As the process of CoolSculpting has become more of a household name, what it actually is and does remains a mystery for many. We all know that it is intended to help us lose weight in the hardest-to-lose places, but what does that mean and what is the science behind it?

What is it used for?

CoolSculpting is a cosmetic procedure that focuses on fatty areas that have not responded to traditional diet and exercise. These areas often include the belly, love handles, thighs, and the buttocks, but it is different for everyone. When you receive the procedure, the fatty areas are targeted with CoolSculpting in order to eliminate the fat permanently.

The Process

CoolSculpting technology uses Cryolipolysis. Cryolipolysis is where fat cells are specifically targeted using extreme cold. The result is known as lipolysis, which means the breakdown of fat cells. Fat cells are more sensitive to the cold than your skin is and, under the right circumstances and when done by a professional, the fat cells can be frozen, leaving other tissues intact and completely unharmed. The lipids within fat crystallize at warmer temperatures than the water in other types of your body's cells. The process is done slowly and gently to not cause you discomfort and to ensure that the right areas and layers of fat are being targeted.

After Treatment

The treatment is not immediately effective. You will not walk into a CoolSculpting appointment with excess fat and leave thinner. It is a gradual and incredibly effective process. The fat cells have to die off first and then be processed by the body's immune system. The body will shed the dead cells over time. It will give you the appearance of losing weight at a slow, natural pace as well. It can take one to three months in order to see your final results and it has been approved by the FDA to be performed in nine areas of the body.

Why it is a great Option

CoolSculpting is an excellent alternative to traditional plastic surgery for many reasons.

  1. It is non-invasive: While the skin that is treated might be uncomfortable during the process, there is no surgery involved, which means there will be no time off required. 

  2. Does not compromise other areas: CoolSculpting is only targeting the areas that need a reduction in fat cells. This allows it to focus only on the areas that require treatment, leaving the rest of your cells and tissues unharmed. You do not need to damage or scar the skin in any way to achieve the desired results.

  3. The results are permanent: Once the fat cells have died off, they are not coming back. Fat cells are part of everyone's genetic makeup and they cannot regrow once they have been removed.

Other Factors to Consider

If CoolSculpting seems like a good choice for you, there are a couple of cautions that you should think about first. You must already be physically healthy before you go through CoolSculpting. Your habits must already be in place and sustainable. Even though the fat cannot grow back in the areas that it has been removed from, you still have other fat cells in your body and can still gain weight through improper dieting and exercise. You should also make sure that you have already tried diet and exercise before jumping into CoolSculpting. It's a great tool, but you should make sure that it is right first.

Getting Started

You should call a qualified, certified plastic surgeon to have the treatment done. It needs to be performed by a trustworthy professional. Since the fat cells cannot grow back, if it is not performed properly, the results that you wind up with might not be the ones you would have wanted. CoolSculpting can change the shape and contours of your body, so you do not want to have it don't just anywhere.