If you want the seemingly effortless beauty of celebrities, then you should be using the same treatments they do to make their bodies look so great. Aesthetic treatments to tone abs, define muscles, and melt fat away are all commonly used by Hollywood’s biggest stars – so why can’t you use these treatments to achieve your goals? At Palms Wellington Plastic Surgery in West Palm Beach, FL, we know that CoolSculpting is a miraculous body contouring and fat reduction treatment that is ideal for most patients. But what is CoolSculpting?
What Is CoolSculpting? How You Can Freeze the Fat Away for Good
CoolSculpting is is an exciting treatment that accomplishes what hours at the gym and months of stringent diet can’t – which is, of course, the body of your dreams. This body contouring treatment utilizes a powerful innovative technology that literally freezes the fat off your body. The core principle of this treatment is to crystalize fat cells with cooling energy, which prompts the body to naturally process and eliminate the fat cells to help you gradually reduce unwanted fat on the body.
A body contouring treatment like this one gives you the ultimate power to decide how you want your body to look. While all of us store excess fat in the body to use as energy later, some people end up storing disproportionate amounts of fat on the body, sometimes in specific areas that are hard to reduce in natural ways. Body contouring treatments that reduce fat can help you create sleeker body lines, refine your silhouette, and freeze fat away for good.
The Science of CoolSculpting
Just like many other great discoveries in history, the idea for this treatment was the result of a chance observation by Harvard University scientists who observed that young children who ate popsicles often developed dimples in the cheek. Through experimentation, it was determined that cold affects fat cells and can be used to eliminate fat deposits all over the body.
This process, called cryolipolysis, refers to the nature of fat being more vulnerable to cold temperatures than surrounding body tissues. When fat cells are exposed to localized freezing temperatures, the fat cells crystalize and ultimately become so damaged that they are naturally eliminated by the body. The ultimate advantage of cryolipolysis is the fact that surrounding tissue is not harmed by the localized cooling that destroys fat cells, which means this treatment is completely worry-free.
Why Does Cryolipolysis Work?
This treatment works because of the properties of water, mainly the very high heat capacity of water. Water is capable of absorbing great amounts of heat, such as from the sun, and also takes a much longer time for heat to dissipate. Because the biochemical structure of body tissues is water-based, this enables skin and muscle tissue to endure cold temperatures without damage for long periods of time.
Fat cells, on the other hand, have a different biochemical structure that means fat will crystalize much earlier than water-based tissues. Because fat cells are structurally weak, it makes it much easier to cool and destroy fat cells to eliminate unwanted fat on the body without any surgical intervention.
Does This Treatment Hurt?
People say that beauty is pain, but with this fat-freezing treatment, that adage simply isn’t true. In fact, because this is a non-invasive technology-based treatment, most people find the treatment very comfortable – usually even more comfortable than a similar treatment that utilizes heat for fat reduction.
The majority of patients will feel a brief cooling sensation, like ice on the skin, that only lasts for as long as the treatment device is in use. For many, the treatment is so gentle that it’s common to nap, read, or listen to music easily during treatment appointments.
Is This Treatment Safe?
Yes, this treatment is safe for the vast majority of patients. In addition to not causing any damage to surrounding tissue and not having any risky side effects like scarring, this treatment has been approved by the FDA. Even more impressive, over 100 peer-reviewed publications have verified the efficacy of this treatment, which means even rigorous science has deemed this treatment safe and effective for fat reduction.
How Much Fat Can You Eliminate?
This treatment has been scientifically proven to reduce unwanted fat in targeted areas of the body by roughly 20 to 25%, which is a significant portion of fat for a non-invasive treatment. Compared to other non-invasive treatments, the results of this treatment are more similar to those that can be accomplished with liposuction. Most people will be able to drop at least one to two pant or dress sizes after the results of this treatment are processed.
It will take several weeks for your body to eliminate fat cells that have been crystallized and destroyed. Many patients will notice improvements within two to four weeks after the initial treatment. The results of this treatment will continue to improve for about two months. After that point, you may require additional treatments every six to eight weeks until you achieve your aesthetic goals.
What Is CoolSculpting Good For?
This treatment can be used on virtually every area of the body, even hard-to-reach areas or areas that have stubborn pockets of fat. The most common areas for treatment include:
- Back
- Thighs
- Underarms
- Stomach
- Hips
- Chin fat
What Is CoolSculpting Treatment Like?
