Fat freezing is a relatively new fat reduction treatment that came over from the US after the treatment gained FDA approval in 2010.
The fat freezing treatment, also known as cryolipolysis, is intended to reduce fat deposits in specific areas, especially problem areas, in a safe and non-invasive manner. Fat freezing is therefore often referred to as the non-invasive alternative to liposuction. Liposuction may have been around a lot longer than fat freezing, but its still much more expensive and it comes with significant risks.
Most people are eligible for fat freezing, as long as they are over the age of 18 and don’t suffer from serious ill health. However, as with most beauty treatments, there are some side effects to be aware of.
Side effects of fat freezing
As previously mentioned, fat freezing is a relatively safe procedure, with the large majority of people enjoying the benefits without any issues. However, its important to be aware of all the risks and side effects that you may encounter.
First things first, this treatment is not pain free! Each person is different, but most people will feel significant discomfort at the start of the process. This is a result of the use of suction cups in order to freeze specific areas. An area of fat is sucked into a cup, which is where the area is frozen. The suction itself can cause discomfort but generally only lasts a couple of minutes. The freezing itself can cause a different type of discomfort which reduces as time goes on. Most treatments take between 30 and 60 minutes so its good to know about this beforehand.
Most people feel some discomfort following the procedure too. The area could feel tingly and numb at first, followed by a shallow pain that is similar to a bruise caused by a bump into some furniture. The fat in the area can also be clumped together for a little while and even feel hard and appear red, swollen and bruised.
If you are looking into having fat freezing done you are generally not too concerned with the above side effects, as they are only temporary and mild in comparison to the benefits you will experience.
However, there is one condition that scares most when it comes to fat freezing. This condition is called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia. Where paradoxical adipose hyperplasia occurs the fat cells increase in number, not reduce, causing the treated area to enlarge. Research has shown that this could occur in 1 in 4,000 to 1 in 20,000 people, and the details of what causes it is not clear. No research has been conducted into how different freezing temperatures affect these statistics, but it is known that with certain equipment used; that freezes areas to lower temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius, more cases of hyperplasia have been recorded. Many clinicians will therefore opt for a safer freezing temperature of -4 to -7 degrees Celsius, which sees great results with likely less risk.
The results
Most people see between 20 and 40% reduction in fat in treated areas after a single session. These results are more likely when the individual maintains or loses weight during the period following treatment, drinks plenty of water and commits to at least moderate exercise. Massaging of the area can also improve results, especially directly following the treatment.
Its important to be aware you aren’t going to see the results tomorrow. Although there is anecdotal evidence that results can show in the first week, most will notice their results gradually over the 6-week period following treatment. After 6 weeks you can follow up with further treatment on the same area.
