Dark circles under the eyes are a common concern that can leave you looking tired— even if you feel well-rested. If topical creams and concealers aren’t cutting it, carboxytherapy may be the answer. The gentle treatment uses carbon dioxide (CO₂) to naturally refresh the under-eye area and restore a brighter, more youthful look.
What Is Carboxytherapy?
Carboxytherapy is a procedure where a small amount of purified CO₂ gas is gently injected under the skin—often in the undereye area. It works by temporarily increasing blood flow, boosting oxygen delivery, and encouraging collagen formation. Over time, this helps to reduce pigmentation and improve skin texture. The process is quick, usually well-tolerated, and requires no downtime.
What the Research Shows
- Safe and effective: Studies show carboxytherapy can noticeably brighten the under-eye area and improve skin quality, with no serious side effects reported (Seirafianpour et al., 2024).
- Visible improvements: Dark pigmentation and discoloration under the eyes fade after a series of carboxytherapy sessions (Eyraud et al., 2021).
- Even better with combined treatments: When paired with gentle skin acids (like vitamin C or ferulic acid), carboxytherapy works even more effectively, helping with both dark color and tired-looking skin (Kołodziejczak & Rotsztejn, 2021).
- Ongoing results: Improvements continue to build over several sessions, and most people see the best results after three to six treatments (Jarząbek-Perz et al., 2025).
- Alternative to lasers: In some studies, laser treatments showed slightly stronger results, but carboxytherapy still provided clear benefits—especially for people looking for a gentler option (Zaheri et al., 2022).
Why People Love It
- Safe and well-tolerated, with minimal discomfort—sometimes mild warmth or temporary puffiness.
- Quick, in-office treatment— typically just a few minutes per session, with no downtime
- Visible results in just a few sessions—especially if paired with gentle acids, with improvements continuing over time.
- Targets multiple causes of dark circles, not just pigmentation.
When Will You See Results?
Most clients notice subtle improvements after a few sessions. For best results, a series of 2-6 weekly treatments, spaced one week apart, is often recommended.
The Bottom Line
Tired of looking tired? Carboxytherapy offers a science-backed, minimally invasive solution to under-eye circles. It’s safe, effective, and gives visible results without surgery. Whether you’re targeting vascular tones, pigmentation, or both, carboxytherapy may just light up your eyes—and your outlook.
References
Seirafianpour, F., Atefi, N., Amin, N. G., Namazi, M. R., Behrangi, E., Shafiei, A., Ghassemi, M., Mozafarpoor, S., & Goodarzi, A. (2024). Effectiveness, safety, and patient satisfaction of carboxytherapy as an adjunctive treatment for periorbital hyperpigmentation. Skin Research and Technology, 30, e13651. PMC
Eyraud, Q., et al. (2021). Cosmetic correction of dark circles with carboxytherapy: a prospective clinical trial. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. PubMed
Kołodziejczak, A., & Rotsztejn, J. (2024). The impact of carboxytherapy and treatments combining carboxytherapy and acids on dark circles. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. PMCDove Medical Press
Jarząbek-Perz, S., et al. (2025). Carboxytherapy in the management of selected skin conditions: Four-session protocol for periorbital dark circles. Applied Sciences. MDPI
Zaheri, H., Beyzaee, A. M., Rokni, G. R., et al. (2022). Comparison of the efficacy of carboxytherapy versus fractional CO₂ laser therapy for periorbital dark circles. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 22(2), 512–516.