Carboxytherapy & Body Slimming

Carboxytherapy & Body Slimming in Seoul

Medically reviewed by Dr. Chae-ho Lee, Medical Director, Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae; Member, Korean Obesity & Aesthetic Body Shaping

Doctor profile · Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae, Seoul

Carboxytherapy is a minimally invasive body treatment in which medical-grade carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas is injected into the fat layer of a chosen area to support circulation, localized fat reduction, smoother-looking cellulite, and firmer skin. At Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae, carboxytherapy in Seoul is used mainly on the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, and calves. A session takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and light showering is allowed the same day.

What Is Carboxytherapy?

Carboxytherapy is the injection of medical CO₂ gas into subcutaneous fat, with the aim of improving local blood flow and oxygen supply so that the area looks slimmer and smoother.

• Gas into the fat layer. The clinic's technique specifically places CO₂ into the fat layer of the selected body area.
• Circulation and oxygen. The intended mechanism is to promote blood circulation and increase oxygen supply in the treated tissue.
• Fat and cellulite. The clinic describes this as helping with fat breakdown and cellulite improvement.
• Skin and swelling. It is also described as supporting skin elasticity and reducing swelling or edema.
• Local, not general. Carboxytherapy addresses the contour of specific areas; it is not a substitute for weight-loss treatment.

On the clinic's menu, carboxytherapy sits under Body Care alongside Body ONDA, Body Botox, Body Whitening, and diet-medication prescriptions, while Fat-Dissolving Injection and Violette are listed separately under Lipolysis. What sets carboxytherapy apart is its delivery method. It uses gas injected through a fine needle, whereas Body ONDA is a non-invasive energy-based treatment and the lipolysis options use injected solutions.

How it compares with related body treatments

Treatment	Delivery	Session length	What the clinic emphasizes
Carboxytherapy	CO₂ gas injected into the fat layer	About 15–30 minutes	Circulation, cellulite, elasticity, edema
Body ONDA	Non-invasive microwave energy	About 15–20 minutes	Subcutaneous fat, cellulite, elasticity
Fat-Dissolving Injection (V-Fit)	Injected lipolytic solution	About 5 minutes	Localized fat, as a series of sessions
Violette	Injected deoxycholic-acid-based solution	About 10–15 minutes	Gradual volume reduction

If your main concern is a small, defined pocket of fat, an injected solution may be the more direct tool. If cellulite, puffiness, or skin texture is part of the picture, carboxytherapy or Body ONDA may be more relevant. Dr. Lee explains these trade-offs once he has examined the area.

What research shows

Published studies on carboxytherapy for the body are encouraging but small. In a pilot study of ten healthy women who had eight sessions at weekly intervals, carboxytherapy was associated with a reduction in cellulite grade and with changes on ultrasound in the treated areas (Carboxytherapy pilot study, PMC). A study of that size cannot predict individual results, and longer-term follow-up is limited. Treat carboxytherapy as a supportive contour treatment rather than a proven fat-loss method.

Who Performs Carboxytherapy at Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae

Dr. Chae-ho Lee
Medical Director at Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae

Carboxytherapy at Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae is performed by Dr. Chae-ho Lee, Medical Director and the clinic's only physician. This treatment area is offered as a clinic service led by the Medical Director rather than as one of Dr. Lee's stated core specializations. He is a member of the Korean Obesity & Aesthetic Body Shaping society. He assesses the treatment area, skin condition, medical history, and goals at consultation, explains the expected benefits and possible side effects, and then decides which areas to treat and how.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Carboxytherapy?

Suitability depends on the treatment area, how much subcutaneous fat there is and where it sits, your medical history, and your goals. Carboxytherapy may suit:

• Adults seeking non-surgical improvement of a localized body contour.
• People concerned about cellulite on the thighs, abdomen, or other areas.
• People with small areas of localized fat or edema on the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, or calves.
• People who want an approach with little downtime compared with surgical body contouring.
• People who understand that results build over sessions and are best supported by healthy habits.

Carboxytherapy may need to be postponed or avoided for:

• People who are pregnant.
• Anyone with an active infection, inflammation, or skin problem at the treatment site.
• People with significant circulation problems.
• People with certain medical conditions identified during screening.
• Anyone hoping to use it in place of overall weight management.

Final screening is carried out by the treating doctor.

What to Expect: Procedure, Recovery, and Results Timeline

Before treatment

Wear loose clothing that leaves the treatment area easy to reach. Avoid strenuous exercise immediately beforehand. Patients are typically asked to avoid alcohol and blood-thinning medication before injection-based treatments, but never stop a prescribed medicine without speaking to the prescribing doctor first.

The session, step by step

1. Consultation. Dr. Lee assesses the area, your skin, your medical history, and your goals, and explains the plan.
2. Selecting areas. The areas to treat are chosen, most often the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, or calves.
3. CO₂ injection. Medical CO₂ gas is injected into the fat layer of each selected area.
4. During treatment. You may feel gas spreading around the area and a temporary sense of fullness or swelling.
5. After the session. Aftercare instructions are given, and further sessions are scheduled if recommended.

