How Does Fat Freezing Work

Estimated reading time 5 minutes

How Does Fat Freezing & Cryolipolysis Work?

In short, fat freezing, freezes the fat cells to below minus 10 degrees and the fat cells die by a natural process called apoptosis.

Fat Freezing procedure safely delivers controlled cooling which effectively targets the fat cells underneath the skin. The cooling process freezes the fat cells and leaves them in a crystallised state. This leads to the death of the fat cells by a process known as apoptosis, or natural cell death in more simple terms. Over time, your body eliminates the dead fat cells through the lymphatic system, leaving you with a reduction of the fat layer – a new more sculpted outline. Other cells within the body such as, muscle and nervous cells are unaffected by the Cryolipolysis process. An antifreeze membrane pad is placed over the area to be treated before treatment to protect the surface layer of the skin and prevent ice burns or frostbite.

Fat Freezing is also known under the many trade-names, these include Coolsculpting, 3D Lipo, Lipoglaze, and Cryo Fat Freeze. Note you must check with your local provider on what machine they are using and what results thy have had in the past. It is important to check their online reviews, client feedback and before & after photos.

The best way to describe the fat freezing process is to think of your fat cells as grapes or raisins. You don’t create or multiply them to gain fat, they just get plumper as you gain weight (grapes). With the fat freezing process, the targeted fat cells are destroyed so the cell can’t become plump anymore and deflates (raisin). Therefore, the fat in the area treated by fat freezing is lessened and will reduce in overall size.

Pee Away Your Fat Cells

As the fat cells are killed during the fat freezing treatment, the dead fat cells are transported through the lymphatic system and are eliminated from your body in the normal waste process. In short this means that after the procedure you will need to drink lots of water as the dead fat cells come out in your urine.

Fat Freezing is a painless procedure, so whilst Apoptosis sounds pretty intense for your fat cells, you won’t actually feel anything happening in your body. This all happens behind the scenes as you go about your daily routine. It is really that simple!

YES, you will be peeing away the fat cells.

Fat Reduction Treatment Near You

RT Aesthetics fat reduction clinic is based in Whickham near the Metrocentre, which is just off the A1. We are ideally situated to treat clients from all the surrounding areas, including Newcastle, Gateshead, Darlington, Hexham, Durham, Sunderland, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, York, Hartlepool and the surrounding villages near by.

Looking to book a consultation or to learn more about our treatments and how they can help you? You can book a face to face consultation by clicking below. Alternately you can call us on 0333 050 0575.

Are Results From Fat Freezing Permanent?

The short answer is, yes it is permanent. The fat lost from fat freezing is lost permanently as the fat cells die and are excreted over a period of weeks post treatment. The time it takes the fat cells to be removed from the body is on average 6 – 12 weeks.

Many studies back this to be true and show how effective fat freezing really is. For example, a case study of two early subjects had fat freezing treatment on one flank allowing for an ongoing comparison. Years later they were examined and the changes are clearly noticeable after 2 months, 2 years, and 6 years post treatment. Click here to read the case study in detail.

How Many Treatments Are Needed?

Some people are happy with just one treatment, although the standard advice is that 1 – 3 treatments will be needed on most body areas. It is recommended to wait a minimal of 6 weeks between treatments to ensure you see results from your first treatment.

You can expect to lose, on average, about 25 – 40 percent of the fat that is sucked into the handles on the machine, per treatment. We use the latest 360 fat freezing, ensuring more fat is frozen on the day of treatment. Please bear in mind that this is an average figure and people respond differently, with some losing more than this and some losing less. Check our results page to hear what our clients say.

Side Effects From Fat Freezing

Common side effects with Fat Freezing tend to be minimal, certainly when compared with surgical liposuction, and in most cases of no concern at all.

Typical Side Effects:

• Numbness or swelling around the treatment area.
• Redness, sometimes with bruising. This varies from person to person, but is usually minimal and not long-lasting.
• Tingling or pins and needles – this fades usually within 1 – 2 hours.
• Bloating.

Less Common Side Effects:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Abdominal Cramping

Serious Side Effects (none reported at RT Aesthetics):

• Ice burns / frostbite. These occur if the antifreeze pads are incorrectly positioned, not used at all or of poor quality. Some clinics may reuse the membranes and it is important you go to a good clinic with good reviews and NOT cheap pricing.
• Should you suffer from ice burns, you should seek medical advice and contact the clinic you had the treatment. If treated properly, they will heal quickly.
• Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia – an extremely rare side effect which can lead to an increase in fat in the treated area.