There are a lot of tools to help with weight loss, and many of them can help you reach your final weight goals. But what happens when you try everything and can’t seem to rid yourself of some fat in trouble areas? Dr. Joseph Franzese of Cincinnati, Ohio, has one piece of advice thousands of patients have flocked to. It’s called CoolSculpting Elite, a simple FDA-approved outpatient process.
Harcourt Health: Why Do you like the CoolSculpting Elite procedure over other weight loss products?
Dr. Joseph Franzese: This outpatient procedure is often the last step on a weight loss journey for patients. CoolSculpting Elite isn’t meant to replace a full weight loss program. Instead, it targets those troublesome areas that are often stubborn when shedding fat. If you’re having issues shedding those final pounds from your chin and jawline areas, thighs, abdomen, and flanks, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks, and upper arms, it’s a great way to complete your weight loss journey in many cases.
Harcourt Health: What should patients expect when they go in for treatment?
Dr. Joseph Franzese: That’s a great question. The procedure is 100% outpatient-based. Typically patients will spend 35 minutes receiving treatment. That time will increase if more than one problem area is being treated. One of the great things about CoolSculpting Elite over the original product is its dual applicator. The dual applicator allows for two times more coverage.
The treatment begins by placing the applicator on the patient’s bare skin. Typically this will result in a tugging or pinching feeling on the skin. However, as the applicator starts to cool the skin, patients sometimes report a tingling feeling and possibly some cramping and other slight annoyances. Those feelings typically subside once the cold from the Coolsculpting machine numbs the localized area being treated.
Harcourt Health: Any what happens after treatment? Is there a lot of downtime? Pain at the treatment site?
Dr. Joseph Franzese: Aside from the obvious weight loss benefits, one of the advantages of Coolsculpting Elite is that no incisions are made. Once the procedure is done, many patients return to their regular activities on the same day. Of course, this varies from one patient to the next. Patients should always allow their bodies to recover before doing anything strenuous.
Remember that some side effects can occur. Many side effects, such as cramping, tingling, stinging, tenderness, and even itching, are annoying but not typically life-threatening. However, a condition known as Paradoxical hyperplasia is more serious and marked by visibly enlarged tissue volume in the treated area. In some cases, Paradoxical hyperplasia won’t present itself for 2 to 5 months after treatment. While rare, that condition requires surgical intervention for correction.
Harcourt Health: What’s the science behind CoolSculpting Elite?
Dr. Joseph Franzese: CoolSculpting Elite is the public-facing name for cryolipolysis. In the most simplistic of terms, it’s the process that freezes fat deposits in targeted body parts. The process reduces localized fat deposits or bulges that aren’t responding to diet or exercise.
Typically within 8-12 months, those frozen fat deposits are expelled from the body.
Harcourt Health: Is Coolsculpting Elite permanent?
Dr. Joseph Franzese: If proper exercise and diet are followed, patients can maintain their new physique. Freezing fat cells helps the body expel fatty tissues rather than shrinking them as diet and exercise tend to accomplish. However, overeating and a lack of exercise can cause patients to develop new fatty tissues.
There’s no permanent solution to weight loss, and patients should always be aware that packing weight back on is always possible.
Final Thoughts
We always urge our readers to examine every potential health procedure with caution and to understand what goals they are attempting to achieve before they follow through on any in-patient or out-patient procedure.
As Dr. Franzese said, there is always the possibility of weight gain. Before striving to reach your final weight loss or physical appearance goals, set up a solid diet and exercise plan and be mentally prepared to stay the course.
And remember, always consult with your preferred health professional before undergoing any procedure.