What is ozone therapy?
Ozone therapy is a modern highly efficient medical technology that uses ozone for medical and preventive purposes.
Ozone is a unique tool for preservation and restoration of natural beauty and health of the skin. Ozone therapy does not mask skin defects but normalizes its natural function and stimulates independent functioning.
In recent years ozone therapy use in clinical practice has been growing. Ozone has a great variety of medical effects.
A.Wolff tried using ozone as an antiseptic for the first time as early as in 1915 during World War I. During next years the information about successful use of ozone for treatment of various diseases was gradually accumulating. However only those methods of ozone therapy that involved direct gas contact with outer surface and various body cavities were used for a long time. Ozone-oxygen mixture with high ozone concentration (40-80 mcg/ml) is very effective for treatment of infected and difficultly healing wounds, bedsores, gangrene, burns, mycotic skin lesions, and as a styptic agent. Low concentrations of ozone promote epithelization and healing.
In recent years methods that involve parenteral (intravenous, intramuscular, intraarticular, subcutaneous) administration of therapeutic doses of ozone. Ozone dissolved in saline or patient’s blood is used for intravenous introduction.
Ozone therapy use in dermatology and cosmetology.
Indications:
1. Itching dermatoses: neurodermatitis, eczema, urticaria, etc.
2. Psoriasis, lichen ruber planus.
3. Fungus diseases: onychomycoses, pityriasis versicolor, microsporia, trichophytosis, candidiasis.
4. Virus diseases: herpetic lesions of skin and mucous membranes, pointed condylomas, warts.
5. Pyodermatoses, furunculosis, acne.
6. Alopecia.
7. Ulcerative skin lesions of various etiology (trophic ulcers, ulcerative forms of skin angiitis, etc.).
8. In complex treatment of venereal diseases (syphilis, gonorrhoea, etc.) as an immunomodulator.
9. Edematous fibrosclerotic panniculopathy (cellulite), striae, scars, telangiectasias.
Treatment duration, number and frequency of medical procedures can vary greatly. In some cases it is possible and advisable to perform several courses of treatment.
Ozone therapy contraindications:
1. Early period after various hemorrhages including internal.
2. Hemorrhagic stroke.
3. Hyperthyroidism.
4. Inclination to convulsions.
5. Acute alcohol intoxication.
6. Thrombocytopenia.
7. Low blood coagulability.
8. Ozone allergy.
As ozone in low concentrations has moderate hypocoagulatory action, drugs that decrease blood coagulability are cancelled during the course of treatment. Women should make a break in treatment during menstruation.
Frequency of repeated ozone therapy courses depends on the nature of disease and presence of concomitant pathology, and can be 1-3 times a year.
The most convincing clinical effect was achieved when using ozone therapy for following nosologies:
Ozone therapy for treatment of acne
The following methods are used for acne treatment:
Subcutaneous injections of ozone-oxygen mixture around pustular elements 3-4 times a week, 6-8 procedures per course;
Irrigation of lesion focuses with ozonized distilled water (daily until the full elimination of pus from the skin).
Ozone administered as subcutaneous injections around lesion focuses or gas mixture injections into furuncles or acne (infiltrative and pustular elements) can be successfully used as a monotherapy for mattery skin lesions and acne. Lipolytic action of ozone helps to dissolve the skin fat accumulated in cystic masses and blood flow improvement in injection areas speeds up resolution of cicatrical changes. Clinical improvement was observed among all acne patients after the first injection procedure. The improvement was shown as softening of infiltrations, decrease of painfulness, hyperemia, and edematization.
Acne treatment duration was reduced by 2-3 times in comparison with traditional treatment methods. Complications and adverse reactions were not observed. The course of treatment duration is 5-6 procedures performed once in 5 days.
Oxygen-ozone therapy efficiency
Treatment efficiency of ozone therapy for acne patients is approximately 85 %. It is indicated to include ozone therapy in the treatment complex together with preparations that contain retinal hormones, preparations for external use that regulate secretion of skin sebaceous glands, etc. Repeated courses of subcutaneous injections are advisable to perform once or twice a year, preferably in the autumn or winter.
Ozone therapy used for mimetic wrinkles correction, rejuvenation, double chin correction, prevention of face and neck skin ageing.
Subcutaneous injections are made into wrinkle areas and other regions with signs of ageing (chin, neck, etc.), and if excess subcutaneous fat is found in submaxillary, cheek and chin area.
The treatment course consists of 10-12 procedures performed once or twice a week. It is recommended to perform one course of treatment in 6 months and one support procedure once a month.
No complications are observed after the procedure. The procedure is followed by hand plastic or cosmetic massage for more even distribution of oxygen-ozone mixture.
The efficiency of ozone therapy for skin ageing prevention, rejuvenation, correction of mimetic wrinkles and double chin is 85 – 90 %. Positive effect is observed after 3-4 procedures. It is shown in elimination of fine wrinkles, improvement of skin turgor, decrease of doughy condition, improvement of complexion, decrease of the feeling of xerosis and skin constriction, lifting effect in submaxillary, cheek and chin area, improvement of general health condition. Support courses are recommended 2-3 times a year.
