Cryolipolysis Fat Freezing
Cryolipolysis fat freezing is a non-invasive treatment for reducing stubborn pockets of fat that resist diet and exercise. It is also known as CoolSculpting.
The FDA-approved device cools the targeted area to a temperature that destroys the fat cells but leaves the surrounding skin unharmed. A Popsicle panniculitis-like effect occurs as the body eliminates dead fat cells over several months.
What is Cryolipolysis?
Cryolipolysis, also called fat freezing, is a noninvasive treatment that uses extreme cold to target and destroy stubborn pockets of fat. It’s a popular alternative to liposuction. It’s performed in a doctor’s office and doesn’t require any downtime. However, it can cause soreness or swelling in the treated area afterward.
The process works by drawing a targeted area into a suctioning applicator that draws the fat into the cooling panels. Once the fat cells are frozen, they die and are processed by the body as waste. Because your fat cells can’t regenerate, the results are permanent as long as you maintain a healthy weight.
In addition to being an effective treatment for fat reduction, cryolipolysis has low complication rates and high client satisfaction rates. The best candidates are people who are close to their ideal body weight and have pinchable areas of fat that don’t respond to diet or exercise. It’s not a weight loss procedure, but it can help you fit into your skinny jeans.
Before you have the procedure, your doctor will review your health history to make sure it’s safe for you. You’ll be given a local anesthetic to ensure you don’t feel any pain during treatment. You can watch TV, read or use your phone during the hour-long session. The most common side effect is decreased sensation in the treated area. In less than 1 percent of cases, you may develop paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), where the area grows in size and number of fat cells.
How Does Cryolipolysis Work?
Fat freezing, also known as CoolSculpting, is a noninvasive procedure that uses cold temperature to destroy fat cells in targeted areas. The FDA approved this treatment in 2010, and it’s available at many dermatology offices and plastic surgery centers. During a treatment, a physician places an applicator on the area Layered Anti-aging of your body that you want to reduce fat deposits. You may feel some initial suction and coldness, but this quickly fades to numbness, explains Heidi Waldorf, M.D., an associate clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai University. After your treatment, you may resume your normal daily activities.
In addition, because the process only targets fat cells, it does not damage nerve fibers, blood vessels, or muscles in the treatment area. As a result, you can resume your normal activity after each session and experience permanent fat reduction without having to undergo surgical procedures.
While the procedure is relatively safe, a 2020 study reported that people with Raynaud’s disease and skin disorders should not receive this treatment. Also, a small number of patients will experience polyaesthetic hematoma, or PAH, in the treated area. This complication is rare and is easily treatable. This is why it’s important to Layered Anti-aging treatment choose a dermatologist or plastic surgeon who has been trained in this technology.
What Are the Side Effects of Cryolipolysis?
Cryolipolysis (or CoolSculpting) is a noninvasive, painless procedure that can be done at your doctor’s office. You’ll lie or sit upright, and the applicator is placed over your fatty areas for an hour or so. You may feel a pulling or tugging sensation as the vacuum applicator draws the fat into contact with cooling panels. You can resume your normal activities immediately afterward.
The process works by freezing the fatty tissue cells that are just below your skin’s surface. Once the cellular structure is destroyed, the body naturally disposes of the dead cells in the period that follows the treatment. Because the cooling only affects fatty cells, the treatment is safe for most people.
But as with any new therapy, there are side effects to watch for. In one report in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a woman who had cryolipolysis on her upper arm experienced radial nerve damage that caused her to lose strength in her wrist and a little bit of finger extension. The patient’s symptoms went away 6 months later, and she didn’t need additional treatments.
The most common side effects of cryolipolysis include redness, bruising, swelling and numbness in the treated area. But those typically go away in a few days or weeks after the treatment, and most of them do not return. A rare side effect known as paradoxical adipose hyperplasia occurs when the frozen fatty tissue grows larger in the treatment area. It’s not clear what causes this to happen, and it’s believed that it only occurs in about 1% of cases.
What Are the Benefits of Cryolipolysis?
Cryolipolysis fat freezing is a safe, noninvasive procedure that can help you achieve visible, permanent results without surgery. This treatment is FDA approved, and it uses cold temperatures to destroy unwanted fat cells in targeted areas of the body. Once these fat cells die, they are naturally disposed of by the body, resulting in a reduction in localized fat. This treatment can reduce fat cells in the chin, abdomen, bra fat, back, thighs, and other problem areas. It can also reduce the appearance of love handles.
The idea behind this noninvasive cosmetic procedure is that fat cells are more vulnerable to cold temperatures than other types of tissues in the body. Researchers discovered that children who ate popsicles often developed dimples in their cheeks, which led them to discover that the fat in these cells freezes and leaves behind an indent. Scientists then figured out that the fat cells could be destroyed using cold temperatures, without damaging surrounding tissue or skin.
In 2007, the first device that used this technology to remove stubborn pockets of fat was tested on pigs, and it was shown to destroy fat cells in the target area without damaging the overlying skin. By 2010, the technology had been adapted for human use and was known as CoolSculpting.
While fat freezing is relatively safe, there are some side effects that patients should be aware of. These include erythema in the treatment area, numbness or paresthesia, and bruising. Other severe side effects include motor neuropathy, dysesthesia, skin hyperpigmentation, and paradoxical adipose hyperplasia.
