By Plastic Surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer. 

As one of London's leading plastic surgeons, I see plenty of trends come and go in the plastic surgery industry, some help to revolutionise procedures, others are extremely dangerous from both a physical and mental perspective, while others are a result of our growing obsession with celebrities. The latest trend taking the cosmetic industry by storm is carbon dioxide being injected under a patient’s eye, also known as Carboxy.

What is Carboxy?

Carboxy is essentially the process of a doctor injecting the soft tissue under the eye with carbon dioxide to help remove dark circles that appear as a person ages. The procedure apparently helps to increase blood flow to the capillaries, which then subsequently removes the dark circles and restores the skin’s natural tone and colour. According to plastic surgeons in the United States, the procedure is similar to Botox, in that it only takes a couple of minutes to inject the carbon dioxide under a patient’s eye. Once injected, the area surrounding the eye will begin to puff up and swell, although this only lasts for around five to ten minutes apparently.

Doctors in the US have said that the process of injecting carbon dioxide gas into the area directly below the eye tricks the body into increasing the oxygen flow to the area so that it can carry the excess CO2 injected into the body to the lungs to be exhaled.

Is Carboxy safe, and what’s the cosmetic alternative?

There is no scientific evidence to prove that injecting carbon dioxide into the tissue surrounding the eye has any lasting effect on the tissue, and there is definitely no evidence suggesting any cosmetic benefits to the procedure. The tissue surrounding the eye is extremely sensitive, and therefore I wouldn’t recommend any person undergo an unproven plastic surgery procedure in the area as it could result in very serious negative consequences.

If you are looking to remove the signs of ageing around your eyes, here at Harley Street Aesthetics I offer both upper and lower eyelid surgeries (also known as a blepharoplasty), as well as my Signature Turn-Back-Time Eyelift. My TBT Eyelift is much less invasive compared to a normal eyelift as I don’t have to ‘dig as deep’; the procedure salvages the protruding fat pod and strengthens the weakened orbital membrane. What’s more, the scar is hidden within the natural eyelid crease and will virtually disappear within one year. The TBT Eyelift surgery is usually performed as a day case procedure under local anaesthetic and benefits from virtually no bruising and no chance of lachrymal gland damage! Recovery is very fast at roughly 4 days and the results speak for themselves, but if you still need convincing, take a look at some of my previous results!

If you are interested in my TBT Eyelift procedure, please get in touch today on 0845 519 7232 or email: info@harleystreetaesthetics.com. After contacting my office, I will arrange an initial consultation where we can meet and discuss why you want the procedure and what you hope to achieve. The consultation will also give you a chance to ask me any questions you might have about the procedure and allow me to alleviate any fears you might have.