Is There an Association Between Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Improved Outcome of Deep Chemical Peeling? A Randomized Pilot Clinical Study

AbstractBackground: Phenol chemical peeling (PCP) treatment is associated with prolonged recovery and sustained adverse events.Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is known to accelerate wound healing. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate theeffect of HBOT on PCP recovery period and adverse events. Methods: This is a pilot randomized controlled clinical study.Women following PCP underwent 5 consecutive daily HBOT sessions, compared with PCP alone. Pain, pruritus, erythema,crusting, scaling, and edema were daily evaluated up to 28 days following PCP. Photographs taken on days 14 and 35 following PCPwere assessed. Confidence to appear in public was assessed 14 days following PCP. Results: Eight participants equally assigned toHBOT and control groups. Lower severity scores for erythema, scaling, and pruritus were documented in the HBOT group(mean difference 1.19, P ¼ .006; .84, P ¼ .04; and 2.19, P ¼ .001, respectively). Photographic assessment severity score was higherfor skin tightness, edema, erythema, crusting, and scaling in the control group on day 14 post PCP (P < .05) and for erythema onday 35 post PCP (P < .05). Epithelialization percentage was higher in the HBOT group on day 14 post PCP compared with controls(98.5% + 1% vs 94.2% + 1%; P ¼ .021). The HBOT group scored higher in confidence to appear in public (20.8 + 1.7 vs14.5 + 1.3; P ¼ .029). Conclusion: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy following PCP is associated with faster recovery as assessed byboth patients and caregivers. So far, HBOT was mainly used in the treatment of problematic or chronic wounds. Our study suggestsexpanding the indications in which hyperbaric oxygen treatment is applicable and recommended.