Freeze the Fat Away: A Guide to Cryolipolysis
There are certain places on the human body where more fat is naturally deposited and where it is more noticeable. There is some variation between individuals, but generally, these places include under the chin, thighs, upper arms, stomach, hips, and back.
What cryolipolysis aims to do is reduce the fat in these areas of the body. Other procedures, such as liposuction, do this too. The important difference between cryolipolysis and many other procedures, however, is that it is non-surgical. Instead of cutting into the body to remove fat, the procedure freezes fat cells that lie beneath the skin. This has led to it commonly being referred to as ‘fat freezing.’
What happens during cryolipolysis?
Fat freezing is a simple process that is offered by many doctors and clinics. It takes around an hour to treat one area of the body and does not require being put to sleep.
What happens is, after the area of the fatty deposit has been outlined on the skin, a gel pad is placed over it and it is gently sucked into the opening of a device called an applicator. What this device then does is freeze fat cells underneath the skin. It gradually lowers the temperature of the suctioned area to between -1 and 4 degrees Celsius.
The layer of fat cells underneath the skin is more easily damaged by the cold than your skin cells, which is how the treatment is able to work. Your skin is fine, but the fat cells underneath die. Your immune system will then send a special type of white blood cell to the area to clear out the dead fat cells.
However, the effects will not be immediate because this process takes a while. Visible changes may not start to appear until three weeks after the treatment, and it will take at least two months for dramatic improvements to be seen. On average, fat deposits in the area are reduced between 15 and 28 per cent in the four months after the treatment.
Who can have cryolipolysis?
Since fat freezing is not surgical and targets specific areas, most people can benefit from it. However, It cannot be done on areas with varicose veins, cuts, dermatitis or skin lesions.
There are also people with certain conditions for whom it is not suitable. These include:
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- Cryoglobulinemia
- Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
- Cold agglutinin disease
Most of these conditions are very rare. It is also not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with nerve disorders, or skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.
Side effects of cryolipolysis
The treatment can lead to some minor side effects which can last up to several weeks afterwards. These are localized to the region where the treatment was performed and can include:
- Aches and pains
- Skin tingling
- Redness and swelling
- Bruising
- Sensitive or numb skin
Cryolipolysis is a cosmetic procedure that does nothing to improve people’s overall health. Therefore, it is generally not recommended for people with obesity. It is not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, and the effects are much more prominent in people who are already a healthy weight.