Finally! A way to really target those bulges without surgery.

This fairly new procedure is done in a doctor’s office using a device to cool selective spots on your body so that the subcutaneous fat freezes, but the skin doesn’t. Over the course of the next few months, the fat cells die, are digested by your body and permanently removed through the liver. This process is called apoptosis. To date, few negative side effects (other than on your wallet) have been reported. Right after the procedure is done, you may experience redness, some tingling or numbness and maybe some bruising.

A plastic surgeon or dermatologist supervises the process, which can take up to 60 minutes per section of fat to be treated. You can resume normal activities right after the office visit and should see results in 3 – 6 months as the body gradually expels the dead cells.

Because the fat is removed over a period of months, some consider it a safer alternative than liposuction, especially since the patient doesn’t need sedation and the body is not punctured at all.

How much fat is removed?

A US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health article reported , in a study by Coleman SR, Sachdeva K, Egbert BM and Preciado J, Allison J. at NYU School of Medicine that the 10 subjects in the study, lost fat layers of 25.5 % during 6 months following the process with no tissue damage or changes to nerves.

User Reviews

RealSelf.com   published some user reviews, which seem fairly positive. The site also indicates the process can be used on older folks, sometimes with even more dramatic results achieved.

Who Can Use It

Since CoolSculpting is meant to work on small specific areas of fat on your body, the ideal patient is already in good shape. The process is not meant as a weight loss program or for use on large areas of fat. Although the fat cells are permanently removed, you will still need to live a healty, active lifestyle to prevent new fat cells from forming.

History

Drs. Dieter Manstein and R. Rox Anderson, researchers at The Wellman Center at Massachusetts General Hospital did experiments on pigs in 2008 and reported their results in “Selective cryolysis: a novel method of non-invasive fat removal.”. Lasers Surg Med. 2008 Nov;40(9):595-604.

Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc – a medical devices firm created the device with which the fat is frozen and called it CoolSculpting. The doctors are charged to use the process each time, in addition to buying the equipment needed.

Costs

Because it requires a specialists supervision, a fee to Zeltiq and special equipment, it can be pricy. According to CrylipolysisReview.com  each session can cost $800+ and you will need more than one session to target the areas you want to remove (love handles typically require 4, two on each side). Because it is most likely considered elective and asthetic, it probably will not be covered by your insurance, but you can check to be sure.

The proceudre was approaved by the FDA for use in the US in September 2010.

Sources

• “Patients Flock to Fat-Freezing Procedure Cryolipolysis, Sans FDA Approval” by Kim Carollo abc News
• Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryolipolysis
• The Patients Guide http://www.body-contouring.com/zeltiq.aspx
• Cryolipolysis: Zeltiq Coolsculpting – A Review! http://cryolipolysisreview.com/
• US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19296153
• RealSelf http://www.realself.com/coolsculpting-by-zeltiq