You have gone through the process of dieting and exercising. You have been strict with yourself by watching what you eat and making sure that you have the self-discipline to go to the gym on a regular basis. At first, you were happy with the results you were seeing. Every few weeks you watched as the numbers on the scale got smaller and smaller. Soon, your goal weight went from being something that you thought you would never reach to being something that seemed attainable. Now, your goal weight is in the rear view mirror and you are working on keeping your weight steady. You are happy with what you see on the scale, but you feel frustrated with what you see in the mirror. You have lost weight, just not in the areas where you really hoped you would, such as around your midsection, your arms, or your thighs. If this describes the frustrating situation that you are dealing with, you may be interested in learning about CoolSculpting®.
What is the Science Behind This Body Contouring Phenomenon?
When you first heard that it was possible to sculpt your body using controlled cooling, you likely did not believe what you were hearing. The idea that cold could destroy fat cells without harming the other tissue in your body seemed almost like a fairy tale. But you kept hearing people talk about it. So a logical question is, how does it work? What is the science?
To understand the science behind using controlled cooling for fat removal, you have to first understand why your body holds onto fat in the first place. Your fat is made for survival. Its primary goal is to help regulate the temperature of your body. It also serves as a protection for your internal organs and your bones. Fat serves as a way of regulating reproductive organs.
Even if a person looks skinny, they still have body fat. They might have a smaller percentage of body fat than a heavier individual, but it’s still there. The fat we have on our bodies can be divided into two categories. There is the fat that is essential for life, and fat that is being stored for later. When you talk to a person who has a high BMI, they usually have high levels of the stored fat. This stored fat is referred to as adipose tissue. You need your healthy fat. Without it, you would not be able to survive. What you do not need are the extra levels of stored fat. This is what most people are trying to lose with diet and exercising.
CoolSculpting® works by delivering controlled cooling to the fat that sits just underneath the surface of your skin cells. When fat cells crystallize, they die. When fat cells die, your body is going to remove them via the natural waste removal process. They are removed from your body when you urinate. Controlled cooling triggers the breakdown of fat cells. It triggers a process known as apoptosis.
Your body is constantly going through a process whereby old cells are being removed and new cells are being produced. This process takes place in your skin, in your organs, and in your bones. When your body identifies something that’s not working as it should be, your body is going to attack it, break it down, and replace it. Controlled cooling triggers an artificial breakdown of the cells. This starts the fat removal process. Dead fat cells are flushed through your kidneys in the same way most other waste is.
Your white blood cells are constantly on the lookout for cellular debris. Your lymphatic system is what helps move the cellular debris through your kidneys. Every so often your body is completely eliminating dead cells. This is why, when a person has a controlled cooling treatment to contour their body, it takes a few months for the full results of the treatment to be seen.
It’s good to take a moment to emphasize the point that controlled cooling body sculpting treatments are not designed to replace diet and exercising. Sure, CoolSculpting® does kill off unwanted fat cells. However, if you continue to eat junk food and you don’t exercise, the fat cells you have remaining are going to expand. This is why we always say that the best candidate for body contouring using controlled cooling is someone who is already close to their ideal weight, someone who is already relatively physically fit, and someone who can commit to living a healthy lifestyle.
What Should I Expect During the Treatment Process?
This is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment. You will not need to worry about anesthesia. There are no surgical openings involved. Generally, the process starts with a gel pad and applicator being put on the area that is being treated. Depending on the size of the area being treated, controlled cooling will be delivered. Over the years, a variety of applicators have been designed to cater to the body part that is being treated.
Suction is applied and then the controlled cooling process begins. As the treatment begins, you are going to feel a cold sensation. This cold sensation will only last for a few minutes because the cold will numb the area that’s being treated. Many have compared the sensation to what a person feels when they put an ice pack on their body to help with an injury. Once the treatment is complete, a medical professional is going to massage the treated area. This is to help finish up the treatment. During this phase, you might feel a slight tingling sensation similar to what one feels when they come indoors after being in the cold for a long time.
