When diet and exercise don’t work, many people struggling with weight loss turn to a number of surgical procedures as a last resort. Notable weight loss surgeries include adjustable gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, maestro rechargeable system, and biliopancreatic diversion. While all of these have been proven to be effective to a certain extent, they also come with their fair share of pain, side effects, and scarring. Luckily for those of us who’ve been reluctantly considering these options, a new kind of non-invasive weight loss treatment called cryolypolysis (more commonly known as cool sculpting or fat freezing) is now available and it’s providing promising results without all the hassle and risks associated with the aforementioned alternatives. Here’s how it works:
Destroying Fat Cells with Low Temperatures
As the name implies, coolsculpting relies on the ability to apply controlled cooling to specific areas of the body in order to promote the death of cells in subcutaneous fat tissue without affecting the condition of the overlying skin. The area is cooled to a temperature of about 39 degrees Fahrenheit, with fat bulges being the most commonly targeted spots in the initial stages of treatment. Although fat freezing is relatively new, at least one review has shown that it results in a 20% reduction of body fat on average. Clinics like New Image Body Sculpting have reported that almost all patients see significant results by the 3-4 month mark.
Approved by Regulatory Authorities
Despite being a relatively new alternative to the more established methods, the cool sculpting procedure and the devices used to perform it have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2010. Furthermore, the Zetiqcryolypolysis machine obtained an EU CE Mark back in 2009. Although it’s easy to be skeptical about a process that claims to “freeze away fat cells,” with so much evidence backing its efficacy, there really is no reason to doubt whether it works.
How Long Does It Take?
Although it can take a few weeks for the results to become noticeable, each treatment session only takes about 45 minutes to an hour. Many machines have more than one applicator that can be used simultaneously on different areas of the body in order to reduce treatment time. Overall, most patients find that they’re in and out of the clinic within about an hour. Furthermore, other than a bit of redness, numbness, and bruising in the treated areas (normal reactions to cold temperatures), there aren’t any major side effects to be concerned about.
There is no mistaking the fact that Americans are, as a culture, overweight. The latest statistics from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that cover the year 2013 – 14 state that more than 20% of teens are overweight, some morbidly obese and more than 70% of adults over the age of twenty have weight problems. With all the dangers of invasive surgeries and the preponderance of ineffective weight loss diets, new hi tech methods are sweeping the country. Whoever thought that low temperatures would melt the pounds away? Well, they do!
