Dr. Ward explains CoolSculpting in the Lynn Haven Ledger

30 November 2011 / News Articles / 0 Comment

Introducing the “cool” way to make fat disappear

By Dr. Jon Ward, Dermatologist

It’s normal for some pockets of fatty tissue to be resistant to diet and exercise -- especially belly fat, back fat, and the area we call “love handles” -- but my patients don’t have to live with that, and most won’t have to undergo an invasive procedure to see a 20-25% reduction of fat in the areas we target. It sounds almost too good to be true, but with a new procedure called CoolSculpting, we can literally freeze away your fat.

For most people, CoolSculpting is not an uncomfortable process at all - there are no needles, no surgery, and no downtime. What you will feel is a firm tug at the area of fat we target, and then an intense cooling for the first few minutes. Soon after, the tissue goes numb and you don’t feel much of anything at all. The process takes about one hour per target area, and that’s a time most of my patients use to read a book, watch a movie, or surf the internet.

So let’s say you’re interested in losing some stubborn fat that you haven’t been able to get rid of with diet and exercise. The first step is to set up a consultation to see if you’re a good candidate for the CoolSculpting procedure. If you are, we’ll schedule an appointment. It’s such a gentle procedure that you can do it during your workday, and go back to work after the appointment.

Once we’ve identified the areas of fat you want to lose, the CoolSculpting machine uses suction to isolate that area (we need to be able to pinch at least an inch for this to work). Then, the pads on the CoolSculpting machine in contact with the fatty area will begin to cool the targeted fat. Since fat cells cannot withstand the cold as well as other body cells, the CoolSculpting machine adjusts to maintain a very precise temperature throughout the procedure, freezing the fat cells but leaving the surrounding healthy tissue and skin unharmed.

When the procedure is over, you may notice a temporary redness, firmness, tenderness, or slight bruising in the targeted area. That usually goes away in hours or days. Then, in as little as three weeks after the procedure, the patient may already notice a reduction of fat in the treated area as their body naturally clears out the targeted fat cells. Full results of a 20-25% reduction in the fat layer can be seen in 2-4 months.

For many patients, a single treatment is enough. For others, depending on their aesthetic goals, we may recommend additional treatments. CoolSculpting is a great option for men and women who may not need, or be willing to undergo, a more invasive fat reduction technique like liposuction, but who have not been able to lose some stubborn areas of fat through diet and exercise alone. The ideal patient is already within 15-20 pounds of their ideal body weight, but needs help losing unwanted pockets of fat that exercise and diet can’t target the way the CoolSculpting system can.

Have any more questions? Call to schedule a free consultation!