What Is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), uses cryolipolysis – freezing fat cells to kill them before your body naturally eliminates them within one to three months.

Your body may experience temporary discomfort during treatment sessions, including tugging sensations and tingling or ache in the area being addressed. Other side effects may include swelling and redness.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is a noninvasive solution to reduce unwanted fat on chins, bellies, hips, flanks (love handles), under arms and thighs. CoolSculpting is a brand name for a device which performs cryolipolysis – cooling fat cells to kill them so they’re eliminated naturally through your body. FDA approval was given in 2010 for CoolSculpting to be widely used to reshape problem areas.

Dr. Sibel describes this procedure as using an applicator with temperature controls designed to kill fat cells without hurting skin, nerves or other tissues – such as massage. Once on target area, an area massage or manipulations may be done in order to break up fatty tissues prior to cooling starting. Once cooling begins, providers can control temperature so it reaches levels cold enough for killing cells yet above freezing so as to not damage skin nerves or other tissues during process, according to Dr Sibel

When used on fatty tissue bulges, this device creates suction and cools it to cause fat cells to begin dying off – typically within 35-60 minutes per treatment session. Patients may experience tugging/pinching sensations as well as intense coldness, firmness, tingling/itching sensations or even small abrasions near treated areas – it may take up to six months for your body to flush away these dead fat cells according to its manufacturer.

Results can be dramatic: slimmer chin and jawlines, reduced love handles, smaller abdominal size and slimmer thighs are often reported by participants. Results may appear within two months while for others it may take up to three.

Keep this in mind: Coolsculpting is not intended as a weight loss solution and won’t work for those more than 20 pounds from their ideal weight, according to Joshua Zeichner, MD, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Dermatology in New York City. “Coolsculpting should only be used for fine-tuning stubborn pockets of fat early.”

Coolsculpting may not work for everyone. Though generally considered safe, like any medical procedure it carries risk; among the more frequently reported adverse reactions are loss of appetite, swelling, soreness in treated area and reddening, bruising and itching of skin.

How Does CoolSculpting Work?

CoolSculpting is a noninvasive cosmetic procedure that utilizes cryolipolysis to freeze away stubborn fat cells and flush them from the body, with FDA approval to reduce unwanted fat on stomach, arms, inner and outer thighs, neck love handles, flanks. Just one treatment may provide visible slimmer appearance in three to four months – unlike surgical options which often require downtime recovery periods.

Before beginning CoolSculpting, a licensed esthetician uses a skin-marking pencil or other device to mark the treatment area and help determine whether CoolSculpting meets patient goals.

After marking a treatment area, medical practitioners place a gel pad over it to protect the skin and apply an applicator designed for that body part (e.g. jiggly area or “banana roll”) which suctioned against both skin and fat layer for full contact with both layers of tissue.

This procedure uses cold temperatures to target subcutaneous fat cells and freeze them, thus dissolving stubborn fat bulges that persist even with diet and exercise.

CoolSculpting’s method for targeting fat that lies above muscle walls makes it more effective than traditional liposuction, which may lead to loose and sagging skin in its target areas. Furthermore, CoolSculpting does not require anesthesia or downtime and therefore poses less of a risk.

CoolSculpting targets fat cells specifically and helps them die and be eliminated by your body over a series of weeks to months, leading to 10-20 percent fat cell reduction and often leading to slimmer figures.

CoolSculpting may be effective, but it should be remembered that it doesn’t reduce overall body weight or eliminate existing belly fat. CoolSculpting is best used by those seeking to rid themselves of stubborn fat that resists diet and exercise efforts; however, it shouldn’t be seen as a treatment option for obese individuals; your physician may suggest weight loss surgery instead in order to help achieve healthier weight.

Can I Have CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is an FDA-cleared fat reduction procedure to address areas on the body that resist diet and exercise, such as cellulite. The noninvasive procedure uses controlled cooling to freeze fat cells beneath your skin before your body naturally processes and expels them through normal metabolic pathways – making this treatment option safe and effective for most.

Your doctor will help determine whether CoolSculpting is an appropriate procedure for you. It works best on healthy individuals with excess weight that’s mainly localized to one area – usually abdominal fat, love handles (also called love handles), flanks (also called love handles), back, arms, thighs or under the chin are most often targeted with this technique.

At the start of treatment, you’ll lie back and relax as your doctor uses an applicator on any area where fat deposits need to be reduced. Each area typically takes 45 minutes per treatment session; two areas can often be treated simultaneously. As with most procedures involving laser technology, you may feel some tugging sensation or intense cold during this process; these are both expected side effects and not uncommon side effects of treatment.

Once your treatment is over, you can resume normal activities immediately. Most patients begin seeing results within three weeks and continue seeing improvement over four months as your body flushes away dead fat cells from its system. Many have also reported feeling more motivated to take better care of themselves as a result of CoolSculpting.

Treatment with the ZELTIQ CoolSculpting device is completely safe, without any serious risks associated with its operation. To ensure optimal results, however, it’s vital to find a licensed provider certified by FDA to operate it. Be wary of clinics claiming they use this technology but without this accreditation from them.

Keep in mind that CoolSculpting won’t fully eradicate your fat cells, meaning regaining weight could occur if you go back to eating the same as before your treatments began. Therefore, maintaining an equilibrium through diet and exercise is essential after having gone through CoolSculpting treatments.

What Are the Side Effects of CoolSculpting?

Coolsculpting works by freezing fat cells (cryolipolysis). This procedure is entirely safe, noninvasive and does not harm muscle or skin tissues. When fat cells freeze they undergo a process known as apoptosis and die, then their bodies dispose of these dead cells naturally resulting in slimmer figures with clothing fitting better over time.

Most people need only one treatment session of Coolsculpting; however, others may require multiple sessions to see results. At each Coolsculpting session, an applicator will be applied directly to the area(s) you would like to treat while you relax as the device works its magic. At first it may feel cold or firm on your skin surface, but this sensation usually dissipates once your area becomes numb.

Once a session is over, the applicator is removed, and frozen lumps of fat are massaged for several minutes so they can more quickly “thaw.” While massage can often be the most uncomfortable part of this procedure, it also ensures optimal results.

Once their massage session has concluded, most patients can easily return to their daily activities without restrictions or limitations. Some even book massage appointments during lunch hour and head back directly back into work or out to meet friends for dinner right afterward.

Coolsculpting is usually considered safe and low-risk procedure; however, it’s wise to consult your physician prior to making a decision about this treatment option. Individuals suffering from certain medical conditions such as cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease or paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria should not receive this procedure, nor anyone who has an implanted pacemaker. In addition, medications like aspirin may interfere with its effectiveness – the most serious side effect being paradoxical adipose hyperplasia where fat cells grow larger instead of shrinkage – something liposuction can address.