Body contouring, sometimes known as body sculpting, describes a type of aesthetic service designed to remove fat, sculpting the contours of the body to create a more aesthetically appealing shape. At Georgia Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Marietta, GA, we pride ourselves on offering our clients the safest, most effective tools to help them achieve their ideal contours and the confidence they deserve. Here are 14 mind-blowing facts about CoolSculpting.
14 Mind-Blowing Facts About CoolSculpting
1. You Can Thank a Popsicle for This Life-Changing Treatment
You may be surprised by how mundane the birth of CoolSculpting, also known as cryolipolysis, is. It all started in 2005 when two scientists were watching children eat popsicles. They were eating the popsicles to numb their teething pain with the cold but something else was happening, too. Their cheeks were dimpling due to the incredibly cold temperature of the frozen, fruit-flavored food.
The scientists came to the realization that the dimpling was caused by miniscule pockets of fat tissue inside the cheeks freezing. Shortly thereafter, a safe, effective cryolipolysis (fat freezing) method was invented.
2. This Non-Invasive Treatment Is the Perfect Alternative To Liposuction
Liposuction will forever hold a place of honor in the history of body contouring. It was the first fat removal technique ever developed. Unfortunately, liposuction isn’t right for everyone. It is an invasive cosmetic procedure that requires one to be healthy enough to be intubated to receive general anesthesia and have enough money to go several weeks without working.
There are no scalpels or sutures, incisions, or intubation with CoolSculpting. You will not swell uncomfortably for months on end and you will experience more pain. More excitingly, the results of this treatment are just as dramatic as the results of cryolipolysis.
3. It Can Remove 25% of Localized Fat Deposits
CoolSculpting’s popularity is ever-growing because the results of the treatment are so dramatic. Specifically, just one session can eliminate a quarter of localized fat stores from the average client. Furthermore, it is simple and perfectly safe to repeat the treatment later if it didn’t quite remove enough fat or there is another area you would like to target.
4. There Is No Downtime Required
Another fact you need to know about cryolipolysis is there is no downtime required at all. Liposuction is an effective fat removal method. It can remove fix or six liters of fat and liquid during a single procedure. This roughly equates to the elimination of 10 to 12 pounds. Nevertheless, liposuction isn’t necessarily the ideal fat removal option.
You also need to commit to taking a full course of antibiotics exactly as directed. With this non-invasive body contouring treatment, there isn’t any downtime required at all. There won’t be any surgical drains and your skin won’t need to be compressed with three-layer body wraps. You also won’t have to wear a prescription-strength compression garment for weeks on end. After this non-invasive body contouring session, you are free to return to your usual daily routine.
5. This Isn’t a Weight Loss Treatment
Among the most common misconceptions is cryolipolysis is an excellent weight loss treatment. This isn’t true at all. The reality is you must be within 30 pounds of your desired weight to be considered a good candidate for this fat removal method.
Otherwise, you won’t be satisfied with the results of treatment. To be considered an ideal candidate for treatment, you should be within 10 or 15 pounds of your goal weight and truly believe you can maintain your desired weight for good.
6. You Can Use This Treatment To Remove Unwanted Fat From Essentially Anywhere
Among the most mind-blowing facts about cryolipolysis is you can use it to remove unwanted fat essentially any region of your body. It’s not uncommon for people to have concerns about small regions of the body, like under the chin, the underarms and behind the knees. The manufacturer of CoolSculpting designed a smaller version of the handheld device they first designed to target large areas efficiently.
This small handheld cryolipolysis device is also shaped differently than the original device, making it perfect to remove unwanted fat from smaller areas. The original device is perfect for removing unwanted fat from large areas, like the stomach, chest or back. However, these aren’t the only benefits of this treatment. We offer an innovative technique called DualSculpting. It involves using two handheld devices to treat your thighs, flanks or upper arms simultaneously.
7. Treatment Is Simple
It’s normal to feel a bit of anxiety in the face of the unknown. What will your treatment feel like? Will it hurt? Rest assured, there is no need to be nervous. While the device cools rapidly to the appropriate operating temperature, approximately 40 degrees, you will feel your skin growing colder. You’ll also feel a light pulling as the suction device breaks the local fat cells apart.
