Carboxytherapy is a treatment where carbon dioxide gas is injected under the skin’s surface in order to increase blood circulation and stimulate collagen production.
Carboxytherapy can be performed anywhere on the body (think face, neck, arms, legs, buttocks etc.) and is aimed at treating conditions like stretch marks, cellulite, wrinkles, dark under eyes…..……and…….…and…….…yep, you guessed it, hair loss!
How does carboxytherapy for hair loss work?
Is carboxytherapy an effective intervention to combat the nightmarish condition that is androgenic alopecia (pattern hair loss)? Let’s look at how carboxytherapy works for hair loss.
The microinjections of CO2 gas in the scalp induce a state of relative hypercapnia. Hypercapnia is just a fancy term used to describe elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.
The elevated level of CO2 decreases the local PH and in turn elicits a strong vasodilator response. The dilated blood vessels are then able to increase blood flow and hair follicle nourishment around the injection site.
Haemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells and one of its functions is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and cells. Haemoglobin releases oxygen when in the presence of carbon dioxide.
The increased levels of carbon dioxide due to the CO2 injections, can cause the red blood cells to release more oxygen (and pick up CO2) thereby further increasing oxygen delivery to the hair follicles.
Furthermore, carboxytherapy increases levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and various growth factors (like VEGF) leading to neoangiogenesis (well that’s a mouthful). Neoangiogenesis just means the formation of new blood vessels.
With increased formation of capillaries in the area, blood flow can be further promoted.
It is suspected that balding hair follicles have a reduced production of VEGF and therefore, their vascular network is negatively impacted.
As carboxytherapy increases the release of VEGF and in turn increases capillarisation in the area, carboxytherapy can help combat hair loss.
Data so far shows that this procedure is minimally inverse and therefore, no downtime is needed. The side effect profile is quite low, although some light bruising, swelling and redness may temporarily occur at the injection site.
Have any clinical trials been conducted?
A 2018 study conducted on 80 patients (40 with alopecia areata and 40 with androgenic alopecia) showed that carboxytherapy increased hair counts and hair density. The study concluded that carboxytherapy can be a good hair loss remedy however adjunct therapy to be conducted alongside carboxytherapy is recommended.
Also, the study mentions that more than 6 sessions of injections are required, with ‘top up’ sessions every now and then to maintain results. This may be somewhat inconvenient if you don’t want to keep having to make appointments.
Below is an example before and after image from this 2018 clinical trial. The first image was taken prior to treatment. The second image was taken after 6 carboxytherapy sessions. Finally, the last image was taken 3 months after the last session. Although not a miracle cure, the improvement is definitely substantial!
Patients reported minor pain and a burning sensation that disappeared after only 15 minutes after the injections.
Overall thoughts on carboxytherapy
The mechanism of action for carboxytherapy is relatively straightforward: increase blood flow and improved nutrient delivery and oxygenation in the scalp.
Successful clinical trials relied on weekly sessions, which for the average Joe, can incur a substantial time and financial commitment.
Thousands of people are re-growing their hair without carboxytherapy. This procedure is by no means a ‘must have’ in your hair growth protocol however, if there is a clinic offering carboxytherapy services in your nearby area, this may be a suitable adjunct therapy to perform alongside your main hair regrowth protocol.
Have a beautiful day!
