Losing Fat Without Liposuction: Your Guide To Fat-Freezing Procedures
Posted on: 29 September 2016
Do you have unwanted pockets of fat around your midsection, thighs, arms, or back? If you're otherwise at a healthy weight and these fat pockets just won't budge with diet or exercise, you may be considering undergoing a cosmetic treatment to have them removed. Liposuction is the classic option, but it can be painful and cause scarring. If you'd rather not go under the knife, there is another option: fat-freezing procedures.
What are fat-freezing procedures?
There are several branded treatments that use similar technology to remove unwanted fat pockets without the need for surgery or incisions. These procedures involve holding a special device against your skin in the areas where your excess fat is located. The device cools the tissue beneath your skin. Since fat freezes at a lower temperature than other tissues, your fat cells freeze while your skin, muscle, nervous, circulatory, and other tissues remain unharmed. The freezing process kills the fat cells, and, in the weeks following your procedure, your body breaks them down and excretes the fat they contained.
What is it like to undergo the procedure?
It's quite easy and painless. Your physician will apply the treatment device to your skin. Initially, it will feel quite chilly -- like you're holding an ice cube against your skin. Within a few minutes, though, your skin should go numb and you won't feel any discomfort. A lot of patients read a book or watch TV while they're undergoing fat-freezing. When the treatment is done, you can go straight back to work if you desire.
What results can you expect?
The results of fat-freezing procedures are not usually quite as dramatic as liposuction, but they're noticeable enough to give most patients the toned look they desire. Your results will not be visible immediately. They'll develop in the weeks after your treatment as your body eliminates the damaged fat cells. Some patients require two or more treatments to get their desired results, especially if they're having a larger area -- like their buttocks or abdomen -- treated.
Are there any side effects to worry about?
Some patients have redness, bruising, and slight swelling in the treatment area, but this shouldn't keep you from doing the activities you love, and it should subside within a few days. For this reason, fat-freezing is often recommended for patients who are not healthy enough to undergo liposuction or who have had negative side effects following liposuction in the past.
To learn more about fat-freezing procedures, speak with your doctor.
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