While the marine layer can sometimes provide far too much cooling during our summer months here in San Diego, there’s another cooling sensation that isn’t weather related. It’s CoolSculpting, and Dr. Kearney’s been providing this non-invasive fat freezing treatment almost since it debuted in 2010.
Maybe you should greet this summer by chilling some of your fat with Dr. Kearney.
What is CoolSculpting?
CoolSculpting was invented by two Harvard scientists, Dr. Dieter Manstein and Dr. Rox Anderson. The two discovered that human fat cells freeze at a higher temperature than the surrounding tissue cells. This process is called cryolipolysis. When fat cells are subjected to these freezing temperatures, an inflammatory response is triggered, and the cells gradually die and are shed by the body as they do with other cell changeover. In a treatment area, from 20 to 25 percent of the fat cells die. With the lower fat content in the area, the outer contour slims.
CoolSculpting was approved by the FDA in September 2010 for use on the flanks (sides). This started a mini revolution, as everyone wanted to lose the fat without any invasive procedures or downtime. The FDA added approval for CoolSculpting on the stomach in 2012. Since then, it has added use on the thighs, double chins, bra strap area, the upper arms, on the back, and underneath the buttocks.
How CoolSculpting is done
During a CoolSculpting session, you sit back and relax. The CoolSculpting panels are placed on the target area. They apply light suction and draw the skin and underlying tissue and fat up between two cooling panels. Then the cooling is delivered. At first, you’ll feel a sensation of intense cold on the spot, but within a few minutes that passes as the area becomes numb. Then for the remaining part of the hour, it takes for CoolSculpting to work on large areas you can read a book, watch videos, work on your laptop, even take a nap. For smaller areas such as the arms, a session takes only around 35 minutes.
After your procedure, we massage the treatment area a bit to warm things back up, and that’s it. You can go out and do what you do without any downtime!
When will your results show themselves?
CoolSculpting results are not immediate, as you would expect. The fat cells need to freeze, then die, and then be eliminated from the body. The effects start to show themselves in around three weeks, but they don’t fully show up until up to two to three months. At that point, you should see a slimmer contour, thanks to having 25 percent of the fat removed beneath the skin!
Isn’t it time you put some of your unwanted fat in a deep freeze? Call Dr. Kearney at (858) 677-9352 and ask about CoolSculpting.