Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to Reverse Skin Aging

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy  on the pathophysiology of skin aging: a prospective clinical trial

Yafit Hachmo1,*, Amir Hadanny2,3,4,*, Sonia Mendelovic5, Pnina Hillman5, Eyal Shapira6,

Geva Landau6, Hadar Gattegno1, Avi Zrachya1, Malka Daniel-Kotovsky2, Merav Catalogna2,

Gregory Fishlev2, Erez Lang2, Nir Polak2, Keren Doenyas2, Mony Friedman2, Yonatan Zemel2,

Yair Bechor2, Shai Efrati1,2,3,7  

Published in AGING 2021, Vol. 13, No, 22

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This study presents a research study evaluating the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on skin aging in a normal aging population through skin biopsies and various physiological assessments.

Key Findings on Skin Aging ^13​

The study revealed significant histological changes in the skin of participants after HBOT, indicating its potential to reverse some aging effects. ¹⁴​

• No changes in elastic fiber density or thickness were noted, but fragmentation decreased significantly (90% high fragmentation to 10% post-HBOT). ¹⁵​
• Collagen fiber density increased significantly from 67.84±10.98% at baseline to 76.61±9.52% post-HBOT. ​
• Papillary layer thickness decreased significantly from 133.22±22.42 μm to 106.60±31.01 μm after HBOT. ​
• The number of blood vessels increased from 24.00±15.72 to 33.40±12.28 post-HBOT. ¹⁷

Mechanisms of Action

The study suggests that HBOT may exert its effects through mechanisms such as angiogenesis and clearance of senescent cells, which are critical in the aging process. ¹⁸​

• HBOT induced angiogenesis, evidenced by increased CD31 intensity (625.81±394.29 post-HBOT). ¹⁹​
• The number of senescent cells decreased significantly from 3.14±1.06 to 2.48±1.23 after HBOT. ⁷​
• The study highlights the role of hypoxic-induced factors (HIFs) in promoting angiogenesis through HBOT. ²⁰

Conclusion

Therefore, in this study, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been shown to significantly improve skin aging in a healthy aging population by enhancing collagen density, elastic fiber length, and reducing aged, senescent skin cells.

This study is the first to demonstrate these effects in humans, indicating potential therapeutic benefits of HBOT for skin aging.