You were overweight, and you made the commitment to a healthy diet and exercise plan. You lost the weight, but you have some stubborn pockets of fat that just won’t go away, no matter what you do. Does this sound like you? If so, you may be a good candidate for CoolSculpting®, a revolutionary body contouring treatment.
The CoolSculpting system eliminates unwanted fat under your skin with a noninvasive, controlled exposure of cold energy. CoolSculpting is not a weight loss program, but instead sculpts and contours your body once you’re near your target weight. The team of expert aestheticians at Eterna Vein & Medical Aesthetics in Puyallup, Washington, use the CoolSculpting treatment to help patients cross the finish line of their weight loss journey. Here’s what you need to know.
How does CoolSculpting work?
Unlike procedures like liposuction or tummy tucks that are invasive and have extended recovery times, CoolSculpting eliminates stubborn fat pockets and shapes your silhouette with nary a scalpel in sight.
This process of fat removal is called cryolipolysis. An applicator is positioned over your trouble spots and freezes the fat cells below the skin’s surface, destroying them. Over the course of the next few weeks and months, your lymphatic system naturally eliminates the dead fat cells from your body, leaving behind a sleeker silhouette. The procedure can be used on numerous body parts, including:
Thighs
Abdomen
Flanks (love handles)
Upper arms
Under the buttocks
Bra and back areas
Submental area (double chin)
Good candidates are those who eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, are within 20-30 pounds of their target weight, and have stubborn fat pockets that defy attempts to eliminate them.
The CoolSculpting process
CoolSculpting is powerful enough to destroy your unwanted fat cells, but still gentle enough to leave the surrounding skin and other tissues unharmed. Each session can last from 1-4 hours, depending on the area(s) being treated.
As you relax, we clean and mark your skin, then place a gel pad on the treatment area. When we apply the applicator, you might feel a “suctioning” effect or pressure as the machine takes up your tissue to cool it at controlled temperatures. Once the treatment begins, you can feel intense cold, stinging, tingling, and maybe even a little aching and cramping, but these sensations generally resolve after a few minutes as the tissue becomes numb. The applicator remains in place for 35-45 minutes, until the treatment is complete in that area.
Just after your treatment, the skin on your treated area will be red and firm, and the fat cells beneath will be frozen and crystallized. The aesthetician massages the area, which breaks down the fat cells. This part is essential to get good results!
The tissue may remain red for several hours, and it might blanch (whiten) and bruise a bit, but this is normal, and you really don’t need to take much downtime to recover. We give you aftercare instructions, but basically, you can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain or swelling, both of which can last to some extent for a couple of weeks. We especially recommend that you continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet to continue your good work as you wait to see results.
How about those CoolSculpting results?
You should start noticing your results within 4-6 months following your CoolSculpting treatment, which is how long it takes your body to process and flush out the dead fat cells. The exact timing varies based on the size of the treated area and the number of treatments you received. Most patients need just one, but we work with you to determine if additional sessions will better help you reach your aesthetic goals.
Results are permanent because CoolSculpting eliminates your fat cells instead of simply shrinking them as other procedures do. That means they won’t be there to fill back up. The only way you’ll gain fat in that area is if you go off your diet and exercise regimen and gain a substantial amount of weight.
If you’ve got pockets of stubborn fat, CoolSculpting may be just the thing to help you finish off your weight loss journey. To learn more, and to see if you’re a good candidate, give Eterna Vein & Medical Aesthetics a call at 253-268-3400 today.
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