Ozone therapy in cellulite treatment
Cellulite problem is one of the most relevant in the modern esthetic medicine. It is a subcutaneous fat pathology of polyetiologic nature. This pathology declares itself in forming of “orange peel”, cellulite “nodes” and “bumps” in the areas of subcutaneous fat accumulation (thighs, buttocks, abdomen; more rarely, shins, shoulders, and lumbar region). This disease affects only women, therefore it is considered to be related to hormonal disfunction. Cellulite development is also often considered to be related to hormonal contraceptives intake.
The following reasons also lead to development of cellulite:
1. Hereditary features of adipose tissue.
2. Disturbance of microcirculation in the subcutaneous fat.
3. Passive way of life.
4. Improper feeding (prevalence of animal fat, cholesterol, inorganic salts in the ration).
5. Endocrine system disturbances.
6. Water-salt balance disturbance.
According to recent data, despite the variety of reasons that cause cellulite, microcirculation disturbance is the main link in the pathogenesis of this disease. Therefore subcutaneous injections of oxygen-ozone mixture that recently have been being used for cellulite treatment are effective and pathogenetically valid method of treatment.
In addition to its well-known qualities of the strongest natural oxidant that has potent bactericide effect, subcutaneous ozone injections can:
1. Improve microcirculation in the skin and subcutaneous fat.
2. Promote transformation of hard fats into less hard ones that makes their burning easier.
3. Activate oxygen-dependent reaction and release oxygen into adjacent tissues.
4. Promote resolution of fibrous tunics that surround adipose cells and form “cellulite nodes”, due to fibrinolytic qualities of ozone.
So called Italian method of cellulite treatment (subcutaneous injections of oxygen-ozone mixture combined with massage with ozonized creams, gels or oils) has shown in practice its high efficiency in comparison with other well-known methods used in clinical practice.
No special regimen or limitations are required during ozone therapy treatment.
Immediately after the beginning of the treatment patients note the feeling of “lightness” in the lower extremities, disappearance of cyanotic congestive tint, decrease of edematization. After completion of the course “orange peel” effect disappears, the skin gains light rosy complexion and becomes more smooth and elastic, and the underlying adipose tissue becomes more thick and compact. The effect remains stable if the treatment course is repeated 2-3 times a year.
Ozone therapy in treatment of skin striae (stretch marks)
Skin striae (stretch marks) often accompany the edematous fibrosclerotic panniculopathy effects and are often located on the skin of abdomen, inner thighs surface and mammary glands. They can be significant cosmetic defects and are very difficult to cure. They appear because of skin overstretching during pregnancy, drastic change of the body weight, or endocrine disturbances during pubertal period.
They are treated by subcutaneous injections of oxygen-ozone mixture. The number of sessions is 8-20, the procedure is performed once a week.
Ozone therapy in telangiectasia (vascular stars) treatment
Telangiectasias (vascular stars) are visible subcutaneous capillaries of congestive cyanotic color. Their presence on the face, neck, thighs, abdomen and other skin areas often constitutes serious cosmetic problem.
Vascular stars can be caused by:
- congenital weakness of the connective tissue;
- liver metabolism disturbance;
- high venous pressure in the lower extremities;
- vascular walls weakness because of the lack of ascorbic acid in the organism.
Electric and laser coagulation and sclerotherapy (introduction of the preparation that causes chemical burn of the endothelium of the vessels that form telangiectasia directly into the dilated vessel lumen) are traditionally used for elimination of stars from the skin.
Disadvantages of these methods are:
- incomplete elimination of the vasculature that can lead to relapses;
- possibility of skin burn during the procedure that leads to appearance of persistent scars and pigmented spots on the skin;
- painful sensations during the procedure.
Ozone therapy has none of these disadvantages. After injection of oxygen-ozone mixture into the vascular lumen the gas fills the whole telangiectasia vasculature and the patient feels only minimal pain (light tingling). This leads to complete elimination of stars with no signs of their former presence in this skin area.
Ozone therapy in cosmetology
It would be strange if ozone therapy were not used in cosmetology as this direction is one of the most progressive ones. Improvement of microcirculation, oxygenation, cells energy supply, skin nourishing and protection are emphasized in ozone therapy methods. Many cosmetic problems (acne, couperose, alopecia, wrinkles, allergy, cellulite, obesity) reflect the internal condition of the organism and therefore have to be treated both externally and internally. Ozone does it brilliantly, has detoxicating, antimicrobic, antiviral action and improves the immunity of the organism.
Ozone therapy does not mask skin defects but normalizes its natural function and stimulates independent functioning.
Skin ageing can be stopped and skin structure restored by affecting the cause, not the effect, which is the appearance of wrinkles. This is the purpose of ozone therapy.
Ozone therapy principally differs from other cosmetic means and procedures by its dual action, both from the surface and from within the organism. This leads to normalization of skin nourishing, oxygenation, moistening, protection, and restoration of skin metabolism. It allows achieving of general cleansing, invigoration and toning up, not just a temporary cosmetic effect.
Therefore ozone therapy is a revolutionary method for rejuvenation that allows to restore barrier, immune, moisture-retaining and excretory skin functions and improve its structure. |
