CoolSculpting: How It Works

Do you actually lose weight with CoolSculpting?

Fat. We can’t live without it, but we certainly don’t enjoy living with an overabundance of it! The body needs fat. It is an important energy source and is necessary for maintaining basic bodily functions, especially when it comes to keeping the heart healthy and hormones in balance. When the body carries too much fat, however, this can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain types of cancer and a long list of other serious conditions. 

As critical as it is to our health to manage the amount of fat that the body stores, this also plays a huge role in relation to body image. Areas of the body where large amounts of fat have accumulated are damaging to more than our physical wellbeing: self-confidence, self-esteem and how we relate to other people and situations around us are often negatively affected.

There are different approaches to fat loss. Cryolipolysis, more commonly referred to as CoolSculpting, is a process that reduces the number of fat cells in the body by freezing them. It is not technically weight loss: it is fat loss. CoolSculpting is a relatively new process that continues to gain in popularity, partially due to the fact that it is not only targeted to specific problem areas, but it is also non-invasive. No incisions are made, which not only makes it less painful with hardly any recovery time but also greatly reduces the risk of infection or other side effects or complications. 

How Is CoolSculpting Done?

The process for CoolSculpting is fairly simple and straightforward. At the targeted area, a protective gel pad will be placed between the skin of the client and the cooling device. There may be some sensations of mild pinching, tingling, pulling, stinging and cold but these soon go away as the area becomes numb. During the roughly 30 minutes that the procedure takes, most people read, play games on their phone or talk to a friend. Fat cells are not able to recover from being frozen and are removed from the body naturally. This normally takes a few months and at the end of the treatment, the practitioner will massage the area to further break down the dead cells and hasten removal. 

Once the massage part is over, that’s it. You are done. Most people simply return to work or whatever they were doing. It may be a few months before results are noticeable. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CoolSculpting for several different areas of the body, including:

  • Under the chin (submental)
  • Under the jaw (submandibular)
  • Under the buttocks (often called banana roll)
  • Abdomen and flank
  • Back fat and “bra fat”
  • Upper arm
  • Thigh

The CoolSculpting process is not for those who are significantly overweight, but rather for those with stubborn problem areas. Eating a healthy diet and getting consistent exercise are, of course, key to maintaining healthy body weight. Sometimes, though, there are areas of the body where fat has accumulated and no matter how much kale and broccoli you consume or how many sessions of spin class you show up for, those fat cells simply won’t budge. CoolSculpting may be the answer you’re looking for to target those particular areas that are problems for you.

Dr. Brian D. Cohen is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with extensive training in cosmetic/reconstructive plastic surgery and has had years of experience performing a wide array of cosmetic surgery procedures, specializing in procedures of the face, eyes, nose, breast and body and is known for his exemplary and compassionate care by his patients. Knowing that Dr. Cohen has been selected by his peers in Super Doctors for 7 years in a row in 2019 gives you the confidence that he is highly respected for his performance in his specialty.

Information on locations and office hours for Cohen Plastic Surgery can be found by clicking here