What Is CoolSculpting — And Does It Work?

No matter how much you diet and exercise, “love handles” and “muffin tops” persist. Until fairly recently, your only option for treatment was to opt for liposuction or invasive plastic surgery to rid yourself of unwanted abdominal fat.

Dr. Preminger is pleased to offer the latest scientific advancement called CoolSculpting, a non-invasive way to eliminate fat cells without anesthesia, incisions, or downtime.

How does CoolSculpting work?

Cryolipolysis is a process of targeting and freezing fat cells until they crystallize, shatter and die. The white blood cells of the immune system then digest these cells and they are excreted the same as any other waste. A single one-hour procedure should be able to shrink fat in the treated area by about 20-25 percent or 4 millimeters.

Leah Hardy, writing for the UK Daily Mail, described her treatment: “The machine is about the size of a smallish fridge, and is on wheels. The wand, which is attached to the body of the machine, looks like an oblong-shaped metal frame. A gel sheet is placed over the top before it is put over the area to be treated, and as the machine is switched on, a strong vacuum effect pulls your wobbly bits into the machine.” She said it wasn’t painful for her, but she was surprised to find that the area of skin and fat had been frozen solid — which melted down in 10 minutes without bruising or soreness.

Who should have CoolSculpting?

Before getting the procedure done, you’ll need to make sure you are a good candidate – which is someone who is within about 30 pounds of their ideal weight, with pockets of “pinch-able, soft fat on muffin tops, flanks, back fat, abdomen and inner thighs.”

“I often recommend CoolSculpting to patients who want natural-looking fat reduction in the love handles, abdomen and flanks without the risks and recovery of surgery,” says Dr. B. Aviva Preminger. She adds: “If you still have a substantial amount of weight to lose, your first recourse may still be liposuction.”

CoolSculpting gains FDA approval in 2010

Dr. Preminger’s NYC plastic surgery office features technology by Zeltiq, which has been FDA approved since 2010 for cold-assisted lipolysis of [the] abdomen, as well as the flank, or ‘love handles’ in individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or less.  The device is intended to improve the appearance of the abdomen, but is also sometimes used to numb the skin to minimize pain during laser and dermatological treatments.

Is CoolSculpting safe?

CoolSculpting was developed by scientists at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. Worldwide, more than 425,000 procedures are safely performed each year. A small clinical trial of 60 human subjects treated with the Zeltiq CoolSculpting device for one hour showed visible improvement for 85% of patients at the 16-week follow-up appointment, with no adverse effects for any study participants.

Fast facts about the CoolSculpting procedure

Here are a few things you should know about CoolSculpting:

• The procedure can be done in as little as an hour – or up to 3 hours, depending on the areas treated.
• There is no anesthesia necessary and it’s done as an outpatient procedure
• You may experience discomfort, redness, swelling, or temporary numbness and tingling as side effects.
• It takes about three weeks to start seeing the results, with vast improvements reported at 12-14 weeks.
• Results should be permanent, as long as you commit to maintaining a healthy weight.

CoolSculpting testimonials

According to candid reviews on RealSelf, many patients are ecstatic about the results of their CoolSculpting treatments. One woman from Georgia explained, “It was definitely less expensive and less invasive than other options.” Another patient, from Phoenix, Arizona, added: “It was not painful and other than numbness, it was never uncomfortable,” and says she was “thrilled” with her results after previously being unable to achieve her aesthetic goals through exercise. A third patient from Guilford, Connecticut reported no results at four weeks, but noticeable improvement by six. “You can see a difference with my stomach,” she says. “I’m happy that, six weeks later, I’m seeing results and am headed in the direction I used to be in.”

For more information on CoolSculpting in NYC, please contact Dr. Preminger at her Park Avenue office by calling 212-706-1900.