Are you close to achieving your dream body, but a few stubborn fatty areas are getting in the way? Sometimes even the most rigorous exercise or intense diets can’t reduce particular pockets of fat. But what if there was a way to pick and choose what fatty tissue you make disappear? With CoolSculpting, you can target specific areas and destroy unwanted fat. At Grossman Dermatology in Santa Monica, CA, we can help you sculpt your body into a toned, more gorgeous shape.
How Many Sessions of CoolSculpting Do You Need?
This treatment offers different benefits for every patient. Some people see the results they were seeking after one treatment, while others require a few more visits. It will come down to your health, lifestyle, and cosmetic goals.
During a consultation, we’ll be able to discuss your specific circumstances and determine the best way to approach treatment. In the meantime, by learning more about CoolSculpting, you can better understand it and decide if it might be what you need to achieve your ideal body.
What Is CoolSculpting?
This is a non-surgical treatment that destroys fat in specific areas of the body and is used to tone and contour. The cutting-edge technology involves the controlled cooling of the skin. It freezes fat cells and damages them, and over time, these cells either shrink or leave the body naturally. The results can mean permanent fat removal in targeted areas.
How Does This Treatment Work?
Years of research and studies have found that cells shrink and fall apart when exposed to extremely cold temperatures. CoolSculpting uses this science to destroy fat in the body with a technology called Cryolipolysis. This technology allows areas of fat to be targeted without compromising other tissue around it.
During treatment, up to one-quarter of fat cells are destroyed. The stored fat is released and gradually reabsorbed by the body, and eventually, leaves the body through excretion. That fat is then gone forever! The remaining fat cells contract as the fluid in them is flushed away, so they’re left much smaller.
How Was This Treatment Discovered?
This treatment was designed by Harvard researchers who noticed that after children ate frozen popsicles, they had dimples forming in their cheeks. They realized that freezing temperatures could kill fat cells, and applied the same technique to adults for cosmetic purposes. These days, it’s an FDA-approved technique that contours the body and helps adults achieve their dream figure.
Why Is It So Hard to Get Rid of Stubborn Fat?
Stubborn fat affects people of all ages and lifestyles and can be caused by anything from fluctuating weight to age or genetics. Despite what some trainers and dieticians might say, “spot reduction” – doing particular exercises to target specific areas of fat – just doesn’t work.
Doing crunches strengthens abdominal muscles, but it doesn’t just melt away stomach fat. Though general cardio paired with changing your caloric intake will help you lose weight, it doesn’t allow you to control where you burn fat. Your body collects fat as an energy course and will try to retain it no matter what.
This is why more and more people are turning to treatments like CoolSculpting. Whether you’ve lost weight already and are looking for the final step to achieve your cosmetic target, or you’ve always wanted to address certain problem areas, now may be the time to schedule a consultation and find out more about this treatment.
What Can I Expect During Treatment?
Firstly, a gel barrier is applied to the treatment area. The CoolSculpting device is then placed over this gel and secures itself with light suction. It holds the bugle of skin between two cooling panels, which drop to incredibly cold temperatures to begin the cooling process. Patients describe the sensation as slight pressure and intense cold that quickly subsides, meaning they can relax for the duration of the treatment.
Some people read a book or use their tablet, or even fall asleep! Meanwhile, the targeted fat cells, exposed to the cold, crystalize and either shrink or fall apart. Surrounding tissue is left completely unaffected. When the applicator is removed, you’ll notice the area has become solid under the skin. That’s the frozen fat cells!
Our medical practitioner will usually massage the area so the fat cells can be reabsorbed, or we’ll encourage other methods of reabsorption. Treatment generally only lasts for a few minutes, which means you can fit it into even the busiest schedule. In the period following treatment, the contents of the destroyed cells are released and leave the body naturally through metabolic processes. The procedure is quick and safe, without any incisions or anesthetic. Since the fat cells have been destroyed, the results are permanent.
What Are the Benefits of Treatment?
Since the fat cells are destroyed for good and won’t be replaced in the body, patients don’t have to worry about those areas causing problems again! Patients find that their bodies are more contoured and slim, and thanks to the results developing over time, the outcome is subtle but impressive.
