FREEZE FRAME

Sure, freezing away your unwanted fat with Coolsculpting sounds great, but is it too good to be true? We spoke to a leading expert to sort the facts from the fiction

Fat freezing is the beauty buzz-phrase of 2020, thanks to growing interest in non-invasive alternatives to traditional cosmetic procedures such as liposuction. Leading the pack is Coolsculpting*, a fat-freezing procedure that’s approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fat reduction and body sculpting. Coolsculpting’s innovative technology targets specific pockets of stubborn fat (the kind that’s often resistant to dieting and exercising) via a process called cryolipolysis. Applicators are used to treat areas of fat with precisely controlled cooling, gently and effectively killing subdermal fat cells while leaving the skin unaffected.** On average, up to 27% fat reduction is seen in multiple treatment areas*** and patients can opt for a second round of treatment should the area require this to reach the desired outcome.

Of course, as with any cosmetic procedure, it’s important to do your due diligence before considering if a treatment is right for you. So we spoke to Dr Tracy Mountford, founder and medical director of The Cosmetic Skin Clinic in London and Buckinghamshire, to help bust the myths around fat freezing.

MYTH #1

Myth It’s only for belly fat. Fact Coolsculpting is Fda-approved for the following areas; abdomen, flanks (think love handles), thighs, bra fat (the area at the front between your arm and the bra line), back fat, underneath the buttocks, the upper arms and, most recently, the fat under the chin and jawline. ‘The abdomen, flanks and the fat pad under the chin are high-win areas – you can often get a good result from just one treatment,’ says Dr Mountford. ‘Areas such as the inner thighs, upper arms and back fat are slightly more difficult to treat, so while some patients do get good results from just one session, for others a second treatment eight weeks later may be required to get the desired results.’

MYTH #2

Myth You’ll see instant results.

Fact Once the fat cells have been frozen, your body will naturally eliminate dead cells over the next few months. ‘We often see results as early as three to four weeks, but we’ll wait about eight weeks to assess the full effects. However, patients have reported seeing additional improvements up to 16 weeks later,’ says Dr Mountford. The number of fat cells you have in your body is set during childhood and adolescence, so when you gain or lose weight as an adult, those fat cells are simply expanding or shrinking. But with Coolsculpting, the freezing process actually kills off the fat cells in the treated area, which means the results are permanent. ‘After you’ve treated an area, even if you gain weight, it will be distributed more evenly across the body. You won’t put on as much weight in that area as you used to,’ explains Dr Mountford.

MYTH #3

Myth It hurts.

Fact ‘Anything that works in life tends to be a little uncomfortable, but generally speaking Coolsculpting is well tolerated,’ explains Dr Mountford. In fact, discomfort is so minimal that people having the treatment will often work on their iphones or watch TV during the 35- to 45-minute procedure, then head back to work straight afterwards.

MYTH #4

Myth It only works if you’re overweight. Fact A good candidate for the procedure is actually someone within about a stone of their goal weight, although the treatment can be used on all shapes and sizes. ‘The ideal patient is somebody with a reasonably healthy lifestyle already, who just wants to get rid of stubborn pockets of fat,’ says Dr Mountford. ‘But we can treat people who are slightly heavier, who might use Coolsculpting to give them a boost to get going on their lifestyle changes, or to help with overhang rolls – although it’s important to note that for these patients, it may take multiple treatment sessions to see significant changes.’

MYTH #5

Myth It’s a high-risk procedure.

Fact ‘With anything medical, it’s very important to say that there will always be risks associated,’ says Dr Mountford. ‘What makes Coolsculpting

genuinely different is that it’s the only cryolipolysis device with more than 60 peer-reviewed papers to support its safety and efficacy. The main side effects that can occur are post-treatment swelling and numbness, both of which are temporary,’ she adds.

TWO TOP TIPS Do Your Research

‘There is a level of skill required to see where to take the fat away to sculpt the body beautifully and get you the results you want,’ says Dr Lorraine Hill of Hampton Clinic in Birmingham. She stresses the importance of finding a practitioner with experience of performing Coolsculpting treatments.

Put Safety First

‘One of the patented safety features of Coolsculpting is that it measures the temperature of your skin throughout the whole procedure,’ says Dr Hill. ‘If your skin gets too cold the machine will cut out and therefore it won’t damage your skin. Other similar techniques may not have this safety protection.’

‘COOLSCULPTING COULD GIVE YOU A BOOST WITH YOUR LIFESTYLE CHANGES’

Dr Tracy Mountford