Cryolipolysis, or “fat-freezing”, is commonly marketed in aesthetic treatments as CoolSculpting. The treatment originated after researchers began to understand what actually happens when humans get frostbite: fat cells freeze before skin freezes.
Cryolipolysis works like frostbite; it freezes fat, leaving the overlying skin intact. A section of your skin is inserted into a freezing device for about an hour, resulting in the disappearance of some fat cells.
Your aesthetic clinic doctor will work with you on the best treatment plan tailored to your needs. It may take as little as one office visit to achieve your goals. With different applicators to choose from, your doctor can design a treatment plan that can give you your desired results.
For some people, a customized treatment plan may include more than one treatment. For example, you may want to freeze away fat from your inner and/or outer thighs – and also get rid of that muffin top. Some practices have multiple CoolSculpting systems and can treat different body areas at the same time.
During your treatment, a gel pad and applicator will be applied to the targeted area. The applicator delivers controlled cooling to the targeted fat. Heavy-duty suction pulls the fat bulge inside CoolSculpting paddles, where it is chilled.
Some of the fat cells in the cooled area are destroyed and ultimately disposed of by the liver. As with other ultrasound devices, there is little risk of skin injury and no change in blood levels of fats. The number of treatments needed vary, according to the amount of excess fat and the skill of the aesthetics doctor.
Once the fat is secured inside the CoolSculpting machine, it is cooled down to the point where it is broken down. A session takes less than an hour and no anaesthesia is needed. Once an area has been treated the next area can be started.
As the name suggests, the CoolSculpting procedure can be a little chilly. Though you may feel intense cold initially, this feeling usually subsides within 5 to 10 minutes as the area numbs. Because most applicators use a vacuum to draw fatty tissue into the applicator cup, you may also feel some pulling, tugging, and/or mild pinching. All applicators deliver controlled cooling to the targeted fat.
Your physician will provide a clinical recommendation of which areas should be treated and how many treatments you will need. The result? The sculpted shape you want.
The procedure is completely non-surgical, which makes returning to normal activities afterwards a typically easy process. Often, patients even return to work after their CoolSculpting treatment is over.
Results take from two to four months to appear and some people experience redness, mild pain and bruising for a few days afterward. You can generally expect a 20 percent fat reduction but this may take a number of treatments. Speak to your aesthetics doctor to find out what this treatment can do for you.