After surgery or during a clinical skincare routine, your skin can reach a point where healing slows down and loses its healthy look. Poor blood flow in the area can make your skin appear dull. Carboxy therapy changes this by delivering carbon dioxide to the skin. At InHands Post Operative Therapy, we use topical carboxy therapy to increase oxygen levels in targeted areas. This non-surgical treatment quickly increases oxygen levels, helping tissues recover from trauma or damage.
After surgery or during post-operative care, your body’s ability to heal depends on adequate oxygen delivery to the tissue. When circulation is compromised (as it often is following a procedure), bruising lingers, swelling persists, and skin loses its healthy resilience. Carboxy therapy addresses this directly. At InHands Postoperative Therapy, we use CO2Lift topical carboxy therapy to restore oxygen to targeted areas of the body, supporting your recovery from the inside out.
Carboxy therapy is a non-invasive treatment that applies controlled amounts of carbon dioxide to the skin. This starts a process called the Bohr effect, which makes hemoglobin release more oxygen to the treated area.
Instead of using injections, our carboxy treatments use advanced topical masks to deliver benefits similar to a hyperbaric oxygen session. Our CO2Lift carboxy treatments use a professional-grade gel applied directly to the skin to deliver benefits similar to a hyperbaric oxygen session without needles or discomfort. This makes it easier for your skin to repair itself and is a simple way to improve skin health and renewal.
For our clients in Los Gatos, topical carbon dioxide is a versatile tool that helps tissues heal quickly. We focus on deeper skin issues rather than just surface-level trends, treating several key concerns:
Your skin manages its resources carefully. When carbon dioxide is applied to the surface, your brain thinks the area needs more oxygen. This causes small blood vessels to widen, sending more fresh blood to the area. As blood flow increases, more oxygen reaches your skin cells. This process also boosts your body’s natural collagen production. Your tissues get the nutrients they need to repair, improving your skin’s health from within.
When the CO2Lift gel is applied to the skin, carbon dioxide diffuses into the upper dermis. The body interprets this as a signal that tissue needs more oxygen, causing small blood vessels to dilate and blood flow to increase significantly. Studies show an increase of up to 400% within minutes of application. As oxygenated blood reaches the treated area, fibroblasts are activated to produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Metabolic waste is cleared, inflammation is reduced, and the conditions for healing are meaningfully improved, all through the body’s own natural response.
If you want to clear bruising after surgery before going out in public, this treatment works very well. It’s also a great choice for anyone who wants to treat early aging, fine lines, or stubborn dark spots without the downtime of strong lasers or peels. CO2Lift is appropriate for patients who have been cleared by their surgeon for topical skin therapies and are in active recovery or continued wellness care following a surgical procedure. It is especially well-suited for patients dealing with persistent bruising, swelling, or sluggish healing, as well as those who want to maintain skin health and support collagen production long after their procedure.
We follow strict safety guidelines to protect your recovery. We do not treat open wounds or surgical incisions that have not been cleared by your surgeon. If you have an active skin infection or a serious skin condition, you need to wait until your skin has healed.
There is no physical downtime or skin reaction following CO2Lift carboxy therapy. Unlike many clinical skin treatments, CO2Lift is gentle enough to be applied to even the most compromised post-surgical skin without causing irritation, redness, or sensitivity. Your skin will look and feel calm immediately after treatment.
None. You can apply makeup, return to work, or go out to dinner in Los Gatos immediately following your appointment. There is no flushing, swelling, or visible reaction that requires recovery time.
There are no activity restrictions after CO2Lift carboxy therapy. You may resume all normal activities right away — including exercise, skincare, and makeup application. This makes it an ideal treatment to schedule any time, even the day before a significant event.
Many patients notice improved skin radiance and hydration immediately following their first treatment. For post-surgical bruising and swelling, results are cumulative, and improvements build with each session. The most significant results are achieved when multiple treatments are completed during the active healing window. Longer-term outcomes, including improved firmness, elasticity, and skin tone, develop over several weeks as the body continues producing collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
Immediately after treatment, skin appears brighter, more hydrated, and visibly calmer. Short-term benefits, including reduced puffiness and smoother texture, continue to develop in the days following each session. With a consistent treatment protocol, structural improvements to skin firmness and resilience are cumulative and sustained over months as new collagen and elastin are produced.
For post-surgical recovery, we recommend beginning CO2Lift as early as your surgeon allows. During the active healing phase, treatments are performed every other day for a series of three sessions, then transition to monthly maintenance once healing is complete. For clients focused on continued wellness and skin health, your InHands specialist will develop a personalized plan based on your goals.
CO2Lift carboxy therapy is priced between $75 and $125 per treatment. It can be added to a broader post-surgical recovery plan at InHands or supplemented with at-home CO2Lift options to support more frequent care between visits. Your InHands care coordinator will provide an exact quote following your consultation.
Traditional treatments like fillers or Botox work by relaxing muscles or adding volume. Carboxy therapy, on the other hand, improves your skin’s health and thickness. It doesn’t replace injectables for facial shaping, but it helps your face look natural, not overdone. Unlike lasers, which use heat, carboxy therapy uses a gentle gas process, so there’s no risk of dark spots for sensitive skin.
CO2Lift works endogenously — it activates your body’s own healing response rather than introducing foreign substances or causing skin trauma. Unlike laser resurfacing or chemical peels, which rely on controlled injury to drive skin renewal, CO2Lift is appropriate for post-surgical skin at any stage of healing and carries no risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It supports your surgical outcome rather than competing with it.
Topical carbon dioxide works well with our other recovery treatments. We often combine it with light therapy to boost your skin’s energy. It also pairs nicely with manual lymphatic drainage. Carboxy therapy improves blood flow in the skin, while lymphatic therapy helps clear swelling deeper in the tissues.
At InHands, we specialize in post-surgery recovery. Every treatment we offer, including CO2Lift, is selected and delivered within the context of surgical recovery and long-term healing. Our clinical team understands the physiology of post-operative tissue and works within the parameters set by your surgical team to ensure every step of your recovery is thoughtfully supported.
No. Traditional carboxy therapy uses injections to deliver carbon dioxide deep into the skin or fat. At InHands, we use a special gel and mask system that creates the same gas exchange through the skin’s surface. You get the benefits of increased blood flow and oxygen without any needles, pain, or bruising.
CO2Lift carboxy therapy is completely sensation-free from start to finish. The gel is applied directly to the skin and works quietly without any tingling, warmth or discomfort. Most patients find the 45-minute session calming and restorative.
We suggest waiting at least seven days after getting injectables before having a carboxy session. Since carboxy therapy increases blood flow, doing it too soon could affect how your filler or Botox settles. Once everything has settled, carboxy therapy is a great way to keep your skin healthy.
Bruising happens when blood gets trapped under the skin and doesn’t have enough oxygen. Carboxy therapy widens small blood vessels and brings in fresh, oxygen-rich blood, which helps your body break down and absorb the bruise faster. This means post-op clients can get rid of discoloration much quicker than with rest alone.
Topical carboxy therapy does not cause dark spots after treatment. Unlike lasers or strong chemical peels that use heat or damage to renew the skin, carboxy therapy uses your body’s own oxygen system to help tissue heal. This makes it safe for all skin types, even for people with dark or sensitive skin who can’t use harsh treatments.
