With summer drawing to a close, a new (and quite literally) cool option is making it easier to achieve that beach-ready body no matter the time of year.
CoolSculpting is a nonsurgical, fat removal technique that uses a handheld device to freeze and destroy fat cells. This noninvasive medical procedure is known as cryolipolysis and can be completed on one's lunch break, according to Dr. Adel Faltaous, chief of plastic surgery at Marshall Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
"Patients come first for a consultation from a board-certified surgeon, and we determine which areas of the body they'd like to treat. Approved treatment areas include the abdomen, inner and outer thighs, back, flank, arms and even underneath the chin," Faltaous said. "CoolSculpting requires no recovery time. We don't need incisions, needles, suction hoses or anesthesia."
The type of fat each individual has determines the treatment they need, according to Taylor Dillard, a licensed practical nurse for Huntington Dermatology, who has conducted CoolSculpting procedures for more than a year.
"We need to determine if you have the hard, visceral fat or the subcutaneous fat, which is squishy and directly under the skin," Dillard said. "Once we identify which fat cell is most dominate, we determine how many treatments each area needs based on the patients' goals. There's no limit, and we can treat the area until they are happy."
Using freezing plates and an applicator that contains a vacuum, certified CoolSculpting specialists are able to capture a fold of skin with the fat underneath and freeze the area, which destroys these cells. Dillard said a patient's fat cells and their contents are cleared naturally by a process called apoptosis, which means the macrophages - the Pac-men of the body - take them away without ever dumping fat into the circulation system, unlike liposuction and other techniques of fat removal.
The idea of removing fat using freezing mechanisms derived from studying something as simple as a popsicle, Faltaous noted.
"Harvard scientists studied the loss of cheek fat that occurs while sucking on a frozen popsicle. They realized there was a connection between the exposure of an area of the body to cold temperature and resulting fat loss in the area," Faltaous said. "With this research, we've been able to pinpoint a precise temperature which maximizes the destruction of fat."
Dillard said patients can expect to lose up to 25 percent of fat in each treated area.
"At about puberty, we have all the fat cells in our body that we are ever going to have. As we gain and lose weight, we aren't gaining and losing fat cells - our established fat cells are just losing and gaining the weight," Dillard said. "With CoolSculpting, we destroy a percentage of those fat cells every time we treat it. It is permanent because you can't regrow those cells."
Although many patients are eager to say goodbye to those love handles, doctors recommend the patient be within 30 pounds of their desired weight loss goal before getting the treatment.
"CoolSculpting is not intended for significant weight loss, but for treating stubborn areas of fat resistant to diet and exercise," Faltaous said. "Results are not immediate and usually take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to take effect."
Side effects of the procedure include bruising, swelling and a slight tingling in the treated area. Dillard said women who are pregnant or nursing, or individuals who have decreased liver or kidney function, recent herniation of abdomen, recent surgical scars or certain blood disorders are not ideal candidates.
With more than five procedures conducted a week on average, Faltaous said the cost per procedure can vary depending on the patient and the amount of areas they want treated.
"The cost is around $700 per application, and we recommend two applications within six weeks of each other for the best results," Faltaous said.
No matter where you decide to get treated, all professionals agree the CoolSculpting procedure does not give a patient the license to go on a calorie binge.
"The fat cells you've destroyed will remain dead; however, if you gain weight, the remaining fat will get larger and lessen the results," Dillard said. "We recommend maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine for lasting results."
Both Marshall Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery and Huntington Dermatology offer patients treatment with two CoolSculpting machines during the same time, which means two areas can be treated simultaneously.
Marshall Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, a provider through Marshall Health, is located at 5185 US Route 60 East, Huntington. To schedule a consultation, call 304-691-8910. Huntington Dermatology, Inc. is located at 422 Kinetic Park Drive B, Huntington. To schedule a consultation, call 304-523-5100.
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New fat freezing method offers weight loss alternative - Huntington Herald Dispatch
