Fat stores around your body are essential to your health, even after you’ve attained an ideal body weight. However, your metabolism may not agree with you about the best place for these deposits. Despite dieting and workouts, some fat bulges resist all efforts to reshape. These are fat stores between skin and muscle, so toning doesn’t rein in the rolls. You’ve got limited possibilities for treating these stubborn trouble spots. At one time, liposuction was the only option. Dr. Kamran Afzal and his team choose cryolipolysis with the CoolSculpting® Elite system. They recommend it to patients at the Afzal Clinics who want an alternative to surgery. Temperature-sensitive cells Fat cells can withstand only a narrow range of temperatures. Cool them down or warm them up and they die off. Your body absorbs and disposes of them. In most cases, these cells aren’t replaced, particularly if you’re at a stable weight. When enough fat cells are treated, fat deposits change shapes. CoolSculpting Elite The technique of freezing out fat cells, called cryolipolysis, is behind CoolSculpting Elite. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010, CoolSculpting Elite uses suction and cooling technology to lower the temperature of fat deposits, which freeze at a higher temperature than your skin. There’s no need for incisions. CoolSculpting Elite works through your skin, affecting an average of 20% of treated cells. In the weeks and months following your treatment, your body breaks down these frozen cells for removal by your immune system. The treatment areas take on the contours you’re after, without dieting or exercise. Target areas CoolSculpting Elite is cleared by the FDA to treat fat deposits in nine locations. These include:
Under the chin
Under the jaw
Abdomen
Upper arms
Thighs
Flanks
Back fat
Bra fat
Under the buttocks
CoolSculpting Elite is also FDA cleared for improving the appearance of loose skin under the chin. What to expect from treatment CoolSculpting Elite permits the treatment of two areas simultaneously, with sessions lasting 35-60 minutes, depending on the fat deposits you’re targeting. The CoolSculpting applicators vacuum tissue into a port for spot cooling. You feel both tugging and cooling sensations while treatment is underway. There’s no downtime after treatment. You might not experience any side effects, but soreness in the treatment areas, itchiness, swelling, or some minor bruising are possible. It can take up to six months for the greatest effects of your session to show, averaging about a 20% reduction in fat cells, though your results can vary. CoolSculpting Elite isn’t a weight loss method. It’s designed to help those already at or near their ideal body weight to control the contours of fat deposits that otherwise resist reshaping. To find out if you’re a candidate for CoolSculpting Elite, contact the nearest of three offices of the Afzal Clinics, by phone or online, to schedule your consultation. It may be the body shape difference you’ve been seeking. Book now.
