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CoolSculpting: Freeze your fat cells to death
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CoolSculpting: Freeze your fat cells to death

The fat-freezing or cryolipolysis procedure is used for contouring, not weight management, clarify experts

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive fat-freezing procedure that helps reduce the stubborn bulge in certain parts of the body.

Today’s social-media boom means everyone wants to look cool and chic on their profiles and handles. Such is the craze that many people do not mind shelling out a lot of money for cosmetic procedures like CoolSculpting or cryolipolysis for that ‘perfect’ Instagram shot.

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive procedure where the excess fat in the stubborn areas is broken down at freezing point.

CoolSculpting procedure

Dr Navin Taneja, dermatologist and cosmetologist, National Skin Centre, New Delhi, says the CoolSculpting machine sucks the subcutaneous fat cells under the skin from the targeted area and freezes them. Fat cells tend to get broken down or damaged in extreme cold temperature (like during a frostbite).

“Usually, local anesthesia is given or a topical gel is applied so that the person does not feel any pain,” he says. “They might feel a mild cooling sensation. The process is started at a temperature of about five to six degrees and then slowly reduced to freezing point. The freezing point is maintained only for a few seconds so that the skin is not damaged.”

He adds that the person usually observes an inflammation in the treated area. This subsides in a couple of days. The area remains numb for a few hours, and one may observe a sore patch, which too subsides.

“And one can see that slowly the fat has reduced in that area,” says Dr Kashish Kalra, head of department of dermatology and trichology, Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi

Depending on the amount of fat and body part being treated, one may require a minimum of two sessions to see the results. Dr Taneja says it is recommended to have a gap of at least three months between the sessions.

Do you lose weight with CoolSculpting?

Experts say that CoolSculpting or cryolipolysis is not a procedure to lose weight but to lose fat that is not responding to your workouts and dietary plans.

“The procedure has been marketed incorrectly,” says Dr Kalra. “It’s not a game-changer; it does not make a fat person thin. If a person with good physique or figure wants to reduce fat in certain parts like the love handles, they go for this procedure. It is mainly for contouring.”

Dr Nabaneeta Saikia, aesthetic physician, Bodycraft Clinic, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, adds, “People with obesity have a lot of fat for sculpting. CoolSculpting works on areas that have fat bulges. If there is fat in the overall body, they wouldn’t be able to get results that they will appreciate.”

Another reason people with obesity are not ideal candidates for the procedure is that they usually have a low metabolic rate, which is why they put on weight easily, she says.

Is CoolSculpting permanent?

Dr Taneja says no procedure ensures permanent fat loss. That is why the ideal candidate for CoolSculpting are those who lead an active lifestyle but are still unable to reduce stubborn fat in certain body parts despite exercising regularly and maintaining a proper diet.

“Ideally, for long-lasting results, one needs to maintain their weight,” says Dr Saikia.

In one session, this cryolipolysis procedure helps reduce about 20% of the fat. The result is seen after about a month, say experts.

Depending on the applicator, amount of fat and body part, each session may take from 35 to 75 minutes, Dr Saikia adds. She adds that the procedure is quite convenient — many of her clients work with their laptops as they undergo it.

Side-effects of CoolSculpting

A few months ago, Canadian model Linda Evangelista opened up about her trauma after undergoing a CoolSculpting procedure. She wrote on social media about how the procedure had ‘permanently deformed’ her and left her ‘unrecognisable’. She suffered paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, which leads to an increase in the amount of fat in the treated area.

In September 2021, Evangelista sued Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc (original patent owners of the CoolSculpting procedure). She later settled the $50 million lawsuit.

Experts say paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is a very rare complication. According to Dr Saikia, it is probably seen in one in a million people who undergo the CoolSculpting procedure. She herself has not come across any case.

Dr Kalra says people tend to undergo the procedure to look good on their social-media profiles. “But it is very important to align the person’s visual expectations with the results of the procedure,” he says.

Who aren’t good candidates for CoolSculpting?

Experts say the procedure is not recommended for the following:

  • People with obesity
  • Women until the lactation period post-delivery
  • People with any skin infection
  • Those with a history of hernia who want to get the abdomen contoured
  • Those who want to get their skin tightened.

Dr Taneja says people with heart conditions who are on blood thinners or aspirin are advised to do this cryolipolysis procedure only after consulting their cardiologist since they will need to stop medication for three to four days before the session.

Takeaways

• CoolSculpting or cryolipolysis is a non-invasive fat-freezing procedure that helps reduce the stubborn bulge in certain parts of the body.
• One of the complications of the cosmetic procedure is paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, which leads to an increase in the amount of fat in the treated area. Experts claim this complication occurs only rarely.
• Those with obesity, a history of hernia and heart conditions are usually advised not to go for this procedure.

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