If you are looking for a non-invasive way to lose your mild fat bulges for a shapely look, Coolsculpting may work for you. This is a cosmetic non-surgical procedure that eliminates small fat bulges on different areas of the body with cold energy through a process called cryolipolysis. The treatment is not a weight loss procedure, but a single treatment can help you achieve about 20-25% of shrinkage. You may have additional treatments to refine your contour after which results may be seen after 2-3 months. Coolsculpting is safely performed at Skin Deep Medical Spa under the management of Dr. Bloch. To request a consultation at this medical spa, you can fill out the form here www.skindeepmedicalspa.com or call us at 1-847-380-7596.
Though clinical studies show cryolipolysis works, this is an “off-label” treatment according to FDA guidelines. The FDA acknowledges that “off-label” treatments may represent the state-of-the-art treatment.
Not everybody can qualify for Coolsculpting treatment. You will likely be a good candidate for the treatment if you are close to your ideal weight and in a serious program of losing weight. The reason for this is because Coolsculpting is not a weight loss alternative and does not suck out any extra fat. The procedure only destroys fat cells that are then metabolized by the body.
If you have a fat bulge that you can grasp with hand and squeeze, then Coolsculpting can work for you as the device uses suction to pull the fat bulge between two cooling plates. If your fat is a couple of inches more, then the treatment will not suit you as the bulge would be in excess to fit in the machine. In that case, losing weight first would be advisable. If you are in good health and have realistic expectations, you will be a suitable Coolsculpting candidate.
CoolSculpting uses cold energy to destroy fat cells. The Coolsculpting machine controlled by a physician pulls the unwanted fat bulge between a handheld device with two cooling plates. A strong vacuum holds the fat bulge in place. Once the cooling devices are activated to suitable temperatures, fat cells die. The procedure will not affect blood vessels or nerves. As the treatment goes on, you will feel some suction and some slight numbness. The procedure is however not painful and multiple areas can be treated at once.
How safe is it/What are the risks?
The procedure has been performed hundreds of thousands of times, with an extremely high level of safety compared to other fat reduction methods.
Common Side Effects: Temporary numbness, mild soreness, and mild bruising. Most people say they feel essentially nothing after the procedure, but these symptoms happen, are mild and don’t require medication or time off work or activities.
Rare side effects: CoolSculpting is supposed to be virtually painless, but occasionally, some people experience pain that may require pain pills. It seems it is about one out of 100 people that experience this, so not that often, but still can occur. If we compare this to liposuction, about 100 out of 100 people would experience pain, so this rare side effect is accepted. The numbness can last longer than a week or so in some patients, and there has been a case of frostbite reported as of the time of this writing, and the frost bite did resolve without a problem. Bruising is usually absent or minor, but the device does you suction, and a “hicky” type effect can occur with more noticeable bruising, but this is not common.
