Scientists study the use of hyperbaric oxygen for skin rejuvenation and treatment of photoaging from UV-radiation
There are currently medical aesthetic clinics that are using oxygen therapy under high pressure applied directly to skin to reduce visible wrinkles but this procedure is not widespread yet due to more research that needs to be done on this topic. However, the use of high dose oxygen treatments for wrinkles is definitely growing due to recent studies done showing its effectiveness on wrinkles.
The illustration above suggest the possible mechanism by which HBOT may reduce wrinkle formation from exposure to UVB radiation. UVB irradiation is shown to activate certain pathways that cause wrinkles such as the HIF1α, neutrophils, and
angiogenesis pathways. Hyperoxia or high levels of oxygen have been shown to inhibit those pathways activated by UVB.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), a therapy that have patients breath in pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, has been long used as a treatment for conditions such as decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning. Oxygen recently has been found to be an important component in skin rejuvenation, treatment of photoaging skin, and improvement in skin complexions. The interest in the use of HBOT for this purpose is continually growing and becoming more widespread. In addition to aging and genetic makeup, chronic UV radiation due to everyday exposure, especially UV-B, can greatly increase the rate of wrinkle formation through increasing skin angiogenesis and degradation of extracellular matrix molecules. The use of HBOT and hyperoxia conditions has been found to diminish the formation of wrinkles from UV irradiation.
(PDF) The development of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for skin rejuvenation and treatment of photoaging. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261290329_The_development_of_hyperbaric_oxygen_therapy_for_skin_rejuvenation_and_treatment_of_photoaging.