No longer will you need to worry about too-tight clothing or how you might look in your bathers when you have a beach day at Santa Monica. Instead, you can step out with confidence and love the way you look. If you’ve felt discouraged by doing so much exercise and not seeing the results, this treatment might inspire you to get back into that active lifestyle and hit the gym again!
This treatment offers a non-surgical alternative to procedures like liposuction, making it perfect for patients seeking to make positive cosmetic changes to their bodies and remove fat without “going under the knife” or requiring downtime after.
Where Can This Treatment Be Applied?
Though stubborn fat is most common around the midsection, we understand patients may experience it in several places on the body. Luckily this treatment is incredibly versatile and even comes with different applicators that can be applied to different parts of the body.
This device can be used all over to target specific pockets of fat. Common areas include the abdomen and flank, love handles, under the buttocks (fat in this area is also known as “banana rolls”), back and bra fat, thighs, upper arms, and on submental fullness (a double chin).
How Long Will Recovery Take?
Unlike its surgical counterparts, this treatment requires hardly any downtime! Patients can immediately return to their days and resume normal activities. Because there’s no anesthetic used, can drive themselves home after. Any markings that occur on the body as a result of the pressure subside within a few days.
How Long Will It Take to See Results?
The results of this treatment are not immediate and develop over time. This is because the reduced fat cells are being removed from the body through natural processes. Some patients notice results after three weeks, but the body continues to remove cells over several months. Generally, optimal results occur between two and three months. The results appear gradually and come out better when combined with an active lifestyle and a healthy diet.
Will the Results Look Natural?
Because it takes a while for the results to emerge, they look more natural than if they appeared overnight. It will look as though your body is just becoming more toned and slender. If you keep exercising as per usual, it will finally feel like you finally burned the fat away through cardio!
How Long Will Results Last?
This treatment reduces a lot of the stubborn fat permanently, so the results are long-lasting! Fat cells don’t grow back so you don’t need to worry about that.
This process will rely on you looking after yourself following treatment. The remaining fat cells, which were shrunk, can increase in size if patients don’t maintain a similar weight in the future. For instance, fluctuating weight may mean problem areas reemerge, and untreated areas can still gain weight. Staying active and consuming a balanced diet helps candidates add longevity to those slim areas. The best results come from a healthy lifestyle!
Likewise, patients expecting to get pregnant should disclose this to our team in the consultation, as pregnancy often changes the fat deposits in the body. You can always wait until after!
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Initially, this can be discussed during your consultation as you discuss your specific body goals with our team, and we can review whether you may need multiple sessions.
We’ll also be able to schedule follow-ups as needed following your first session. Some patients find they’re totally satisfied after this session, while others decide they want to keep going to better achieve their goals. You may also discover that you were so pleased with the results in one area that you’d like to address another problematic pocket of fat!
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
Patients should be in good health. Treatment is best suited to those who lead a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise. This is not a “weight loss solution” so much as it is a tool to help with fat reduction; candidates should think of it as something that can work in tandem with their other methods of maintaining their ideal figure.
Ideal candidates are close to their target weight already and looking to sculpt and tone away stubborn fat to achieve their desired body. This treatment is great for patients who want to make cosmetic changes on their body but wish to avoid surgery. It is popular amongst adults of various ages. Importantly, patients must understand the CoolSculpting process and have realistic expectations of the results it will produce.
A consultation will allow our team to evaluate your specific circumstances to determine if this treatment is right for you. We’ll look at your medical history, any conditions you might have, and discuss what your cosmetic goals are.
Can I Combine CoolSculpting With Other Cosmetic Treatments?
This treatment is an alternative to liposuction, so you would not need to combine the two. You may, however, be interested in pairing it with another non-surgical treatment that targets a different concern, such as laser skin resurfacing.
Schedule a Consultation Today
If you’re close to your dream body and ready to take the final steps to achieve it, then this treatment may be right for you. Get ready for a slimmer and more contoured physique that will leave you feeling confident and gorgeous. To learn more about CoolSculpting and how it can help your body, reach out to Grossman Dermatology in Santa Monica, CA. We will schedule a consultation to talk you through things and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to speaking with you!
