WHY COOLSCULPTING WORKS
By now, most everyone has either heard of, or read amount CoolSculpting, a non-invasive procedure designed to help get rid of those stubborn pockets of excess fat that refuse to budge, no matter how carefully you watch your diet or how much you exercise. The name, CoolSculpting, seems to be pretty self-explanatory, but most people don’t know that the beginnings of the discovery of CoolSculpting technology were discovered by accident. So what is the science behind the technology, and why is CoolSculpting such a popular and effective choice for body contouring? Read on to find out.
What is CoolSculpting
In the 1970s, both cryolipolysis and liposuction were discovered, and though liposuction has since grown to be the number one requested plastic surgery procedure, cryolipolysis continued to be researched. The simple explanation for cryolipolysis is that it is a medical procedure that destroys fat cells by freezing them. It was discovered accidentally when dermatologists noticed that when children sucked on an ice cube or a popsicle, they would exhibit mild redness and swelling in their cheeks that lasted up to three days. The dermatologists called this “popsicle panniculitis,” and they discovered that in that small area of the cheek affected by the ice, the fat would slowly decrease. This led them to theorize that the adipose tissue in the body (fat-based tissue) appeared to be more affected by freezing temperatures that other tissues (such as skin) that are water-based.
As researchers continued to try and prove this theory, in 2007, they found that when fat cells are exposed to freezing temperatures, they crystallize and die. This phenomenon is called “fat cell apoptosis,” and describes natural and controlled cell death. When the targeted fat cells are frozen, the body’s natural inflammatory response kicks in, triggering the release of specialized cells that naturally digest the dead fat cells. The lipids from the cells are also eliminated, and flushed out through the lymphatic system.
The entire process is called “selective cryolipolysis,” and these discoveries laid the groundwork for developing the technology utilized in the CoolSculpting procedure. The conclusion by researchers was that when fat cells are exposed to a specific freezing temperature range for a prolonged period of time, they will die, reducing and eventually permanently eliminating subcutaneous fat in the areas targeted. This is accomplished with no damage to skin or other surrounding tissues. The FDA approved CoolSculpting for use in the U.S. in 2010, and it has since become an extremely popular choice for nonsurgical fat reduction and body contouring – so popular, in fact, that over four million CoolSculpting procedures have been performed worldwide.
Permanent Fat Cell Elimination
Now you know the science behind CoolSculpting and how it works, but you might be wondering how to keep the fat cells that you got rid of through the procedure from coming back. The short answer is that once fat cells are eliminated from your body, they don’t grow back.
By the time we get to our teenage years, the number of fat cells in our body has usually become fixed, meaning that from then on, the weight we gain and lose isn’t because we’ve gotten more or less fat cells, but because the existing cells are growing or shrinking. With CoolSculpting, the fat cells that are targeted for treatment die and are flushed out of your body, getting rid of them permanently. While this is a good thing, it doesn’t mean that you can ease up on your diet and exercise regimen. You may have less fat cells in certain areas, but the existing cells can still accumulate excess fat, leaving you with lumps and bumps that you thought you had seen the last of.
If you’ve heard about CoolSculpting, but haven’t decided if it’s right for you, now is the time. Call Terrasse Aesthetic Surgery today at 847-234-2400 to schedule a consultation and learn more about the procedure that millions have used to get the slender figure of their dreams.