Stubborn rolls of flab just freeze away? It really can be done! More and more beauty practices are offering cryolipolysis, a non-invasive treatment for fat reduction, which is marketed under the brand name Coolsculpting as a gentle solution against problem zones. How exactly does it work, what are the risks and for whom is the treatment really worthwhile we have investigated.

What is Coolsculpting?

Coolsculpting is the brand name of a cooling machine that stands for a new method of fat reduction: cryolipolysis. Unlike liposuction, this beauty treatment does not involve the use of a scalpel. Fat deposits that patients find disturbing are treated with strong cold to achieve the death of the fat cells. The method was developed by scientists at Harvard University and has now been in practice for six years.

For whom is the procedure suitable?

The Coolsculpting device can be used to remove “localized excess fat” – but not severe excess weight. The procedure is therefore primarily suitable for people with isolated problem areas who are resistant to dieting and exercise. The treatment is possible for virtually any adult, he said. 

Exceptions: Pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding, as well as people with certain health impairments. For example, about cold urticaria, a cold allergy that can lead to hives and unpleasant swellings on the skin of those affected from around five degrees Celsius. Regular use of blood-thinning medication is also not compatible with cryolipolysis.

How does the treatment proceed?

The areas to be treated are thoroughly cleaned and protected with a gel pad before the Coolsculpting device is used. The tissue is sucked in through a vacuum cup. The fat that is in this container is the treatment area, so to speak. The Coolsculpting machine uses sensors to keep the skin at a constant plus four degrees Celsius. 

This is cold enough to destroy the fat cells, but at the same time does not cause cold burns on the skin. Depending on the area being treated, the cooling modules run for between 35 minutes and an hour. The subsequent and final treatment step is a two-minute massage of the iced area to finally destroy the fat cells and promote their breakdown.

The non-invasive treatment can, in principle, be performed during a lunch break. The patient is not put under anesthesia, and the ability to drive and work are not restricted. Pain afterwards is also unlikely. Only anti-inflammatory drugs such as Thomapyrin or ibuprofen should be avoided during the following days, as they could falsify the results.

Which problem areas are suitable for cryolipolysis?

Excess fat that sticks out – i.e. a small belly, fat pads on the buttocks or thighs, even a double chin. The attachments of the Coolsculpting device must be able to suck in the areas to be treated. Icing fat that is evenly distributed on, for example, strong legs, could lead to dents after the treatment.

What is the CoolSculpting Procedure? 

CoolSculpting non-careful fat decreases innovation tenderly and successfully focuses on the fat cells under the skin while leaving the actual skin unaffected. 

The Science and Technology 

A long time back, researchers at Harvard University saw that a few kids who ate popsicles got dimples in their cheeks. The researchers understood that the popsicles were freezing and dispensing with little pockets of fat cells. 

The possibility that cold can target fat cells—without harming the skin or encompassing tissue—was the knowledge behind Cryolipolysis, the demonstrated science on which the CoolSculpting methodology is based. 

Fat Reduction versus Weight reduction 

Numerous individuals think fat decrease and weight reduction are exactly the same thing. They’re definitely not. The CoolSculpting technique is FDA-cleared to target obstinate fat lumps in explicit zones: midsection, flank/side (“overhang” or “extra padding”), inward thigh, external thigh, twofold jaw. 

Is it appropriate for me? 

You and your CoolSculpting doctor will decide whether you’re a decent contender for non-careful fat decrease.

Am I a decent applicant ? 

The CoolSculpting fat-decrease technique is extraordinarily intended for the individuals who have undesirable fat in focused territories. Dissimilar to weight reduction medical procedure (e.g., gastric detour), the CoolSculpting methodology isn’t a weight reduction answer for individuals who are large. Great possibilities for the CoolSculpting system have perceptible lumps in specific regions they’d prefer to dispose of. Numerous individuals need a non-careful option in contrast to liposuction.

Is the treatment painful?

By nature, pain is perceived differently from person to person, as Dr. Heitmann points out. Basically, however, he describes the procedure as easy to endure and in no way comparable to the accompanying symptoms associated with liposuction, for example. After the cold effect is clearly noticeable at the beginning, the unpleasant feeling subsides after a few minutes – the skin is then as if lightly anesthetized and less sensitive to temperature. The least popular part: the two-minute “kneading” following the cold treatment. The idea here is to manually destroy the degenerated fat cells and ultimately achieve greater treatment success. “For some patients, the massaging brings tears to their eyes,” the specialist describes. “Others, however, can relax well during the process and even fall asleep.”