Does CoolSculpting Work and What are the Risks?

What Factors Can Affect the Success of CoolSculpting?

The Type of Fat You’re Targeting

CoolSculpting is most effective on subcutaneous fat, the soft, pinchable fat close to your skin. It will not target the deeper layers of visceral fat surrounding the organs in your abdomen. Visceral fat is inaccessible, potentially dangerous to target (due to its proximity to your organs) and firm in texture compared to subcutaneous fat.

The Condition of Your Skin

Those with good skin elasticity may experience better aesthetic results, as their skin will retract more easily and adapt better to the loss of volume than those with looser skin. Loose skin may impact the visual improvements of fat loss alone, and additional treatments may be necessary to see the results you want.

What Factors Can Affect the Success of CoolSculpting?

Fat Distribution

The amount of fat in the specific area you’d like to target may affect the amount of sessions required to achieve an effective result.

The CoolSculpting device works by holding suction on specific areas of fat tissue and freezing them.

Thin subcutaneous fat layers don’t offer enough tissue for the CoolSculpting machine to grip, reducing efficiency. A particular volume of fat is necessary for the treatment to be effective.

Thicker layers of fat prevent the CoolSculpting machine from accessing deeper fat cells. This limited depth can result in incomplete fat reduction and may prevent you from achieving the desired results. Each session typically reduces fat layers by 20%-25%, so thicker fat layers will require multiple treatments.

Your Overall Health and Medical History

The CoolSculpting treatment may not be suitable for those with cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease, or paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria. These conditions all cause blood cells to clump together when exposed to freezing temperatures, so it may be recommended that you do not go ahead with treatment.

How Does CoolSculpting Work?

The CoolSculpting device uses regulated cooling panels to suction-freeze areas of fat below the skin without damaging the surrounding tissue. A gel pad is applied to the treatment area to protect your skin, and a vacuum draws the fat toward the cooling panels.

CoolSculpting can feel mildly uncomfortable due to the pulling of the vacuum and the freezing temperature of the panels, but this subsides quickly and the area will become numb.

Each treatment area is targeted for 35-60 minutes. The cooling cups safely remove heat from the fat cells under the skin, effectively freezing the fat and causing the cells to die.

Over time, your body will process the dead fat cells and they will then be flushed out naturally by your body’s lymphatic system within a few months. Some patients may see results as soon as three weeks after the procedure, but they’re most noticeable for the majority of patients after several months.

The CoolSculpting treatment eliminates your fat cells, which do not regenerate. However, continuing your diet and exercise regime is essential to maintain the treatment results. Any weight gain following treatment, may impact the results of your treated area.

What are the risks of CoolSculpting?

There are a range of common side effects which can happen following a CoolSculpting treatment but these should not cause any concern, and usually subside within a few hours or a couple of days. These can include:

Redness
Swelling
Bruising
Numbness
Discomfort
Nausea
Soreness

Rare side effects of CoolSculpting can include:

Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH) – This causes fat cells to expand rather than shrink. It is more often experienced in men and addressed with corrective procedures. Your practitioner will explain the risk of PAH before your procedure, and there are currently no tests available to indicate your susceptibility to it.

Skin Sensitivity – Heightened skin sensitivity after CoolSculpting occurs due to the freezing temperature of the vacuum. It can disrupt your sensory nerves and cause inflammation, which fades during the healing process.

Changes to Skin Colour or Texture – This is usually temporary and occurs rarely.

Complications of CoolSculpting mostly occur when your practitioner doesn’t follow the application guidelines correctly or thoroughly. Our practitioners are fully trained and highly experienced in the CoolSculpting procedure and will do everything to ensure you don’t experience serious complications from this treatment. They will complete a thorough consultation prior to treatment to go through your medical history and to assess suitability for effective treatment, and will follow all protocols and treatment guidelines to the closest detail.

If you want to read more, the experts at Consulting Room really know what they're talking about and have put together some CoolSculpting, fat and texture treatment FAQs just for you.

If you have more questions, you can use the CoolSculpting, fat and texture feature to talk to our panel of trained medical experts.

If you're keen to get started with complexion improvement treatment right away then you're in luck - those clever folks also have a list of trusted, accredited CoolSculpting fat and texture in your area.

MediZen was founded in 1999 by the worldwide trainer and key opinion leader for Allergan, Dr. David Eccleston, we are the Midlands Premier Aesthetic Clinic.

Medizen provide a range of treatments covering face, skin and body all with the aim of helping you feel your most confident self.

It is our firm belief that this can only be achieved in a medically led clinic such as ours.

Our Birmingham based clinic has a wide range of facilities that allow us to offer a variety of quality treatments from laser treatment to CoolSculpting®, miraDry to skincare and lots more.

Give Medizen a call on 0121 392 8552 or visit medizen.co.uk for more information.

Does CoolSculpting Work and What are the Risks?

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