Fat Elimination After the CoolSculpting Procedure
Fat cells that are frozen during the CoolSculpting procedure gradually die off and leave the body through the body’s natural elimination process. That’s why the results are long-term. Untreated areas will have no change in fat cell distribution.
Years ago, scientists at Harvard University observed that some children who ate popsicles got dimples in the cheeks. The scientists- Dieter Manstein, MD and R. Rox Anderson, MD-realized that the popsicles were freezing and eliminating small pockets of fat cells.
The idea that cold can target fat cells-without damaging the skin or surrounding tissue-was the insight behind cryolipolysis, the proven science on which the CoolSculpting procedure is based.
CoolSculpting Freezes & Eliminates Stubborn Fat. The CoolSculpting procedure safely delivers precisely controlled cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. Treated fat cells are crystallized (frozen), then die. Over time, your body naturally processes the fat and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted you.
A good candidate is someone who is in good health, eats well and exercises regularly, but has one or more areas
of stubborn fat that won’t seem to go away. Specifically designed to treat subcutaneous fat, which is fat you can pull or grab, CoolSculpting can treat areas that display this type of fat. CoolSculpting patients can be either male or female, as long as they have realistic expectations and goals. CoolSculpting is not a substitution for weight loss. Non-surgical CoolSculpting reduces the number of fat cells in the treated area,
whereas losing weight reduces the size of fat cells. CoolSculpting = fewer fat cells. Weight loss = smaller fat cells.
Once a patient has been assessed, marking the peak areas of fat and applying a protective pad to the skin, the device is applied to the marked areas for treatment. After the cooling device is applied, the patient experiences a gentle suction to the skin, almost like a vacuum. Initially, the skin becomes cold, but after a few minutes, the treatment area becomes completely numb. The CoolSculpting device does not affect the skin because the device is designed to target and freeze fat cells only. After the 35-minute procedure, a massage is performed on the treated area to break up the cold subcutaneous fat. The massage is an extremely important part of the procedure to initiate the breakdown of the fat cells. There is a 65% improvement in patient results after the addition of the massage to the treatment.
The treatment-to-transformation process is the patient’s optimal end result. This is a critical part of a CoolSculpting journey, as patients benefit from more than one treatment in more than one area. Some areas may need a second treatment based on the volume of fat, reinforcing the treatment-to-transformation process. Six to eight weeks after the initial treatment, a re-evaluation will occur to determine if a second treatment is still the necessary course of action to achieving the patient’s desired transformation.
After receiving CoolSculpting in one or more of the FDA-cleared treatment areas, patients can expect a gradual reduction in the size of the treated area over a 90 day period. Some patients may even see a continued reduction up to six months post-treatment.
