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Is CoolSculpting right for you? The science behind the craze

Everyday people and celebrities alike are looking toward CoolSculpting -- a non-invasive, non-surgical, FDA-approved treatment -- to target stubborn areas of body fat.

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This article was written for our sponsor, Sona Dermatology & MedSpa.

Many have experienced the frustration that comes from those stubborn extra five pounds that just seem to cling on no matter how hard you try to get rid of them. So what do you do if you’re eating healthy and putting the time in at the gym, but the bulge doesn't seem to budge?

Everyday people and celebrities alike are looking toward CoolSculpting — a non-invasive, non-surgical, FDA-approved treatment — to target stubborn areas of body fat.

Unwavering areas at the waist, inner and outer thighs, upper arms, stomach and more can be slimmed down with the science of CoolSculpting.

How It Works — The Science

Body fat is essential for our survival. It keeps our body temperature regulated so we don't freeze, protects our inner organs and bones, and helps regulate our reproductive organs. Even skinny people have "body fat," which is the percentage of a person's total mass of fat divided by their total mass and then multiplied by 100.

Body fat is comprised of essential body fat and storage fat. Those with high body mass indexes typically have high levels of storage body fat, which is an accumulation of fat in the adipose tissue. Though essential body fat is fundamental to keeping a healthy body, higher levels of storage body fat are what many people are trying to lose.

CoolSculpting delivers controlled cooling that targets surface fat cells underneath the skin. These fat cells then crystallize and die, said Haley Burton, a registered nurse at Sona Dermatology & MedSpa.

Over time, your body naturally processes and eliminates dead fat cells. Fat cells in the treated area are noticeably reduced and processed out of your body through urination and don’t migrate to other parts of your body. This freezing and elimination process leaves you with a more contoured appearance.

"It basically triggers your body's natural breakdown of cells," Burton explained. "So the difference between CoolSculpting versus other treatments for killing fat off is that it causes something called apoptosis."

Apoptosis is the death of cells that occurs during an organism’s growth and development.

"Your body is constantly making new cells to replenish cells that have done their job and are starting to die — whether that be in your skin, or your liver, or the heart tissues," Burton said. "Anything that the body starts to see not working as well as it should be, the body will actually break down and replace it. So it's kind of the same thing that CoolSculpting does — it's like an artificial outside breakdown of that [fat] cell."

Burton stressed that it’s a natural process, and dead cells are flushed through the kidneys.

"Your body's white blood cells naturally come through and eat them up. They see those cells just as any other dead cell in the body," she said. "It eats up the dead cell, and it goes through your lymphatic system. Then [the dead cells] get flushed through your kidneys, and you just eliminate all the dead cells over a period of the 90 days or three months after a treatment."

It’s important to note that CoolSculpting, while revolutionary in many ways, is not a magic cure for obesity or a quick-fix weight loss solution. People who are trying to lose body fat in several areas at once will only see results at the targeted area.

Those with very high levels of body fat will not see very effective results at the targeted areas since many fat cells will need to be treated. And while CoolSculpting does kill off fat cells, if you are ingesting less nutritious foods and lacking physical activity that causes fat cells to multiply and expand, you will also lose the results.

The best candidates are those who are at their ideal weight, are physically fit and living a healthy lifestyle.

The Process

The process may vary depending on where you choose to be treated, but it generally involves a gel pad and applicator being placed on the targeted area. The applicator delivers the controlled cooling treatment for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the area.

Applicators are catered to the client's body shape and size and the specific targeted area of the body.

While the cool nature of CoolSculpting can be uncomfortable, it is rarely painful. Burton compares the sensation to putting a cold ice pack on an injury. Clients typically go numb within five to 10 minutes of the treatment. After the treatment is complete, a nurse will massage the area, which may feel tingly.

The treatment requires no downtime and clients are able to carry on with their normal activities right after treatment. To achieve optimal results, clients usually undergo one to three rounds of treatment, and may see initial results in as soon as three weeks, but it may take three to four months to see full results.

"We never know how much someone is going to lose. [The] average is 25 percent. Some people lose more [but] we can't promise a specific number because everyone's different, obviously. Everyone's immune system is different," Burton said. "Some people have a more aggressive immune system that will respond more aggressively to kill off and eat up those fat cells. Some people's are slower — it's hard to really tell the genetic makeup of people."

While results vary according to the individual, there are things that a person can do to optimize results.

Being in a good place physically before treatment, eating healthy and staying physically active after treatment, and knowing which places are best treated (abdomen, back, thighs, upper arm and chin) will elevate results.

People who are overweight, those with metal implants, those with blood clotting disorders and certain other medical conditions are not ideal candidates for CoolSculpting.

If you are cleared as a good CoolSculpting candidate, it's important that you find a facility that is certified to perform the procedure with a staff of administrators who are trained, accredited and informative.

"Usually the best candidates for CoolSculpting are those people that are like, 'Man, I just cannot get rid of this one area. I've tried dieting, I've tried exercising, and it just hangs on,' " Burton said. "I would like patients just to have realistic expectations and ask questions, and make sure that you understand how CoolSculpting works and what you can expect from a treatment."

Before you embark on your CoolSculpting journey, you should make sure your provider is using the FDA-approved process and that those administering the treatment are medical professionals who are trained and certified.

This article was written for our sponsor, Sona Dermatology & MedSpa.

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