It’s normal to be cautious if you’ve heard of people literally freezing off their fat using a noninvasive technique called CoolSculpting. A slew of issues spring to mind: Is it secure? Is it really effective? Is it prohibitively expensive? Why don’t we all go take long trips to Antarctica if we can freeze off our fat with cold? Know more about CoolSculpting in Dubai.
Celebrities such as Kris Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, Molly Sims, and Malin Akerman (shown below) have pushed CoolSculpting as a technique to lose weight rapidly and easily without dieting or exercising, claiming the process has no downtime or limits. Can we, however, put our faith in these famous claims?
With the return of social meetings and festivities — hey, weddings postponed until 2020! — and the start of swimsuit season, people may crave a quick fix like CoolSculpting, which claims to remove 25% of fat in the targeted area (which can be anywhere from the thighs, the lower belly and even arms). As a result, HuffPost spoke with specialists to find out if CoolSculpting is truly worth the hype.
TL;DR: According to the specialists HuffPost spoke with, CoolSculpting can be helpful, but only for the proper candidate, thus anyone considering the process should seek a comprehensive consultation from a qualified practitioner first.
“It’ll work fantastic for the right people; it won’t work for the wrong ones,” Hao Feng, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Connecticut Health, told HuffPost. “You should make sure you’re an ideal candidate for this treatment before going ahead with it.”
What Happens During A CoolSculpting Treatment?
CoolSculpting was developed by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital doctors who noticed that when children nibbled on popsicles, the inside of their cheeks developed a little dimple as the cold targeted the fat cells in that location. They recognised that criolipolisis – the process of breaking down fat cells with cold temperature — could be used in a controlled setting to induce fat removal, and thus CoolSculpting was born.
To begin, choose which part of your body you want to be treated. CoolSculpting has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of noticeable fat freezing in Dubai bulges beneath the chin and jawline, as well as the thighs, belly, flank, upper arms, buttocks, and back and bra line.
Large applicators are often used on the lower body, such as the sides of the hips or the flank area, as well as the abdomen. Small applicators are typically utilised on the upper body, and the CoolMini, the smallest CoolSculpting applicator, targets fat removal in the chin, armpits, and bra line. During therapy, more than one applicator may be used; for example, two big applicators may be used on the lower stomach region. However, the actual size of the applicator and the number of them utilised per treatment area are determined by the dimensions of the patient and the intended effect.
The cost of the operation varies depending on which areas are treated and how many rounds of treatment you have, but CoolSculpting predicts that “a customised treatment plan” will cost between $2,000 and $4,000.
Your physician (usually a dermatologist or a medi-spa professional) will first apply a layer of protective gel to the treatable tissue in the desired location before attaching the applicator. After that, the cooling process begins.
The applicator preferentially targets fat cells by freezing to roughly -11 degrees Celsius, according to dermatologist Mara Weinstein Velez of the University of Rochester Medical Center. It has no effect on blood arteries or the underlying skin. Denise Kayler, CEO of Synergy Spa of The Guyer Institute, which offers CoolSculpting, said that while “some individuals feel absolutely nothing,” “approximately half of the patients that we’ve done feel like it’s pulling and tugging when it initially goes on.” “Almost like if you went outside and your fingers were really, extremely cold and then you came back [inside],” she described the experience as stinging.
CoolSculpting sessions last 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the region being treated, and fat is flushed out through the lymphatic system to the liver before being expelled through faeces. “A lot of folks wonder, ‘Do I have to pee more?’ ‘Do I need to poop more?’ Kayler remarked. “No, none of that matters.” It’s most likely via the lymphatic system.”
How CoolSculpting Will Make You Feel
Feng warned that thereafter, “the area will feel kind of odd because it feels like a cold stick of butter.” “It has to be massaged manually, or there are machines that can automate some of the process.” It’s a little unpleasant, but the benefits are worth it.” A two-minute massage on the affected area can assist minimise swelling and/or bruising while also speeding up the fat cell elimination process.
The skin may be numb for a few hours following the operation, and redness, swelling, numbness, and minor discomfort may last for a week or longer, but this should not prevent patients from going about their daily lives or wearing tight-fitting clothing. If a patient has CoolSculpting on their stomach, for example, Weinstein Velez explains, “you have this sensation in the belly that you did a huge amount of sit-ups.” It’s like having a muscle ache.”
People who have had CoolSculpting procedures go wrong complain about applicator marks and larger areas following the operation, which is known as paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH). The former, according to Feng, could be the outcome of a less experienced and/or detail-oriented provider. “Experience is really important in any medical or cosmetic operation,” he stated. “And how you apply the applicator, whether you’re using the proper applicator and if you’re doing this on the right region, all of that counts.” That’s when your education, experience, and ability to properly judge whether you’re the ideal candidate come in handy.” When the wrong person chooses CoolSculpting, PAH is most likely to occur (more on that below.) The bulge occurs more frequently in men who get CoolSculpting on their belly, according to Feng, “although it’s a really rare side effect,” affecting fewer than 1% of patients.
Most people require many treatments to acquire their desired appearance. “One therapy is rare,” Weinstein Velez added. It takes 12 weeks to see the complete results, so people who want to look a certain way for a special occasion should prepare ahead.
So, how can you know whether you’re a good candidate for CoolSculpting?
“It’s very good for those who are close to their target body weight but have stubborn fat pockets that resist dieting and exercise,” Weinstein Velez said. “The ideal applicant is someone who is already quite healthy, has decent habits, and just needs a little extra aid to lose that stubborn fat.” It’s not a weight-loss surgery at all.”
CoolSculpting, according to Kayler, “actually only works on subcutaneous fat,” or the squishy kind that lays just beneath the skin, as opposed to visceral fat, which she compares to “a man with a large belly that’s hard as a rock.”
While CoolSculpting can destroy up to 25% of fat cells in the area targeted, those that remain can become larger if a patient gains weight in the future. “The only thing we ask is that you don’t gain weight,” Kayler added in order to keep the results. “If you gain weight, you’ll gain more fat that has nothing to do with your treatment,” says the doctor.
“If you go back to your old behaviours, you won’t keep your results because the fat cells that are still there will merely get more and bigger,” Feng said.
