If, like many people, you’re mostly satisfied with your overall appearance—aside from a few areas of fat that you can’t seem to lose, whether genetics, hormones, or your natural body type simply make you prone to carrying more fat in these areas—there’s a way of finally getting rid of the extra volume for good. No exercise, dieting, or more invasive plastic surgery are required. The idea of being able to zap away some stubborn, excess fat from any isolated area where you don’t want it has been very appealing to both women and men ever since advances in technology have made it possible to do just that. For any patients considering fat freezing at our Milwaukee-area practice who wonder whether the procedure really works or if it’s just an over-hyped hoax, we have good news for you: CoolSculpting® is real, and it’s effective.
Here’s what you need to know about the science behind this treatment.
CoolSculpting® was approved by the FDA in 2010. Since then, the fat-reduction treatment has become one of the more popular options for non-surgical body contouring available. The process that makes CoolSculpting® possible is called cryolipolysis, which is the killing of fat cells with cold.
To achieve results, we apply specialized panels to the tissue in a targeted area, cooling it to a very low temperature that irreparably damages the fat cells inside, but not the skin, muscles, or other tissues. While the treatment won’t remove “everything,” expect up to 25 percent of the fat cells in the area to be killed during the session. Multiple sessions can be continued to kill more fats cells.
These dead cells are then cleared out of the body and gradually expelled via the liver. One of the main advantages of this procedure is that the fat cells are removed from the body, and it isn’t possible for the lost fat to grow back the way it was before.
Studies have shown that the treatment is safe and low risk, with minimal to no recovery time needed after a treatment—though there will be some temporary side effects, including redness, swelling, tenderness, possible numbness, and more. Note that while CoolSculpting® is thought to be one of the most effective fat reduction tools available, patients will typically have to wait for several months before results are noticeable, given how the body gradually processes the killed fat cells.
Want a more sculpted body without surgery? Find out what to expect from a fat-freezing session in the Milwaukee area at Parkins Plastic Surgery. Give us a call at (262) 269-1050, or submit a contact form and request a consultation.
