CoolSculpting: Safe, Simple & Non-Surgical

You’ve worked out, you’ve lost weight, but you just can’t seem to get rid of that certain area of stubborn fat. You notice it in your clothes. While exercise and a healthy diet can reduce excess flab like muffin tops, back fat, inner thigh, and other pockets of fat, many very fit people still struggle with these issues. Fortunately, with CoolSculpting, we can provide you with a safe, non-surgical way to reduce or eliminate stubborn areas of fat. You can look better in your clothes. You can confidently buy that form fitting dress you’ve been wanting or pull it out of your closet. You can feel better no matter if you’re dressed for work or play.

What Is CoolSculpting?

First of all, let’s talk about fat cells. Once you reach adulthood, the number of fat cells in your body remains about the same. When you gain weight, fat cells expand, and when you lose weight, the fat cells become smaller, but the number of fat cells typically doesn’t increase or decrease.

Everyone’s body type and shape are unique, and some people naturally have more cells around the stomach or waist, while others might have more fat cells in the buttocks or thighs. In some cases, fit and healthy people will have pockets of fat that they just cannot eliminate with exercise and dietary changes.

If you are generally fit and healthy and exercise regularly but you have stubborn areas of fat that just won’t go away, CoolSculpting is a non-surgical option that can reduce or eliminate these issues.

Scientists have discovered that fat cells cannot withstand extreme cold, and by targeting specific areas where patients have excess fat, a CoolSculpting machine can freeze these unwanted fat cells. These cells eventually die off and are eliminated by the body as waste.

CoolSculpting does not damage other types of cells, and your body still retains plenty of fat cells, we simply remove the fat cells in certain desired areas, such as the thighs, buttocks, waist, arms or other spots where stubborn fat tends to occur. While you might see some immediate results, it typically takes several weeks or even a few months for those fat cells to leave the body, so you will notice more and more improvement as the weeks pass.

How Does CoolSculpting Work?

For your first appointment, we will provide you with a consult and determine whether or not CoolSculpting is the best option for you. In general, most healthy adults can enjoy the benefits of CoolSculpting. It’s important that all patients understand that CoolSculpting is not a weight-loss treatment, it’s simply a treatment for adults that are already in excellent physical condition, but wish to reduce areas of fat that are resistant to exercise.

When you come in for your procedure, our first step is to mark the area or areas where treatment is to be applied. We then cover the area with a gel pad to protect your skin. The CoolSculpting machine is then applied to the area.

This machine uses a vacuum force to affix to your body, so you will feel some pressure from the machine. Additionally, you will feel a cooling or cold sensation. The pressure and cold sensation should abate within a few minutes. Some people find the treatment to mildly uncomfortable, but not painful and most of our patients spend their time reading, using their phone or just relaxing during the procedure, which lasts about an hour.

Once the treatment is complete, the machine is removed. You will notice that the area does look red and a bit raised or puffy. This is perfectly normal and we will massage the area gently to help the skin return to normal. After the treatment and massage, you can head home or even back to work. Most people resume regular activities right away and there should be little to no discomfort after the treatment. There may be some swelling, but usually, there is very little discomfort.

Again, you might not see any immediate reduction in fat. It does take time for the fat cells to leave the body, but as the weeks pass, the vast majority of patients report excellent results.

How Long Does CoolSculpting Last?

You might be wondering – is CoolSculpting permanent? The short answer is yes, the results of CoolSculpting are permanent. In some cases, people will opt for multiple CoolSculpting treatments to remove additional fat cells, but often a single treatment will be all you will need.

It is, however, important to note that weight gain can minimize the results of CoolSculpting, so we recommend that you keep up with your fitness routine to enjoy those long-term results and, of course, all of the other health benefits that come from a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

Surgical Vs. Non-Surgical Options

When it comes to cellulite, one of the questions we often are asked is which is better – liposuction or CoolSculpting? Many patients mistakenly believe that liposuction is a cellulite treatment, but that’s really not true. Liposuction is the surgical removal of fat, and we use this treatment for patients with diet-resistant and exercise-resistant bulges or those with inherited contour problems. It can reduce the appearance of cellulite, but it’s not meant to be a treatment for cellulite.

For fat reduction in some patients, CoolSculpting is a far better option. It’s less expensive and less invasive, and those are two huge benefits. If you are frustrated with stubborn fat that just won’t go away, CoolSculpting typically is your best bet and it’s less invasive than any surgical treatments. CoolSculpting also can be used to eliminate stubborn fat bulges, as well, so it’s truly a fantastic alternative to liposuction.

One recommendation we have is to always visit a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon’s office for your Cool Sculpting consult. The reason for this is that not all people will be candidates for Cool Sculpting. Some patients require liposuction or other cosmetic surgery to get their desired effect. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will have the ability to perform both Cool Sculpting or liposuction, and can give an honest opinion as to whether or not you are a candidate for either procedure.

If you are interested in learning more about CoolSculpting, give the team at Thaxton Plastic Surgery a call. In addition to CoolSculpting, we have many other non-surgical procedures and spa treatments that can have you looking and feeling your best.