cells, limit age spots, and improve the appearance of saggy skin while ensuring fresh and healthy-looking skin is provided.
OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS OF HBO
Aside from the skin benefits of HBOT already stated in this article, the extra oxygen provided by hyperbaric oxygen therapy also aids in;
- Boosting your energy levels
- Fight off heart disease
- Improve your overall daily body functioning
- Provide good mental relief and effects
- It helps you sleep well
Getting a Hyperbaric Chamber
In the OXYLIFE industry, they provide high-grade, quality hyperbaric chambers for home use, wellness centers, and the spa. These non-medical hyperbaric chambers will provide the best result for you in no time.