Many people today are looking for proven ways to get rid of that extra fat that seems to stick to the body even when a healthy diet and smart exercise routines are followed. Because of genetics, past surgeries or many other health and wellness reasons, some people find it very difficult to get the body shape of their dreams. While they may be at healthy weights according to the scale, they are not necessarily feeling proud and confident in their own bodies because of little bulges here and there that are negatively affecting their forms. Today, we have an excellent option for how to solve this problem. Whereas liposuction was once the only option for people looking for these slimmed-down results, CoolSculpting® is now an excellent resource for generally healthy people who want to remove certain areas of resistant fat.

CoolSculpting® has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States for approximately 10 years. In that time, it has proven itself to be effective on both men and women and has grown in popularity across the United States and elsewhere. In fact, it is used in many countries around the world. It is an excellent option for many people searching for renewed body confidence, natural results and simple fixes. If you want to know more about this unique and incomparable solution to your body shape woes, learn more about this treatment to find out if it could be right for you.

Who is a Good Candidate?

First, it is important to know who can use CoolSculpting® and who will most benefit from this treatment so you can find out if it could be right for you. While it is an incredibly safe procedure, you will need to make sure that it can get you the results that you want so that you do not waste your time or money.

CoolSculpting® can be used by men or women who are unhappy with their body shapes. It is primarily used to reshape body areas that are holding on to stubborn fat. Stubborn fat is defined as fatty tissues that have not responded to typical diets or exercises that usually help people trim down their bodies. For example, you may be eating a low-calorie diet and eating primarily whole, unprocessed foods. However, you may still be holding onto your love handles. You may even be doing cardio exercises several days per week and adding in strength-building workouts but may not be able to drop the bulge around your midsection no matter how hard you try. If you are already at or close to a healthy weight and simply want to treat an area or two of your body to get a more pleasing shape, CoolSculpting® may be the right option for you.

You will also want to be generally healthy before trying CoolSculpting®. For example, you should not have a chronic disease that could put you at risk for increased symptoms, a flare-up or a life-threatening situation during your treatment. While there are very few times that CoolSculpting® is withheld for this reason, you will want to check with your primary physician first if you have any concerns about how this treatment could affect your health.

Also, while this treatment is used by adults of all ages, it may not be right for very old adults who may already have poor skin tone. Once the fat dissipates in an area, the skin will automatically become looser. If you do not have good skin tone to start with, you may find that your skin hangs following your procedure. Therefore, we generally recommend this for younger to middle-age adults as well as for younger seniors. Of course, no matter your age, we encourage you to come in for a consultation if you want to learn definitively whether this could help you.

In addition, CoolSculpting® should not be used if you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding or if you plan to become pregnant soon. Pregnancies can greatly change the shape of your body, stretching out tissues and adding fatty deposits in new areas. Therefore, it is best to let your body return as much to normal as is possible following your pregnancies before seeking out this treatment.

Not only should you already be healthy when you use CoolSculpting®, but also you should be planning on staying healthy long-term. It is important to continue eating well and exercising regularly if you get this treatment because going backwards in your health goals can lead to increased fatty deposits once again. Although CoolSculpting® should be considered to be a permanent procedure because it permanently removes fat cells, your remaining fat cells can increase in size if you gain weight in the future. Therefore, you should be dedicated to regular exercise and a healthy diet with minimally processed foods. You may even want to work with a nutritionist if you have questions about staying healthy after your procedure.

What Happens During the Treatment?

You will certainly want to know what happens during a typical treatment session so that you can prepare yourself and know what to expect during your time with us. When you first come to see us, we will give you a complete consultation to make sure that we are all on the same page. We will want to know what you want to gain from your treatment session. By knowing what your body goals are, we will know best how to help you achieve them. This consultation will also give us a time to ask you about your past medical and surgical history and to assess the body area that you wish to have treated.

Once you are ready for your treatment, you will be able to rest comfortably in one of our treatment rooms. You will be glad to know that a treatment is usually quite quick and easy. Most patients are happy with the process and with their outcomes. As soon as you are in the treatment room, we will get you comfortably situated in such a way that we can easily access the treatment area. Then, we will apply a gel pad to the area and hook this pad up to a safe applicator. The shape and size of the pad and applicator will depend on the area being treated.

When we turn on the machine, you will definitely feel the cold temperatures for which this procedure is named. Although they may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, our patients quickly get used to these temperatures because the applicator numbs the skin, providing a completely natural anesthetic. Therefore, you will not need any injections for local anesthesia, and you will not have to worry about any reaction to drugs because none are used. Most patients tell us that they begin to feel quite comfortable just minutes after the start of the procedure.

Next, your only job is to kick back and relax as the machine does the rest of the work. Depending on the area being treated, this could take just minutes to an hour in most cases. You may want to bring along your tablet or a book, or you may even want to take a nap.

At the end of your treatment time, we will disconnect the applicator and remove the gel pad. We will use specialized techniques to help your body more quickly get rid of these now-dead fat cells. You probably will not see any immediate results because you will have to wait for your body to do the rest of the work. However, over the following weeks, you will gradually see your new shape appear as your body naturally gets rid of the dead fat cells. You may want to return for a follow-up session so that you can see the most complete results.

What are the Benefits?

Knowing about the many benefits of this treatment will help you see it as the most logical and the smartest choice for you. We are incredibly proud of the way this treatment has helped so many of our patients. Most importantly, we can provide these great body-slimming results without having to use surgery. This means that you will not go home with any incisions or bandages. You will not need anesthesia, and you will be awake for the entire treatment time. Therefore, many of the risks of more traditional body-shaping procedures are removed. You can feel more confident going into your treatment time but can still expect to see great results.

In addition, because this is not surgery, you will not have to worry about a long downtime. While most cosmetic surgeries require you to rest and heal at home for several days at minimum, CoolSculpting® lets you get back to your usual plans immediately. You should not have any side effects that would keep you from work or social activities, and you can immediately be as active as you feel comfortable with once you leave our office. With CoolSculpting®, you do not have to take time off work or ask someone to stay with you and help you at home.

Of course, the biggest benefit of CoolSculpting® is the amazing results that it brings to your body. This procedure has become so popular because it has proven itself to be effective for men and women of various ages and with all types of body shapes. The great news is that the results will be permanent as long as you continue to care for your body after your procedure. Even though no incisions are required, CoolSculpting® still permanently gets rid of fat cells by freezing them beneath your skin. Your body then slowly removes them as waste, allowing you to see your beautiful new shape.

As you can see, CoolSculpting® is an excellent treatment option that may be just right for you if you want lasting results for your body shape woes. Unlike traditional liposuction that can leave you with scars and downtime following your procedure, this is the perfect treatment for busy adults who have very little extra time in their weeks. This treatment is quick and effective and has proven itself to be safe over the many years that it has been used.

Of course, we know that you probably still have some questions about this procedure. That is why we encourage you to set up your first consultation at Elysium Medical Arts Center in Edmonds. This no-pressure appointment will give you time to meet with one of our providers, to ask any other questions that you may have and to learn more about exactly how this treatment could benefit you. We will then be able to get a better idea about the goals that you have for your body shape, and together we can create a plan to help you feel confident in your own skin once again. Contact us today to book an appointment and get started!