Biologically speaking, it’s perfectly normal for women to have more fat than men. This is especially true in the abdomen and hips region which are often considered problem areas.
If you’re on the lookout for a non-invasive procedure to help get rid of stubborn fat that won’t go away with proper exercise and diet, then coolsculpting may be the answer.
In this article, we’ll be going through a ton of things you need to know about coolsculpting to help you decide if it’s the right procedure for you.
What is coolsculpting exactly?
Coolsculpting is one of the most popular, if not the first, non-invasive fat eliminating procedure. Meaning, you won’t have to worry about any needles or lasers.
They use a biological process called cryolipolysis to permanently get rid of fat. In simpler terms, extreme cold is used to freeze and destroy fat cells.
After crystallizing the fat cells, they will eventually thaw within a day or two. Afterward, you release them through your urine.
Things You Should Know About Coolsculpting
1. There’s minimal discomfort
According to past patients, there’s minimal to no discomfort during the procedure. A protective gel pad will be placed on your skin and then their applicator is placed on top.
You may feel sensations such as tugging and suctioning. The area will also feel cold as the machine freezes up your fat cells.
It may feel weird and uncomfortable, but the procedure will only last around 30 to 45 minutes. However, this still depends on the number of areas that will undergo the procedure.
2. The ideal patient is someone who’s close to their weight goal
As opposed to liposuction, coolsculpting is meant for individuals who are close to their weight goal and have a pinch or two of stubborn fat that won’t go away even with proper diet and exercise.
If you have more than a pinch or two of fat, you may want to consider liposuction instead. Although they’re both highly effective in fat reduction, liposuction is meant for those who aim to lose a lot of fat and weight.
3. Coolsculpting is not meant to fix sagging skin
Coolsculpting isn’t a miracle technique that will magically erase all the fat in your body. It’s meant to remove stubborn fat that won’t go away even with proper exercise and diet.
For women, this is most commonly seen in the abdomen. This is because women naturally have that excess fat for childbearing purposes which is why it’s difficult to get rid of.
Hence, if you have sagging skin, you might want to consider skin tightening procedures instead.
4. It’s a convenient procedure
Aside from zero follow-up sessions, the recovery time is quite short. To boot, it usually costs more than invasive fat reduction procedures.
The recovery time can last anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, your skin may feel sensitive and tingly as well as even swell or bruise.
Even so, most patients can resume regular daily activities within a few days after the procedure. Hence, you won’t have to worry about being stuck in bed or immobile for long!
You also won’t need to come back since this is a permanent procedure. But remember that this isn’t a solution to weight loss since you can put on that weight back on if you aren’t careful.
5. There’s a rare risk: PAH
PAH or paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is a reactive process wherein instead of breaking down and allowing the body to dispose of them, the fatty cells thicken and expand.
This causes the treated area to enlarge due to the new growth of fat cells. To make things worse, it isn’t soft fat like what was removed, it’s hard, dense, and irregularly shaped.
It’s a rare side effect that only begins to show at least 6 months after the procedure.
However, keep in mind that it’s very rare and that only 1 in 20,000 patients have experienced this. It’s also more prevalent in men than in women.
All said, even though it’s rare, it can happen to anyone. But, with any medical procedure comes certain risks and side effects anyway.
And there you have it, folks: things you need to know about coolsculpting. We hope you were able to learn a thing or two that could help you in your decision-making process.
Since we’re already on the topic, check out our recommendations for cosmetic procedures that you can get in Ireland: