There’s been a lot of icing rumors lately — no, we’re not referring to winter temperatures in Boston. Freezing fat, medically known as cryolipolysis, is one of the hottest trends in non-invasive bodybuilding — that is, reducing fat pockets without needles, knives, or real downtime.
Body Fat Basics
Let’s start with the basics. Not all fats are created equal. We have two different types of fat in our bodies: subcutaneous fat (the fat that might roll up to the waistband of your pants) and visceral fat (the fat that lines your organs and is linked to diabetes and heart disease).
From now on, when we refer to fat, we mean subcutaneous fat, as this is the type of fat that cryolipolysis targets. A recent study showed that the body’s ability to remove subcutaneous fat declines with age, which means we’re fighting an uphill battle as we celebrate each birthday.
From popsicles to frozen fat
Cryolipolysis literally means cold (frozen) fat (lipo) destruction (lysis) partly invented by observing what happens when a child eats a popsicle. No kidding here. The co-founders of the procedure were intrigued by a phenomenon called “cold-induced fat necrosis,” which reportedly occurs after young children eat popsicles that are inadvertently left on their cheeks for a few minutes. Skin samples taken from these pediatric patients showed inflammation in the fat, but covered by normal skin. Therefore, fat appears to be more sensitive to cold damage than other tissue types.
Using this concept, a cooling device was tested in pigs in 2007 to see if it could selectively destroy fat cells. The results were promising and predictable; the pig’s fat layer was reduced by approximately 1/2 inch over the treated area without damaging the overlying skin. By 2010, the first cryolipolysis technology approved for human use, called CoolSlimming, was approved to treat love handles. Treating gaps in other areas of the body, including thighs, abdomen, bra fat, back, under the buttocks, and chin, appears quickly.
How does cryolipolysis work? No one knows for sure, but we think the cooled fat cells die a few days after treatment. Over the next few months, macrophages digest the dead fat cells as part of the immune system’s clean-up crew.
A cool process
To date, over 8 million CoolSlimming treatments have been performed worldwide. Unlike liposuction, which may require anesthesia and risk bleeding or serious infection, CoolSlimming is a relatively safe in-office procedure with minimal pain and no downtime.
Each application of the treatment itself takes 35 minutes, and multiple applications may be required to cover an area. For example, it may take four or more applications to ensure even fat removal from the entire front of the abdomen.
The most common side effects of treatment include redness, bruising, swelling, tingling, numbness, or darkening of the treated area. Most of these side effects, if present, go away within a few months of treatment. Perhaps the most significant (though relatively rare) side effect of cryolipolysis is, paradoxically, increased fat growth at the treated site. The exact incidence of this side effect is unknown; however, it appears to occur less than 1% of the time.
Results can be seen as fast as three weeks, with maximum benefit seen after about three months. Each round of treatment resulted in an average of about 10% to 25% fat loss with no evidence of any systemic side effects. A second round of treatment may be required after a few months, depending on the desired results.
Who is a good candidate for freezing fat?
Cryolipolysis appears to be a safe and effective fat loss treatment without the downtime of liposuction or surgery. But it’s important to note that cryolipolysis is for weight loss, not weight loss. The ideal candidate is close to their ideal weight, but has stubborn, squeezed areas of fat that are difficult to get rid of with diet and exercise alone. But CoolSlimming also doesn’t target visceral fat, so it won’t improve your overall health. But it might help you get into your favorite skinny jeans.
Post time: Jun-07-2022