For thousands of years, we have been looking for a fountain of
youth that would break the cycle of aging and deterioration. It is not only
about perfect skin – But about keeping the mind and body healthy and
active for as long as possible.
The quest for a magical wand that would help us remain young
forever has consumed mankind throughout history and across many cultures. The
search for a fountain of youth has given birth to various myths over time.
Nobody likes seeing the little signs of aging. So, we spend
thousands of dollars a year on fancy-pants creams, treatments and surgeries to
help us look and feel young. But, despite our efforts, none of these products
or procedures can actually stop time or make any major difference in the
appearance of your skin.
It is no secret that repeated exposure to sun or tanning beds
causes wrinkles and skin damage. The harmful, carcinogenic rays of the sun
destroy collagen, elastin, and produces atypical skin cells that can’t act like
young skin. More than that, unprotected sun exposure strips your skin from
important substances, such as lecithin and ceramides, leaving it more
vulnerable to sun, smoke, and pollution.
How your skin ages and wrinkles is a complex series of events.
Wrinkles as well as many other skin problems such as acne or blemishes are
caused by a wide range of factors from exposure to the
environment, toxins, pollution and smoking to poor nutrition and sun
damage.
Again, wrinkles caused by aging are genetically programmed to
appear over time. As we get old, our body produces less fibroblast, collagen,
and elastin, which causes the skin to lose its elasticity. Gender wise, women
seem to age faster than men due to the estrogen levels in thinner bodies.
The hormone levels change during menopause, affecting the
elasticity and texture of the skin. Skin becomes thinner and doesn’t bounce
back when you pinch it. The parts of the face you use the most get more
wrinkles faster than the others. More than that, as facial muscles lose
elasticity over time, your skin sags.
As we age, our skin cells do not get as many vital nutrients as
they used to. Whether it’s because of stress factors, excessive exposure to the
sun or our lifestyles.
Studies have shown that the older the skin gets, the less oxygen
it receives. That happens because blood flow in our body gets slower with every
passing year. Oxygen not only improves blood flow, but it can also counteract
low oxygen levels that lead to slow cell activity. As a result, skin cell
metabolism increases, making cell membranes more flexible.
So, healthy circulation can help keep our skin young and
vibrant. However, the cells need oxygen to thrive and function. The fact that
we breathe air does not promise that our skin is receiving enough oxygen.
As the amount of oxygen in your blood streams increases, every
cell in your body is saturated with 100% oxygen, accelerating body’s natural
healing process and keeping the skin young and rejuvenated.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) might just be the best way to
stay young and healthy as long as possible. In HBOT, patients breathe 100% pure
oxygen in a clinical or wellness settings. The treatment is administered in pressurized
chambers, where patients breathe pure 100% oxygen under an atmospheric pressure
up to three times higher than normal.
By HBOT oxygen is dissolved and forced deep into the tissues.
The process pushes oxygen beyond the red blood cells and into the blood plasma,
lymph, and interstitial fluid. As a result, HBOT allows oxygen to reach areas
where the circulation is usually blocked or diminished. Now, the oxygen-rich
blood can get to damaged tissues, letting the body jumpstart the healing
process.
Here are some facts one may want to know about hyperbaric oxygen
therapy and what it can do to your skin and body.
* Increases collagen and elastin production
* Increases antioxidant production
* Enhances the bodies immune system and ability to fight infection
* Detoxifies the body (side effects from air pollution, toxic food
etc.)
* Removes free radicals
* Reduces swelling
* Acts as an anti-inflammatory
* Increases neuronal energy metabolism in the brain
* Can improve concentration and cognitive function
* Wakes up sleeping (idling) brain cells that are metabolizing
enough to stay alive.
HBOT is painless and gentle, effortless yet effective and the
results are visible immediately. The benefits of hyperbaric oxygen
therapy expands well beyond skin rejuvenation.
When
you begin to add the numerous benefits hyperbaric oxygen therapy have on your
health and combine them with the impact it has in stimulating collagen
production and improve skin elasticity, it is clear that HBOT, in fact, has
anti-aging properties that keeps you and your skin looking young.
