CoolSculpting is a body contouring treatment that was first developed in 2008. It was invented when a couple of medical professionals from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard observed how cheeks dimpled when people sucked on popsicles. The devices used at Urban Allure in San Francisco, CA have come a long way from the earliest models. Today, we discuss whether treatment with this device really works.
Does CoolSculpting Really Work?
Extensive research and testing in clinical trials prove that CoolSculpting, or cryolipolysis really works. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved this device for the removal of unwanted fat from the flanks. Two years later, the device was approved for the safe, effective removal of unwanted abdominal fat. Today, we know that this device can remove unwanted fat from virtually anywhere.
Where, Exactly, Can I Receive This Treatment?
You can use this treatment to remove unwanted fat from virtually any part of your body. In the infancy of the incredibly innovative technology, it could only be used to remove unwanted fat effectively when there was at least an inch of pinchable fat. It was ideal for large parts of the body, such as the lower abdomen, sides, hips and buttocks. Today, you do not need at least an inch of pinchable fat for a particular area to be considered for treatment with this device.
For example, men can use this device to remove unwanted fat from the chest if there isn’t an inch of fat they can pinch. Women can use this device to remove unwanted fat from the underarms, upper arms and bra line. They can even use a small version of the original device to target the backs of the knees, the neck and underneath the chin. This device can even remove unwanted fat from the inner and outer thighs and calves.
How Well Does This Treatment Work?
This treatment is so effective that it is the gold standard in non-invasive body sculpting. Furthermore, due to the non-invasive nature of the fat removal, many people are choosing this method over liposuction, the go-to fat removal method since the 1970s. Although individual results vary, you can expect this effective fat removal tool to remove 20 to 25% of unwanted fat from large areas or 80% of unwanted fat from small areas.
How Long Does a Treatment Session Take?
Your treatment session may take anywhere from 35 minutes to a few hours depending on the areas you are trying to target. For example, if you were only trying to improve the contours of your jawline and neck, your treatment would only take around 35 minutes once the device cooled to the appropriate temperature.
Contrastingly, if you were trying to remove unwanted fat from your chest, lower back, upper abdomen and lower abdomen, your appointment would take several hours. When you’re targeting a large area of the body, the device can take 45 minutes to an hour to freeze 20 to 25% of the localized fat cells. During your consultation, we will discuss your aesthetic goals with you and evaluate your current body fat distribution to give you a better idea.
How Quickly Will I See the Results of This Treatment?
How long it will take you to see the results of your treatment depends on how efficient your lymphatic system is. Most people enjoy the final results of treatment within one to three months of their final treatment session. If your lymphatic system is slow due to illness or an unhealthy lifestyle, it may take up to six months to see the final results of your treatment.
To see the final results of this treatment as quickly as possible, we strongly recommend that you massage the treated area for five minutes after your session. Repeat this five times daily for five days. The first post-treatment massage will break up the blocks of frozen fat cells, making it easier for your lymphatic system to pick up the dead cells. Subsequent massages also increase the efficiency of the lymphatic system.
Other Things You Can Do to See Faster Results
Besides massaging the treatment area to see rapid final results, you can get a lymphatic massage. A lymphatic massage is a massage performed by a certified masseuse who specializes in lymphatic massages. This type of massage is great for seeing rapid fat removal results because it is designed specifically to speed up your lymphatic system.
Another way to speed up your lymphatic system and see faster results is to go for regular walks. Walking supports your cardiovascular system and is more accessible than getting a professional massage. For the best results, walk for at least 30 minutes at a moderate pace or get in 15 minutes of vigorous walking each day. If you’re not quite at your ideal weight, double the amount of time you’re walking daily.
How Many Treatments Will I Need to Achieve My Desired Results?
You will need between one and three treatment sessions to achieve your desired results. Most people who are within 10 pounds of their goal weight will only need one session per area for satisfactory results. People who are 11 to 30 pounds away from their ideal weight may need two or three sessions per targeted area depending on their body fat distribution.
How Does This Treatment Compare to Liposuction?
