The popularity of hyperbaric oxygen as an antiaging mechanism appears to be growing. Once seen only in the confines of large hospitals and research-based medical centers, hyperbaric oxygen chambers are now found in medical offices, spas and even some beauty salons across the nation.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy refers to intermittent treatment of the entire body with 100-percent oxygen at greater than normal atmospheric pressures. "Hyper" means increased and "baric" relates to pressure.

How does hyperbaric oxygen work and why is it being employed as an anti-aging device? By immersing the body in increased oxygen at an increased pressure, dissolved oxygen in the blood and in all body tissues and fluids rises to up to 20 times the normal concentration.

Doctors believe the treatment results in the growth of new blood vessels to locations with reduced circulation. Affected organs receive more blood and are able to undergo self-healing to a certain point.

During hyperbaric oxygen, the blood vessels increase in diameter and may relieve patients with headaches or migraines.

The treatment is used primarily for cosmetic reasons to give a more youthful appearance to the skin. Individuals are placed in a mild hyperbaric oxygen chamber for about an hour, where they can move around, read a book, relax or take a nap. Some spas include a rejuvenating serum that is put on the face so the application of oxygen under hyperbaric pressure can assist in the rapid absorption of the serum.

Stress, anxiety and fatigue plague the fast-paced world of the modern era. To relax and unwind, people have resorted to meditation, breathing exercises and other approaches. Some doctors believe the use of hyperbaric oxygen may also help.

Hyperbaric oxygen is an advanced technology with a basic principle: oxygen as therapy. It is completely natural and has almost no side effects since it replenishes the body's own inherent ability to heal itself by giving each cell more energy. Hyperbaric oxygen organizes the tissues into a more efficient, metabolically functioning body.

The benefits received from hyperbaric therapy include improved cellular regeneration, enhanced physical and neurological function, mental clarity, sharpened motor skills, accelerated post-op healing and increased toxin metabolism.

Preliminary studies have shown hyperbaric oxygen helps reduce wrinkles and increase collagen and elastic fibers in the skin. But in the final analysis, there is no known way to stop the process of aging. As always, it's important to remember that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.