Source:Allure by Talia Gutierrez
Lying in a sealed capsule pumped with medical-grade oxygen might sound intense — but would you try it if it meant your skin would glow? Increased collagen production, acceleration of cell regeneration and reduced appearance of wrinkles are just some of the skin care benefits of one session hyperbaric oxygen chamber (aka HOC therapy) may be able to deliver if you can improve the nerve. Celebrities like Kendal Jenner and Justin Bieber have jumped on the bandwagon, zipping in their own pressurized oxygen tanks (in the comfort of their own homes) for easy access to this skin-rejuvenating treatment.
HOC treatment involves lying in a tanning bed-sized chamber filled with a “highly concentrated, pressurized dose of pure oxygen with levels 1.5 to three times higher than average,” explains Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who is in Connecticut. The treatment was first developed to counteract the negative effects after deep-sea diving and tissue damage from radiation, but a recent study concluded that it may also have skin care benefits. “High-dose oxygen, such as HOC therapy, has recently been found to be an important ingredient in skin rejuvenation, treatment photoaging skin and skin improvement,” says a 2014 study published in National Library of Medicine.
Estheticians are now taking advantage of the results of the HOC treatment and offering it as a treatment in their spas. I found this treatment after a relaxing pore-clearing facial at Joanna Vargas Skin Care Spa in NYC. Vargas gave me a sneak peek inside his own spa HOC treatment room, and while this remedy is usually regarded as an add-on to its list facial treatments, massageand LED treatments, I couldn’t resist Vargas’ kind offer for me to experience the hourly service alone next week.
What is hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy?
The first recorded use of hyperbaric air therapy was in the 1660s to treat chronic conditions such as decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning, but it was not until the 1920s that hyperbaric oxygen therapy became widely used in medicine. The goal of breathing pure oxygen in these types of chambers is, according to an article published on Johns Hopkins Medicine website, “to fill the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues and restore normal body function.” In more modern times, many doctors have created their own interpretations of HOC treatment, such as hospital under pressure chamber built in the mid-1920s by Dr. John Cunningham.
We are now seeing an increase in the availability of pure oxygen in the aesthetic beauty industry, in the form of treatments such as oxygen bars and Hydraulic facial treatments. But what does pure oxygen (aka O2) do for the skin? “HOC is believed to increase skin elasticity and stimulate collagen production, leading to reduction of wrinkles and fine lines and improvement in skin texture,” explains Dr. Gohara Allure. In other words, he says, hyperbaric oxygen therapy initiates skin cell regeneration and collagen production.
While oxygen therapy has always been an integral part of Vargas’ skin care services (via infusions during facials and massages), Vargas opted to add a hyperbaric chamber session to the long list of spa treatments at her namesake spa in 2006 after trying to for herself in Los Angeles, where treatment facilities are now popping up on almost every corner. Vargas remembers her first time, noticing “an instant glow on my skin, while feeling relieved and energized at the same time.”
According to Vargas, as a HydraFacial, increasing oxygen can “increase circulation and reduce inflammation, reduces the sense of stress in your mind and body, increases collagen production, increases elasticity and enhances the body’s ability to recover.” for skin function and skin change,” she says. Is this effect sustainable long term outside the chamber? As for revitalization, Dr. Gohara thinks more studies need to be done, but I’d give it a try anyway.
At Joanna Vargas’ spa, the HOC treatment costs $160, which is the most luxurious end of the few spas across the United States that offer the treatment. Before you book your own one-hour session inside the oxygen chamber, Dr. Gohara suggests talking to your doctor to make sure you don’t have any personal medical conflicts that could affect the treatment. Medical conditions such as lung disease, recent surgery or ear sensitivity or a cold are some of the advice given by Hopkins Medicine for those who must stay away from hyperbaric oxygen chambers.
My personal experience
Inside a quiet room, two of the semi-deflated chambers placed side by side ready for use. Before the treatment began, I was told what to expect: “The treatment is like flying in an airplane, so ears may be affected,” advised my beautician, Marina Montoya. After zipping into what looked like a pressurized tanning bed with padded flooring and a blanket, complete with my phone, a pillow, an iPad, and a portable radio to communicate through the pod, she reminded me to relax and feel comfortable
As the pressure began to rise, I watched the oxygen selector inside the pod rise as well. He was right about the feel of the plane: I kept holding my nose closed to pop my ears and relieve the gentle pressure. Otherwise, I felt calm and relaxed with Netflix and had no problem breathing from the high concentration of oxygen pumped into the chamber.
For those who are concerned claustrophobia, I’m there with you — small, confined spaces and I’m not the best friend. Fortunately, the pods at Joanna Vargas’ spa have plenty of peepholes where my esthetician and I could make (somewhat awkward) eye contact, and this set of walkie-talkies allowed us to communicate if questions or concerns arose, but none .
I got a mild headache, a common side effect of being exposed to this new amount of oxygen pressure all at once, but I didn’t feel dizzy or claustrophobic. And since you were able to bring your personal electronic of choice, Keeping up with the Kardashians it kept me busy during my hour long journey. I was amazed at how quickly the 60 minutes went by.
After the session was over, I drank a few cups of water and completed Vargas’ signature spa treatment lymphatic drainage massage to improve circulation and drain stagnant liquids. The morning after my experience, I saw a noticeable reduction in my skin puffiness (left over from a red-eye flight a few days prior) and a subtle glow to my complexion. I know what you’re thinking: Couldn’t that lymphatic drainage massage and then some cool skin care did you do the trick? It can. But my glowing skin and chiseled jaw still make me think my hour-long HOC treatment was worth it.
Talia Gutierrez is associate director of special projects at Allure. She started her career as an editorial assistant at the brand, alongside me Glamor and Fashion, where she covered beauty trends, launches, innovations and pop culture news. In her spare time, she can be found filming a TikTok video, saving up for her next best apartment, or doing a little self-care while trying out a new hair mask.
