The time has arrived for beach vacations and wedding celebrations. That also includes bikinis and cocktail dresses.
Sometimes summer sneaks up on you and the thought of baring (almost) all can be intimidating when you don’t feel ready for it.
Even if you exercise regularly and eat clean (kale and cactus water, please!), it can still be difficult to feel comfortable in a bikini.
Many men and women struggle with excess belly fat or those last few pounds. Moms can find it especially difficult after giving birth to get rid of stubborn weight on their stomach, thighs, or hips.
In the past few years a non-surgical option has become available that reduces those troubled areas permanently and can show results as early as three weeks.
But does it really work? And are there any other facts to know before starting the procedure?
Starting now could mean feeling more confident in a bikini by Labor Day.
The procedure, CoolSculpting®, does live up to its fat-banishing claims but there are some facts to know before booking an appointment.
As with all medical procedures, non-surgical or cosmetic too, it’s important to do your research.
Cleared by the FDA in 2010, the technology used by the CoolSculpting® device is called Cryolipolysis®.
This technology was developed and then extensively studied by Harvard researchers to freeze and destroy unwanted fat cells while leaving the nearby tissue untouched.
Renowned Harvard University scientists, Dieter Manstein, MD and R. Rox Anderson, MD, have an usual story about how they came up with the idea.
They noticed that children who ate a lot of popsicles developed dimples in their cheeks. Putting two and two together, the doctors started looking at how cold can fight off fat cells.
A simple observation lead to a whole new way to banish fat.
So how does it work?
Treatment with the CoolSculpting® device doesn’t require an incision, needles, or anesthesia. It is a completely non-surgical procedure.
After just a single, brief procedure the frozen fat cells are effectively destroyed and flushed from the body through its normal metabolic processes.
The result is a noticeable fat reduction of about 25% per treatment, which can be repeated.
Many report seeing changes in as little as 3 to 4 weeks, but the full benefit may take as long as 60 to 90 days.
While some cosmetic treatments give instant results, when it comes to CoolSculpting®, you’ll need to give your body time to flush the fat from your system.
In some cases, you may need a second treatment about a month after the first to get the results you want.
You’ll be in the doctor’s office for about one hour each session. One area is typically about the size of your hand. Therefore, each “love-handle” would be considered one area, and the lower abdomen is typically considered two areas. You can treat more than one area at a single office visit, but only one area at a time.
Usually you are able to read or shop online while your fat freezes and after the procedure there is no down time.
What are the most common areas to be treated?
- Muffin top
- Upper and lower abdomen
- Waist
- Bra fat
- Back fat
- Love handles
- And for many moms any areas affected after having a baby
How permanent is it?
While the fat that was destroyed during the treatment won’t come back, it is possible for the remaining fat cells to expand if you eat a high calorie diet or stop working out.
The expanded fat cells will reduce the appearance of any results you gained.
After your treatment and after the results appear, it’s up to you to make them last. Continue to eat a healthy, nutritious diet and exercise.
Often, those that choose CoolSculpting® use the procedure as a motivator to keep up with their exercise routine or start a more rigorous one.
What else?
There is a possibility you might want a touch-up lift after your first experience.
Like liposuction, CoolSculpting® is only concerned with removing fat from the body.
It won’t reduce excess skin or make your skin more elastic. That means that if you have loose skin in the treated area, you may want an additional procedure, such as a lower body lift, tummy tuck or thigh lift to help you achieve the results you want.
During your consultation, your surgeon will let you know whether you’ll get the most benefit from CoolSculpting® alone or from the fat removal treatment plus a surgical lift.
Many use Venus Legacy with the treatment, another non-surgical option, as well.
The Venus Legacy tightens and tones the skin by combining pulsed magnetic fields and radio frequency to penetrate all three layers of skin—epidermis, dermis and hypodermis.
The treatments improve the flow of blood, and encourage the formation of new blood vessels, which in turn stimulate the production of collagen and elastin fibers.
Like CoolSculpting®, to see drastic results then multiple sessions of the procedure might be needed.
Conclusion
The latest trend in banishing fat could work for you, but it’s important to understand how the procedure works and be realistic about results.
The facts:
- non-surgical
- no recovery time
- one hour sessions
- 25% fat reduction each treatment
- keeping up with exercise and nutrition still important
- Possibly need more than one treatment
- Possibly will want a surgical lift or Venus Legacy treatments also
- The fat that is frozen off in each session is permanently destroyed
In the San Francisco or Marin County area? If you want to start feeling confident then today’s the day to look into CoolSculpting®. A non-invasive, quick, permanent, solution to losing fat is available now. Request a consultation!
What are your thoughts on freezing fat? Would you try it? Comment below.