However, it isn’t long after the treatment begins that the cold numbs your skin so you won’t feel anything at all. Your session can last anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the area targeted for fat removal. It is not uncommon for our clients to be so relaxed and comfortable during the cryolipolysis session that they take a nap or read a book while waiting for the session to end.
8. This Treatment Is Perfectly Safe
In 2010, the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved this device to remove unwanted fat from the stomach and sides safely and effectively. Since 2010, the FDA has cleared this treatment to remove unwanted lower back fat, bra line fat, buttocks fat, upper arm fat, and inner and outer thigh fat. To date, cryolipolysis has been performed around the world over seven million times and no severe side effects have appeared.
9. You Can Still Have Children After Treatment
Another myth about this treatment we’d like to bust is you can’t have children after cryolipolysis. There is a common concern that pregnancy will reverse the effects of treatment. This isn’t the case. The results of this treatment are permanent. Fat cells die when they are frozen during treatment. Once dead, your lymphatic system sweeps them away and deoxycholic acid, a chemical compound that occurs naturally in your gut, breaks them down.
After the dead fat cells are broken down, they are eliminated from your body just like dietary fat is eliminated. Imagine, for a moment, the worst-case scenario. You receive treatment on your abdomen once. You have now lost a quarter of the fat cells in your abdominal region. You then gain fat while you are pregnant. If some of that excess energy is stored in your stomach, you have fewer fat cells in the area to store the energy. Some of it will be stored elsewhere.
10. You Only Need To Wait a Month To See Your Final Results
Although liposuction was the first fat removal method invented, it comes with many downsides. Among the most significant downsides of liposuction is that it takes between six and eight weeks to enjoy the final results of treatment due to severe postoperative swelling.
Cryolipolysis, on the other hand, does not cause any swelling. Therefore, you can enjoy the final results of your treatment as soon as the frozen fat cells have been eliminated by your body. If you’re fairly young and healthy, you can expect to see the final results of your treatment in just four weeks. If your lymphatic system is slower, it may take up to six weeks for your body to finish flushing out the frozen fat cells.
11. CoolSculpting Treatment Affects Only Adipose Tissue
Another significant strike against liposuction is it sucks out both liquid and fat tissue. As a result, liposuction provides greater volume loss immediately after the procedure. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the volume loss “achieved” with liposuction is liquid. This would return as you hydrated after your procedure. Since cryolipolysis doesn’t involve sucking out fat and liquid, all of the volume you lose with this treatment is fat cells.
Also, the suction attachment on the cryolipolysis device does more than breaking up the fat cells. The suction attachment also isolates the fat cells so they are the only cells in the treatment area that are frozen. This eliminates the risk that surrounding tissue will be damaged by the cold during treatment.
12. Cryolipolysis Is Discreet
Few people want to share that they have received assistance achieving their ideal contours. When you receive cryolipolysis, nobody will ever know unless you tell them. For example, there will never be scars following this treatment because we don’t make any incisions.
As another example, your body processes and eliminates the frozen fat cells over the course of several weeks. To your coworkers, relatives, and friends, it will look like you’ve been eating clean and exercising regularly to lose fat gradually from your trouble regions.
13. Both Men and Women Can Benefit From This CoolSculpting Treatment
A third misconception we hear commonly about this treatment is it is only for women. This treatment is just as beneficial to men as it is to women. For instance, men often use this treatment to treat gynecomastia rather than opting for an expensive, invasive male breast reduction procedure.
Men also commonly use this treatment to address concerns about the contours of their sides, backs, and stomachs. They less commonly use this treatment to remove excess adipose tissue from the buttocks, legs, chin, arms, and underarms.
14. Virtually Everyone Is a Good Candidate For CoolSculpting
You will probably be considered a good candidate for this non-invasive treatment if you are not underweight or obese. This treatment is most commonly performed on adults who are 19 or older. Nevertheless, individuals under the age of 19 may receive treatment if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian if referred by their GP.
In rare cases, people are considered poor candidates for this treatment due to a medical condition that makes them particularly sensitive to the cold. However, there are not strict health requirements for people considering this treatment.
Try Body Sculpting for Yourself
To make wardrobe woes a thing of the past, you need to try CoolSculpting. With just one short session, you will feel confident enough to rock your favorite outfit collecting dust in the dark corner of your closet. If you’d like to discover if this treatment is definitely appropriate for you, contact our friendly aesthetic experts at Georgia Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Marietta, GA now to book an appointment.
