CoolSculpting: The Hottest New Cosmetic Treatment Is Freezing
CoolSculpting. It may be on your mind or in the air — this hottest new thing in cosmetic treatments for getting stubborn fat off your tummy or out from under your jaw. Here’s what you need to know about this noninvasive way to lose excess fat cells, permanently and safely.
What is CoolSculpting?
It’s probably best to start with what CoolSculpting isn’t. This proven technique for body contouring is not plastic surgery. It’s not invasive, like liposuction. CoolSculpting is a patented, FDA-approved treatment that gently freezes and eliminates stubborn fat cells.
Who can benefit from CoolSculpting?
Those of us — women and men — who have fought the good fight to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy body weight with diet and exercise, but who still have stubborn deposits of fat in certain areas, are possible candidates for CoolSculpting. That little belly pooch, the last bit of underarm flap, the upper thigh ripple that simply won’t respond to traditional weight-loss strategies — these are the things that bring people to CoolSculpting. Your cosmetic practitioner can let you know whether CoolSculpting is right for your particular needs.
How does it work?
This diagram gives an overall view of how the CoolSculpting technique works.
What is a treatment like?
Everyone’s body is different. Your CoolSculpting experience begins with a consultation with your provider. You will discuss your expectations for treatment, and areas to be treated will be identified. At your CoolSculpting session, you will recline comfortably while the technician applies a gel pad (containing the cooling gel) and applicator (supplying the freezing energy to targeted fat cells below the skin’s surface) to the area to be treated. During your procedure, feel free to read, check email, or even take a nap. You may feel some discomfort from the intense cold at the start of the treatment (as you would when applying an ice pack), but this will subside as the treatment area numbs. The applicator also uses mild suction to draw the fatty tissue into the cup area, so you may feel a slight tugging or pulling sensation. Because the procedure is noninvasive, there is no downtime involved. You may experience redness and tenderness in the treated area for a few days, but most patients return to work or regular activities right after leaving treatment.
Will I need more than one session?
Depending on your expectations and the number of areas to be treated, you may require more than one CoolSculpting treatment to achieve your desired results. For example, you may want to treat both your inner and outer thighs, or reduce your muffin top along with your bat wings. Many practitioners offer treatment with dual devices, so you can have two areas treated in the same session.
Are the results permanent?
The destruction of the particular fat cells targeted by CoolSculpting is permanent. The targeted cells are frozen, crystallized, and eliminated. Non-targeted surrounding cells then compress or clump together to fill in the gaps, thus thinning the fat deposit even more. However, as with weight loss, the effects of CoolSculpting will be reversed if you gain weight and accumulate new fat-cell deposits. That is why CoolSculpting should be considered a fat-removal treatment, not a weight-less solution.
Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena is proud to announce that we’ll be offering dual-device CoolSculpting treatments beginning in mid-July. To find out more about CoolSculpting or to schedule your CoolSculpting consultation (available beginning July 13), contact our cosmetic consultant Mary Lou Brimecombe today!