Your body sculpting and fat reduction journey will require several steps so you can achieve your desired aesthetic goals. The most important steps will be the recommendations given to you before and after your treatment, which will ensure that your results are flawless. The main steps of your treatment will include:
Consultation
The first step of your treatment will be a consultation that will outline your aesthetic goals and your expectations for this treatment. During your consultation, the amount of unwanted fat in any target location will be measured to verify that you are a good candidate for this treatment. Usually, the best candidates are those who are within 20 to 30 pounds of their target weight.
Your consultation will gather specific information about your health, including medications you are taking and any weight loss techniques you have been using, such as diet and exercise. All of this information will determine how helpful this treatment will be for your body contouring goals, especially if you want to reduce fat in multiple areas of the body.
Pre-Treatment
Several studies suggest that the patients who get the best results with this treatment are also the ones who maintain good lifestyle practices before the treatment. For you, this will mean sticking with your regular diet and exercise routine, as well as limiting alcohol and tobacco consumption. You will also need to avoid using blood-thinning medications, along with avoiding tanning beds, sunburns, and rashes on any of the treatment areas.
On the day of your appointment, you should wear comfortable, loose clothing to make your treatment process easier. Cotton is usually the best choice since the protective gel used during your treatment won’t cause cotton to stain. Some patients may choose to bring a change of clothing, instead. You will be able to drive yourself home after your appointment.
Treatment
Most of the time, your treatment appointments will take about one hour to complete, even if you are treating multiple areas. This is because several applicators will be used to target each area of unwanted fat. The applicators used for this treatment create a vacuum seal on your skin that delivers the cooling element to the unwanted fat beneath your skin tissues.
The number of treatments you will need will ultimately depend on how many areas you are treating and the percentage of unwanted fat in each of those areas. Larger areas, such as the stomach or the thighs, may require two or more appointments to achieve ideal results.
Post-Treatment
After your treatment, it’s highly encouraged that you continue your normal exercise routine as soon as 24 hours after your appointment. Continuing your best health practices will ensure that your body will process the crystallized fat as quickly as possible. You will be able to return to work or other activities immediately after your appointment.
Some studies indicate that massaging the treatment areas after your appointment may increase the amount and speed of your fat reduction. There are some applicators used in this treatment that include a massage element, but you are also welcome to massage at home or with a specialist for best results.
Is There a Best Time for This Treatment?
If you want to achieve your appearance goals by a specific time frame – such as a wedding or swimsuit season – then you must schedule your appointments several months in advance. Most of the time, your treatment schedule will be staggered to allow your body enough time to eliminate unwanted fat between appointments. You should schedule your first appointment for at least three to six months before your target date.
How Can You Maintain Your Results?
The results of this treatment are intended to produce long-lasting and even permanent results. The results of this treatment can last a lifetime because once fat cells are destroyed by the cryolipolysis process, they will not be able to grow back. However, any remaining fat cells in your body will be able to store new fat and expand, so you must do all you can to protect your results.
The most effective way to maintain your results will be to eat a balanced diet that is low in sugary, salty, or high-fat foods. You should also be sure to exercise regularly to the equivalent of at least three hours a week for best weight management. Cutting down on alcohol consumption can also help prevent weight gain.
Are You a Good Candidate?
This treatment is ideal for a specific type of candidate, namely those who have already lost significant amounts of weight and who have encountered pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. This treatment is ideal for patients who have a BMI of 30 or less, or who do not have enough unwanted fat to qualify for liposuction surgery.
Good candidates also include women who are not pregnant at the time of treatment and those who are willing to commit to healthy lifestyle practices that will maintain the results of the treatment. A consultation will be able to verify your eligibility for this treatment if you would prefer a non-invasive and non-surgical body contouring option to achieve your aesthetic goals.
What Is CoolSculpting? A Way to Freeze the Fat Away for Good
If you want to have the body of your dreams but traditional diet and exercise aren’t cutting it anymore, then it might be time to try the solution that works for your favorite celebrities. So, what is CoolSculpting? An affordable, gentle, and incredibly effective fat reduction treatment that can help you achieve all of your goals. Contact us today at Palms Wellington Plastic Surgery in West Palm Beach, FL to schedule your consultation today.