What’s great about CoolSculpting® is that since it is non-surgical and non-invasive, it does not require downtime. You are able to go right back to your normal activities immediately after treatment. Some people will see results after just one treatment. The majority of people will not see full results until they have at least three rounds of treatments. As we have already discussed, it takes time for your body to collect and remove dead cells. This is why, though you will see some results in the immediate weeks after your treatments, you may not see the full results for a few months.
What Results Should I Expect?
There is no way to say from the get-go what your end results are going to be. On average, people who have had CoolSculpting® done have been able to lose a notable percent of the fat in the treated area. Some people may lose slightly less, and some may lose slightly more. Because everyone’s body is different and everyone reacts differently to treatment, it’s impossible to be more specific. There are people who have aggressive immune systems whose bodies will aggressively devour destroyed fat cells. Other people have an immune system that is not as aggressive. So although they are going to see results, the results may take a little bit longer.
There are a few factors that you can control for in order to get optimized results. For example, if you are in relatively good shape prior to treatment, and if you stay active after treatment you are going to have better results. Also, being selective about the parts of your body that you treat will improve your end results.
Why do we say that? Well, as we mentioned, this is not a weight loss treatment. So the goal is not to make numbers go down on the scale. Instead, the goal is to sculpt pinpointed areas to improve your overall appearance. Before the treatment, you need to ask yourself, what is it that is making you look fat? It is likely the excess fat you have around your midsection or in your lower back. Maybe you have a double chin. Even though the rest of your body is fit, when people see you, they perceive you as fat because you have a round face. Identifying your target areas before treatment is going to help you have better results.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
It’s difficult to say whether or not a person is a good candidate for this treatment without doing an in person evaluation. Some of the things that we are going to consider during your initial evaluation is your weight, your health, and your goals.
If you are morbidly obese, this treatment is not going to produce the results that you are hoping for. If you have certain health conditions, this treatment may not produce the results that you are hoping for. A good candidate for this treatment understands what the treatment is designed to do and what the end goals reasonably can be. A good candidate for treatment might come in and explain that they have been dieting and exercising but they just cannot get rid of a few pockets of fat that have been holding on for a long time. These are the individuals who will likely have the best results.
CoolSculpting® is one of the most comfortable forms of body contouring you are going to find. Many people find the controlled cooling process to be quite soothing and relaxing. It is not uncommon for patients to fall asleep while the treatment is being done. Some will bring in books to read, bring in movies to watch, or catch up on work as the treatment is going on.
What is nice about this treatment is that because of its non-invasive nature it can be used simultaneously on multiple parts of your body. Every effort is put forth to make sure that your results are natural-looking and even.
How Does CoolSculpting® Stack up to Liposuction?
Some have wondered how this treatment stacks up with liposuction. These are two drastically different treatments that share a goal. Liposuction is more aggressive and produces more immediate results. With liposuction, you are going to see the results of the procedure immediately. At the same time, there are inherent risks involved with surgery; with CoolSculpting®, none of these negative side effects exist.
You don’t have to take time off work, you don’t have to limit your physical activities, and you need not tell anyone that you had the treatment done – they will notice how over the course of a few months your clothes fit better and you are more confident in how you look. But they are not going to know why, and they are not going to know how. This treatment allows you to maintain your privacy.
Get In Touch with Us for More Information
Have you gone through the process of dieting and exercising only to be disappointed with the way that you look now that you are at your ideal weight? If so, we invite you to learn more about CoolSculpting®. It is a tremendous option for non-surgical body contouring. If you have questions about this treatment, please feel free to make an appointment with Amachi MedSpa. At our convenient location in Marietta, GA, we are always willing to explain to them more about how the treatment works and why it might be exactly what they need to achieve their desired looks. Contact us today to set up your consultation!
