What Is Cryolipolysis? The Science Behind Fat Freezing
If you’ve heard of CoolSculpting you might be wondering how exactly it works. Cryolipolysis is the scientific process involved in this popular non-invasive fat reduction treatment. Cryolipolysis is the reduction of fat cells via exposure to precisely controlled temperatures.
Often referred to as fat freezing, Cryolipolysis is empirically shown to decrease fat that resists exercise and dieting. CoolSculpting provides a natural-looking and long-term solution for resistant areas, like belly fat, love handles, thigh fat, double chins, upper arm fat, and more. Continue reading to learn more about Cryolipolysis and decide if fat-freezing might be right for you.
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The Development of Cryolipolysis
The Cryolipolysis process was developed by Dieter Manstein, MD, and R. Rox Anderson, MD, two Harvard scientists, after they noticed the phenomenon of popsicle panniculitis: a reduction in cheek fat among children who ate popsicles. Dr. Manstein explained the idea behind Cryolipolysis to Allure magazine: “Fat freezes at a higher temperature than water. Think of butter and water in the refrigerator – one is solid, the other remains liquid.”
Based on this, Dr. Manstein realized that exposing fat deposits to extremely cold temperatures could freeze the fat without harming any of the overlying tissue. The reason for this is because skin cells are made up mostly of water, meaning they freeze at a much lower temperature than the fat cells.
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CoolSculpting Treatment Areas Target Fat on the Neck to Fat Above the Knees and Everything in Between
How Exactly Does Cryolipolysis Work?
Cryolipolysis is successful in reducing stubborn fat deposits. In the scientific paper, "Cryolipolysis For Noninvasive Body Contouring: Clinical Efficacy And Patient Satisfaction, researcher Nils Krueger explains this process: “...[fat cells] are more susceptible to cooling than other skin cells...precise application of cold temperatures triggers apoptosis [cell death] of the [fat cells] which invokes an inflammatory response and leads to slow digestion by surrounding macrophages [the white blood cells that rid the body of waste.]”
In simpler terms: during CoolSculpting, an applicator isolates the fat cells, exposing them to exactly controlled temperatures. These temperatures are low enough to freeze the layer of subcutaneous fat but not low enough to freeze the overlying skin cells. Then the “frozen” fat cells crystallize, which causes the cell membrane to split.
Destroying the fat cells results in it no longer storing fat and also signals the body's lymphatic system to collect the destroyed cells. This entire process takes a few weeks and ends once the fat cells exit the body as waste.
The Cryolipolysis process has some similarities to liposuction since both procedures actually remove fat cells from the body. One major difference is that Cryolipolysis causes metabolic processes to purge the body of the dead fat cells. During liposuction, a tube is used to suck the fat cells out of the body.
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CoolSculpting that uses Cryolipolysis results in a dramatic fat reduction. In his study, Nils Krueger’s reported a 25% reduction in fat after just one fat-freezing session. Because fat cells are expelled from the body and will not regrow, Cryolipolysis is a long-term solution.
Am I a Good Candidate for Cryolipolysis?
If you want these types of drastic, long-term fat-reduction results, it's essential you find out if you are a good candidate for Cryolipolysis. This fat-freezing procedure works best for the reduction of isolated fat areas on people who are active and healthy but still struggle with fat areas that are resistant to dieting and exercise. Cryolipolysis is not intended as a weight-loss procedure and is not intended for those who are very overweight.
Book a Free Consultation
An easy way to find out if Cryolipolysis is right for you is to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Natalya Chalik of Emerson Medical, a leading Staten Island CoolSculpting provider.During this consultation, Dr. Chalik will go over the Cryolipolysis procedure in detail so you can determine if CoolSculpting is the best option for you. To book a free consultation, contact Emerson Medical online or call (718) 448-3800 today!