It's at the spa and in your moisturizer, and you can even get it from a canister. Is oxygen therapy really good for your skin - or is it just a lot of hot air?
But whether oxygen is applied to the skin or directly inhaled, many dermatologists - including Dr. Jaggi Rao, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton - think that it's purely a fad. "Skin cells do need oxygen to carry out their functions," he says, "and oxygen therapy plays a role in some things, such as wound healing." But he doesn't believe it can actually deliver skin-care benefits. He claims that it's the pressure of the delivery system - not the oxygen itself - that results in the short-term, plumped-up look provided by oxygen facials. "You see an immediate effect from inflammation," he says. "Your skin is reacting to the force of air striking it. But you have to be concerned with inflammation. In the long term, some experts believe that it's not a good thing." Sadick and Skotnicki-Grant concede that there is no evidence of long-term results. "Theoretically, when oxygen is introduced to the skin, it increases blood supply and cell metabolism, so it could slow down the aging process," says Sadick, "but there are no studies to confirm this."
Another skeptic is Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist and director of DLK On Avenue in Toronto, who expresses concern that many people are seeking out oxygen because they see it as a safer alternative to other, more-proven products and procedures. "There is a trend toward products that are perceived as being more natural, but these are cosmetic products, not treatments," she says. "Any product that treats the skin is a drug and, therefore, held to a higher standard of product claims."
Still, while there's no concrete evidence that oxygen will give you a glow, most dermatologists say that oxygen facials, products and inhalation devices can be used safely - as long as you have realistic expectations of the results. "[The facials] may feel nice, so they can be beneficial in that sense," says Dr. Peter Vignjevic, a dermatologist based in Hamilton, Ont. "They're a temporary fix, and I think they make people feel good," adds Rao. Plus, with the growing perception of impurity - both in the air we breathe and the water we drink - oxygen therapies can be a compelling purchase. (Ontario's Ministry of the Environment issued 13 smog warnings last year, compared to just six in 1995, indicating that air quality is indeed worsening.) "The trend right now is about overall health and well-being," says Margetts. "People are looking for ways to make themselves feel better."
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