CoolSculpting® works by a process called Cryolipolysis®. This process takes place by applying a targeted cooling effect to the fat cells in a specific area on the body. The fat cells exposed to this cooling process begin to literally freeze to death over the next few weeks and are absorbed through the body’s own immune response. It is reported that over 20% of fat cells are decreased after a single CoolSculpting treatment and once they’re gone, they will not come back. Interestingly enough, this method of freezing problem fat was discovered when researchers realized that children were developing dimples as a result of eating popsicles during the summer.
Dr. Elisa Burgess, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and her trained staff will guide you toward the treatment that will be best for your body. Your abdomen, chin, arms, hips and thighs can be slimmed down using the CoolSculpting treatment.
The CoolSculpting Process
The process that CoolSculpting uses is known as Cryolipolysis. When fat is cooled to extremely low temperatures, the fat cells begin to die. Over time, your body naturally absorbs these dead fat cells, resulting in a gradual slimming of the treated area.
Will CoolSculpting work for me?
CoolSculpting is best for men and women suffering from problems with unwanted fat that cannot be improved with just diet and exercise. CoolSculpting is not a weight loss procedure or an answer to obesity. It can provide patients with up to a 20 percent reduction in fat in the treated area.
Can CoolSculpting be used as an alternative to liposuction?
During CoolSculpting treatments, you will find yourself comfortable and relaxed as your problem fat cells are treated. A gel pad is placed on the treatment area to protect your skin from the special suction/cooling handpiece that one of our highly trained nurses will be using for your procedure. They will apply the handpiece to the desired area and then select the correct treatment. For the first 5-10 minutes, there will be a strong sensation of suction to the treatment area. This sensation will subside as the cooling process begins and the area becomes numb from the cooling. Each treatment area will differ in length depending on the amount of problem fat. On average, each area is about 35-45 minutes and several treatment areas may be necessary.
Once the treatment is initiated and the cooling process begins, you can relax and read a book, listen to music, take a nap, or even enjoy a television show or movie on your smartphone or tablet. You may even have other treatments provided at the same time, such as Ultherapy®, the only FDA approved non-surgical brow, face, and neck lift, as well as any aesthetic treatment such as a facial or chemical peel.
When your treatment is finished, you should be able to return to your normal activity without any pain or need for a recovery period. Depending on your situation, Dr. Burgess and the nurses may recommend additional treatments to provide for your best results. Otherwise, all you have to do is wait as the fat is frozen away from your body over the following weeks and months.
Give our office a call today to schedule your CoolSculpting consultation and begin seeing results in just a matter of weeks. Dr. Elisa Burgess is a Portland board-certified plastic surgeon offering the non-surgical CoolSculpting procedure at her plastic surgery office in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
