You’ve probably heard your friends talking about how they finally took back their figures with the help of CoolSculpting. You’ve probably looked at a region of your body and wished there was an effective way to achieve your desired contours, because diet and exercise failed to give you the results you wanted. Today, our body sculpting experts at H-MD Medical Spa in Oklahoma City, OK are taking a closer look at who qualifies for this treatment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for CoolSculpting?
As a general rule, individuals who are considered a good candidate for CoolSculpting are relatively healthy adults who are not trying to lose weight or close to their ideal weight. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. For example, if you’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant, it doesn’t matter how healthy you are.
The FDA has not approved the use of this device on pregnant women, so you won’t qualify for this treatment if you are trying to conceive or currently pregnant. If you’re not currently trying to conceive, but you think you will want to conceive in the future, it is important to keep in mind what results you can realistically expect from this treatment.
What Results Can I Realistically Expect From CoolSculpting?
You can expect your CoolSculpting (cryolipolysis) results to last forever in the sense that you will always have fewer fat cells after treatment. However, you should also understand that fat cells are pretty good at expanding to accommodate the storage of extra energy, and this treatment only removes 20 to 80% of the fat cells in the targeted area.
In other words, there are still fat cells in the targeted area, and they can grow when too many calories are consumed. It’s important to understand all of this because women often store extra fat during pregnancy. If you get pregnant after your treatment, you may need a follow-up session afterwards to resculpt your desired contours.
How Many Treatment Will I Need Ro Achieve My Desired Results?
Most people need between three and four treatment sessions to achieve their desired results. That said, the number of treatments you will need to achieve your desired results depends significantly on how close you are to your goal weight. Remember, to be considered a good candidate for this treatment, you should be at your goal weight or very close to it.
You can expect with a fair amount of confidence that you will need three or four treatment sessions if you are approximately 20 pounds from your ideal weight. If you are within 10 pounds of your ideal weight, you should only need one or two treatment sessions. If you are closer to 29 pounds from your ideal weight, you may need between five and six treatment sessions to achieve your desired results.
What If I’m Over 29 Pounds Away From My Goal Weight?
If you are over 29 pounds away from your ideal weight, there is a good chance that you will be considered a poor candidate for this body sculpting treatment. If you are 30 or more pounds away from a healthy weight for your height, you can probably be diagnosed with obesity. Unfortunately, since this treatment only removes 20 to 80% of the fat cells in the treatment area, there is a chance that you will be dissatisfied with your results if you’re obese.
Also, it is important to understand that it isn’t just having too much fat that you have to worry about. To verify that you are a good candidate for this treatment, we need to discuss your health and goals thoroughly and evaluate your areas of concern. If there isn’t enough excess subcutaneous fat in your areas of concern, the device may not be very effective, and this body contouring treatment may not be appropriate for you.
An Additional Note
It is highly advisable to lose weight until you are overweight or a healthy weight for your height if you are currently obese and considering cryolipolysis. It is also highly advisable that you feel confident that you can maintain your weight or continue to lose weight once your treatment is complete. Remember, it is possible to store excess energy in the treatment area, even after your course of treatments is complete.
If you don’t feel confident that you won’t regain the weight you lost, take some time to work with a registered dietitian. They can teach you how to eat in a sustainable, nutritious, balanced manner, so losing or maintaining weight is easier. You also may benefit from meeting with a personal trainer, especially if you feel that your contours could be improved significantly with a lot more muscle definition.
How Quickly Will I Be Able To See My Desired Results?
It is not unreasonable to anticipate seeing your ideal cryolipolysis results four to six weeks after your final treatment session. Generally, treatment sessions are spaced four to six weeks apart, so we can get a good idea of how your results are progressing.
Therefore, if you need three treatment sessions spaced four weeks apart to get your desired look, and it takes your body four weeks to flush out the excess fat, you’ll be happy with your appearance in under half of a year. Even if you need six treatment sessions to achieve your desired results, and it takes six weeks for your body to flush out all of your excess fat, it will take under a year for your final results to become apparent.
Is There Anything I Can Do To See My Final Results Faster?
If you are concerned about seeing your results as quickly as possible, you should commit to leading the healthiest possible lifestyle until your final results are revealed. For example, you need to make sure you remain hydrated. Your lymphatic system is the system responsible for flushing out the fat cells that are frozen to death during the treatment. If you’re dehydrated, it will be sluggish, and the process will be unnecessarily long.
Another factor that makes your lymphatic system sluggish is processed foods, especially those that are high in added sugar and trans fats. Do your best to minimize your consumption of processed foods and beverages. Instead, focus on eating whole foods and minimally processed foods. Just be aware that it is not enough to cut back on sugary drinks and foods. You should also be getting your RDA of all micronutrients, preferably from natural sources.
Will Exercise Help Me See My Final Results Faster?
Yes, exercise will help you see your final results faster. However, it is important that you don’t push yourself too hard. If you’re already happy with your weight, you should make a point to get 2.5 hours of moderate exercise weekly. If you are still on your weight loss journey, you should aim for 2.5 hours of intense exercise weekly. It is important to note that you should make sure you are also getting plenty of rest. Aim for 7.5 hours of sleep nightly.
What Areas Can Be Treated With Cryolipolysis?
As stated previously, your areas of concern will be evaluated to verify that there is enough fat for this treatment while simultaneously confirming that there is not too much fat. Assuming there is a good amount of fat in an area of concern, this treatment can be used pretty much anywhere. For example, women commonly use this treatment to remove excess subcutaneous fat from the:
- Lower back
- Middle back
- Lower abdomen
- Underarms
- Upper arms
Men usually use this treatment to remove excess subcutaneous fat from the chest. However, it is also possible to use cryolipolysis to remove excess fat from the upper and outer thighs. Men also commonly use this treatment to remove excess fat from the upper abdomen. Note, it is also possible to use cryolipolysis to remove unwanted fat from the calves and inner thighs. If your inner thighs chafe during the summer, you may be a good candidate.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
You don’t have to live with contours that make you feel self-conscious. CoolSculpting can help, but not everyone qualifies. For example, this treatment is not appropriate for individuals who suffer from uncontrolled type 2 diabetes or are pregnant. To find out whether you are a good candidate for this fat removal treatment, drop us a line or give us a call at H-MD Medical Spa in Oklahoma City, OK. We’ll schedule an initial cryolipolysis consultation for you. See you soon!
