After a face-lift, HBOT was linked to 35% less bruise discolouration on day seven.
Of 13 women having face-lift surgery, six chose HBOT alongside their usual aftercare and seven did not. The HBOT group had about 35% less discolouration on day seven and 30% less on day ten, measured from photographs. [1]
Visible bruising is one concern during recovery from a cosmetic procedure. This study offers a specific finding about how bruising looked during that period.
| No. | Article | Year |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | Stong and Jacono, Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery | 2010 |
After face-lift surgery, thirteen women received usual aftercare; six also chose HBOT.
Stong and Jacono (2010) followed 13 women aged 47 to 71 after face-lift surgery. Six elected to have five 60-minute HBOT sessions at 2 ATA: two before surgery and three on postoperative days three, four, and five. The other seven received usual aftercare alone. Assignment was by patient choice, rather than randomisation. [1]
Photos were taken on days one, five, seven, and ten. Researchers compared cheek colour with unaffected skin, using the difference to quantify bruise discolouration. A lower score meant less visible colour change.
Overall, greater improvement in bruising was observed with HBOT compared to without HBOT.
On day seven, the average discolouration score was 27.5 with HBOT versus 42.2 without it—about 35% lower. On day ten, scores were 22.0 versus 31.6, about 30% lower. Both differences were statistically significant; days one and five showed no significant difference. [1]
These percentages describe colour differences on those days, not a reduction in recovery time. For someone concerned about visible bruising, the practical relevance is a less pronounced colour change at the one-week mark.
With 13 participants and patient-selected groups, this is preliminary evidence in surgical aftercare. Its relevance is to that setting; everyday skin rejuvenation was not measured.
Less visible bruising after a face-lift with HBOT.
The study links HBOT with less bruise discolouration seven and ten days after a face-lift. For clients concerned about how bruising looks during recovery, that is a specific benefit worth discussing with the treating clinician.
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A linked DOI opens the original paper on the publisher site.
- B. C. Stong and A. A. Jacono, "Effect of perioperative hyperbaric oxygen on bruising in face-lifts," Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 356-358, 2010, doi: 10.1001/archfacial.2010.66
