Abstract:

The effects of exposure to hyperbaric oxygen on ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation-induced melanin pigmentations of skins and on senile spot sizes of faces were investigated. In the first experiment, male subjects were irradiated with UVB on their upper arms for inducing erythema and the subsequent melanin pigmentation. They were exposed to a hyperbaric environment at 1.25 atmospheres absolute (ATA) with 32% oxygen for 1 h/day, three times per week. In the second experiment, female subjects were exposed to a hyperbaric environment at 1.25 ATA with 32% oxygen for 1 h/day, two times per week. In the first experiment, melanin pigmentations lightened after 4 weeks of exposure to hyperbaric oxygen. In the second experiment, senile spot sizes became small after 12 weeks of exposure to hyperbaric oxygen. We concluded that exposure to hyperbaric oxygen used in this study accelerates both the fading in melanin pigmentation and the decrease in senile spot size.

Nishizaka, Nomura, Sano, Higuchi, Nagatomo, Ishihara, , , (2011). Hyperbaric oxygen improves ultraviolet B irradiation-induced melanin pigmentation and diminishes senile spot size. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 2011 Aug;17(3):332-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21507067