This treatment is far more convenient than liposuction. Liposuction, on average, results in the removal of around 25% of unwanted fat. Even though only one procedure is needed to achieve your ideal results, this fat removal method is considered too inconvenient for many people because one to two weeks must be taken off from work for recovery. With cryolipolysis, you don’t have to take any time off from work to recover and only minimal preparation is required.
How Should I Prepare for Cryolipolysis?
To prepare for cryolipolysis, you should stop taking NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, and other blood-thinning drugs and supplements for three days before treatment. You should also make sure you are as healthy as possible when you come in for your session. Specifically, you should drink at least three quarts of hydrating fluids daily in the two weeks leading up to your scheduled appointment to ensure you are hydrated.
Furthermore, you should make sure you are well-nourished. To support an efficient lymphatic system and rapid results, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables in the weeks leading up to your scheduled appointment. Do your best to eat at least one fruit and vegetable with each meal and try to consume several colors of produce daily. The color of a fruit or vegetable is a good indicator of the nutrients it primarily contains.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Body Contouring Treatment?
We will advise you during your initial consultation whether this incredibly powerful body contouring treatment is appropriate for you. Remember, the FDA approved this treatment for most adults. Nevertheless, it is not appropriate for everyone. Here is a brief overview of signs you are a good candidate for this body sculpting treatment.
You Don’t Plan to Become Pregnant
You will probably be considered a good candidate for this treatment if you do not plan to become pregnant in the future. Treatment with this device results in the permanent removal of unwanted fat in a given area. However, pregnancy results in incredible shifts in hormone levels, including an increase in your hunger and stress hormones and a decrease in your satiety hormones.
The vast majority of women consume excess calories during pregnancy and gain fat. While there is nothing wrong with gaining fat during pregnancy, if you don’t lose excess fat once the baby is born, there will be more full fat cells than there were after treatment. Therefore, additional treatment would be necessary to remove more fat cells and restore the ideal contours.
You Aren’t Currently Pregnant
Another sign that this treatment is probably right for you is that you are neither pregnant or nursing and are not actively trying to become pregnant. There are no studies on the safety or efficacy of this fat removal method for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
During your initial consultation, we will advise you regarding how many sessions you may need to achieve your ideal results. To be considered a good fit, you shouldn’t plan to get pregnant during this time.
You Aren’t Obese
To be considered a good candidate for this body sculpting treatment, your BMI must fall between 18.5 and 29.9. For your BMI to be considered normal, it must be between 18.5 and 24.9. For your BMI to fall within the overweight category, it must be between 25 and 29.9. There are several reasons why it is important that you do not fall into one of the classes of obesity to be considered a good candidate for this treatment.
To be considered obese, you must be at least 30 pounds overweight. Unfortunately, when you carry that much excess fat, the results of treatment aren’t noticeable. Even if you received three treatment sessions to remove excess fat from your abdomen, you would only reduce the amount of localized fat by 49.8% assuming each session removed 20% of all fat cells in the area. This is a body contouring treatment, not a weight-loss treatment.
You Feel Confident That You Can Maintain Your Weight
We touched on this briefly when we mentioned a great candidate for treatment does not plan on becoming pregnant in the future. While the treatment removes fat permanently, it does not remove all of the fat cells in a targeted area. If you consume more calories than your body needs to maintain its weight, the fat cells that remain in your body will fill with fat.
If you have recently lost a lot of weight, are finally at your ideal weight and just want to perfect your contours, you may be the perfect candidate for this treatment. However, you may want to wait a few months to see if you can maintain your weight before you consider treatment. If you can maintain your weight within 10 pounds, you probably won’t need maintenance sessions. If you gain over 10 pounds, you will probably feel dissatisfied with your body again.
Learn How to Sculpt the Body of Your Dreams Today
CoolSculpting is an incredibly effective body contouring treatment. How well it works depends on how much fat you have in your trouble areas, the size of your trouble areas and how deep beneath your skin your fat is stored. Nevertheless, the FDA has not approved this effective treatment for everyone. To find out if this is the appropriate method for you to sculpt the body of your dreams, book an appointment with our experts at Urban Allure in San Francisco, CA.
