5 Must-Know Facts about Fat Freezing

Fat Freezing (Cryolipolysis) is one of the hottest trends in the non-invasive beauty industry and among the leading ways to shed stubborn areas of unwanted fatty tissue. As the name suggests, cryo (cold) lipo (fat) lysis (destruction), is the process of sub-dermally freezing fat cells in women of all ages as an easy way to reveal the sculpted muscular beauty underneath.

Unlike its predecessor liposuction, Cryolipolysis is 100% non-invasive, with little recovery time and requires no nips or snips. However, with little and often vague or incorrect information out there on the details, results, and expectations of this new non-invasive procedure, figuring out if you are a candidate can be challenging.

Hildegarde Louw – founder and CEO of Diminish Face and Body Sculpting – believes that no one should be excluded from looking and feeling beautiful and offers her 5 must-know facts to decide it Cryolipolysis is for you.  

How much fat can you expect to lose with fat freezing?

First, patients must understand that fat freezing is a body enhancement therapy and not an alternative to healthy eating and exercise. This is because Cryolipolysis is only effective on localised subcutaneous fat deposits such as love handles, belly pouch and thighs.

“In simpler terms, if you can squeeze it, we can freeze it,” says Louw, “Although it is a wonderful supportive procedure for anyone’s weight loss journey it is no substitute for good nutrition and lifestyle,” says Louw.

It will also take time for your body to metabolise the fat cells and flush them from your body. Results begin to show as early as 3 weeks after treatment, with more dramatic improvement after about 8 weeks. Most clients would lose 2.5 – 5 cm but it can take up to 4 months to see the full effect of the treatment.

Who is eligible for Cryolipolysis?

As our bodies age, our metabolic ability to shed subcutaneous fat decreases. However, a pinch of prevention is worth an ounce of cure and the treatment is suitable for adults of any age who are 10 – 15kg over their ideal weight. 

Louw cautions that, “A healthy lifestyle should be in place before beginning treatment for the best results as it’s possible to regain the fat pockets that have been treated if you don’t manage your diet. Loose skin from dramatic weight loss and poor muscle tone, may also make your results less prominent.” 

Due to the procedure not requiring sedation or anaesthesia and being painless, it provides people who have chemical reactions to these drugs with an affordable, non-surgical and painless option to achieve their desired body. 

There is no damage to nerve fibres, blood vessels, muscles, or lasting damage to the skin in most individuals. However, if you have injured skin, severe varicose veins, dermatitis, eczema, or psoriasis it is best to skip this treatment. Individuals with liver or kidney problems, Raynauds Disease, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, implanted medical devices are also advised against this treatment. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have nerve disorders, inflammatory skin disorders caused by immune system disorders it is not recommended. 

What are the normal side effects of fat freezing?

Cryolipolysis works thanks to fat cells being more sensitive to cold than skin cells allowing them to be destroyed whilst leaving the skin on top untouched. Shortly after your treatment, the macrophages (a type of white blood cell part of your immune system) respond to the ‘injured’ area to discard fat cells from the body.

If you are planning to treat visible areas such as your chin, there are a few immediate sides affects you want to be aware of. Mild side effects of treatment include redness, bruising, swelling, tingling, numbness, or darkening of the treated area which will be short-lived and disappear within a week of treatment.

What sensations can you expect to feel during this procedure?

At the Diminish clinic, they begin with an assessment to determine how many treatments are needed to achieve the desired results. Then a gel pad is applied to protect the skin of the treatment area. A handheld applicator that generates a vacuum pulls the area into the machine where cool temperatures (– 8°C to – 10°C) temporarily decrease blood flow to the fat tissue. 

In the first moments of treatment, tugging, tingling, stinging, aching, cramping may be felt but should stop after 5 – 10 minutes as the area becomes numb due to the Subcutaneous fat layer being cooled to between – 8 to – 10 degrees Celsius. Each treatment lasts 45-60 minutes and your therapist may massage you for 2 to 3 minutes to assist with the breakdown of the fat cells.

There is a minor risk that the skin surface may be irregular smooth after healing and multiple sessions may be required – especially on older patients – to achieve a client’s specific outcomes. 

Many of us are familiar with the dreaded jiggle of our thighs as we walk tall in high heels, exhausted with the process of finding and squeezing into jeans, and tired of not wearing beautiful blouses for fear of the dreaded bra bulge; Cryolipolysis offers an affordable way to achieve the best version of ourselves.

To book your appointment or for more information visit https://diminishclinic.co.za/ or follow them on Instagram @diminishclinic.