A session usually takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the number and size of areas, and is completed in a single outpatient visit. Whether any anesthetic is used depends on the area and the clinician's protocol.

Recovery and results timeline

When	What to expect
During and just after	A spreading-gas sensation and a feeling of fullness near the injection points.
Same day	Light showering is allowed; avoid saunas and strenuous exercise.
Several hours	The gas-related sensation and temporary swelling generally fade.
Over several weeks	Results develop gradually; the visible outcome becomes clearer with sessions and individual response.

Aftercare

Light showering is fine on the day of treatment. Stay out of saunas and avoid strenuous exercise after the procedure. The clinic notes that circulation and drainage can be slower in some people depending on their condition, so the gas sensation may take longer to fade for some patients.

Planning a trip

Carboxytherapy is an outpatient treatment, and same-day showering suggests no prolonged recovery period is needed. If several sessions are recommended, extra clinic visits will be required, so your schedule depends on the plan. Confirm flight timing with the clinic, particularly if multiple areas were treated or noticeable swelling develops.

Combining Carboxytherapy with Other Treatments

The clinic describes combination protocols that pair carboxytherapy with other body treatments:

• Body ONDA — the microwave-energy treatment may be combined with carboxytherapy for body contour and skin texture.
• Fat-Dissolving Injection / Lipolysis — injected solutions and CO₂ can be planned together when localized fat is the main concern.
• Body Botox — botulinum toxin may be included in a combined body-contouring plan.

Which treatments to combine, and in what order, is decided after Dr. Lee has examined the areas.

Safety, Precision, and Clinic Standards

• The Ministry of Health and Welfare recognized Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae as a foreign-patient medical institution in January 2023.
• Dr. Chae-ho Lee screens every patient and performs every carboxytherapy session.
• Each plan begins with a 1:1 consultation covering the area, skin, history, and goals.
• The clinic's technique is CO₂ injection specifically into the fat layer.

Possible side effects and risks

The most common effects are temporary redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness, and a mild burning or pressure sensation at the injection sites, along with the feeling of gas spreading under the skin. A crackling sensation under the skin can also occur. These usually improve within a short time. Less commonly, infection, prolonged swelling, skin irritation, or other injection-related complications may occur.

An audit of clinical practice using carbon dioxide therapy for cellulite reported no serious complications; the side effects recorded were injection-site pain, crepitus, and short-lived aches, along with some bruising at needle entry points that resolved within 7 to 10 days (Carbon dioxide therapy audit, PMC). That experience comes from a single practice, so it describes what was observed there rather than promising the same outcome elsewhere.

The Bottom Line

• Carboxytherapy injects medical CO₂ into the fat layer to support circulation, contour, cellulite, and skin firmness.
• At Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae, Dr. Chae-ho Lee leads the treatment as a clinic service.
• Sessions take about 15 to 30 minutes, and light showering is allowed the same day.
• The gas sensation usually fades within several hours, and results build over several weeks.
• It refines local contour and is not a substitute for weight management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does carboxytherapy feel like?
Most people notice gas spreading around the treated area and a temporary sense of being swollen or full. A mild pressure or burning feeling can occur at the injection points. These sensations generally fade after several hours.

Which body areas can be treated?
The clinic uses carboxytherapy mainly on the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, and calves. Dr. Lee confirms which areas suit you after examining them.

How many sessions will I need?
A single session can be done in one visit, but multiple sessions may be recommended depending on your goal. Your plan is set at consultation.

Will carboxytherapy help me lose weight?
No. It aims to improve the contour of specific areas, cellulite, and skin firmness. It is not a weight-loss treatment, and lasting change depends on diet and exercise as well.

When will I see results?
Results usually develop gradually rather than immediately. The final visible outcome may become clearer over several weeks, depending on the area, the number of sessions, and your response.

How is carboxytherapy different from Body ONDA?
Carboxytherapy injects CO₂ gas into the fat layer through a needle. Body ONDA is a non-invasive treatment that uses microwave energy. The two can also be combined.

What should I avoid after treatment?
Avoid saunas and strenuous exercise after the session. Light showering on the same day is fine.

Book a Consultation at Doctorpetit Clinic Hongdae

For carboxytherapy in Seoul, the first step is an examination with Dr. Chae-ho Lee, who will look at the areas you want to change and tell you plainly whether carboxytherapy, another body treatment, or a combination is the better fit. English interpretation is available during consultations. Find the clinic on the eighth floor of the Wookdo Building, 151 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu; it is right at Exit 1 of Hongik University Station. Book online, and browse real patient reviews before you go.

Disclaimer

Treatment suitability, expected results, recovery time, risks, and potential side effects vary by individual. The information provided is for general informational purposes and does not replace an in-person medical consultation. Patients should discuss their medical history, treatment goals, and individual circumstances with a qualified medical professional before undergoing treatment.

Sources & Further Reading

• PMC — Effectiveness of Carboxytherapy in the Treatment of Cellulite in Healthy Women: A Pilot Study
• PMC — Carbon Dioxide Therapy in the Treatment of Cellulite: An Audit of Clinical Practice