Just about everywhere you look these days, you’re seeing and hearing a lot about CoolSculpting belly fat. From the real housewives and social media, all the way to Times Square billboards, it’s all over the place. Allergan, the parent company of CoolSculpting, is spending a lot of money getting this product in front of consumers. Why? Because unwanted belly fat is the #1 beauty related concern in America (according to Facebook and Google studies provided to us by Allergan… that’s the disclaimer, folks).
But, we agree. Fat is a universal problem, and just about everyone we know has an inch of fat that they can pinch somewhere on the body that they would love gone. Think about it, it’s really frustrating to work hard at the gym and eat healthy (mostly) and still have stubborn belly fat (or love handles too). For most people, the top priority (or problem area) when it comes to unwanted fat is the abdomen.
Belly fat happens – sometimes because of age, sometimes because of diet and exercise, and sometimes because it’s hard to stay committed to a perfect physique. We talk to patients everyday who have unwanted belly fat – men who work hard in the gym, women who can’t get it to budge after a c-section or after menopause, and even people in their twenties who are active and healthy but have always had it. Somehow they “know it’s just going to get worse”. CoolSculpting belly fat *may be* an ideal solution, but there’s a lot of if’s in that statement.
CoolSculpting Belly Fat Only Works If It’s Pinchable
The first thing to keep in mind is that CoolSculpting works on subcutaneous fat, or pinchable fat that lies above the muscle wall. It doesn’t work on visceral fat because the temperature isn’t cold enough to penetrate the muscle wall. That’s actually the beauty in CoolSculpting – it’s cold enough to spot reduce those trouble areas that are tough to respond to diet and exercise, without damaging muscles, nerves, etc. Get a medical exam to ensure you’re a candidate. There’s some reasons you shouldn’t get CoolSculpting on your stomach, and you’ll want an exam to make sure 1) it’s going to work on you, and 2) that it’s not going to hurt you. CoolSculpting gets down to -11 degrees Celsius on most handpieces. That’s cold. There’s risks in everything you do, make sure you discuss them.
Freezing Away Belly Fat Is Cool. Freezing a Better Midsection Is Cooler.
When you’re talking about freezing away unwanted belly fat, keep in mind that you look at your midsection as a whole. It’s all one unit. Belly all the way around to those pesky love handles – it’s the 360 ͦ view that you care most about. Men and women walk through the doors of Element Body Lab and say their #1 complaint is “the way their pants fit” or the “way the dress falls”. Those statements right there have to do with a 360-degree view of the mid-section, not just the abdomen. It’s the whole body that matters most. Especially the circumference.
CoolSculpting only works on pinchable fat.
Let’s talk a bit of geometry here.
- Circumference is the distance around something
- Radius is a straight line from the center to one side of the circle.
- Diameter is the full length of the circle from one side to another.
Let’s translate this into body contouring, specifically CoolSculpting belly fat. If you treat the radius of the body… or any one side (let’s call it just the abdomen), you’re taking it down by a factor of one. If you’re also treating the alternate sides (let’s call it your love handles) you’re actually taking it down instead of by a factor of 3. Get it?
How the treatment plan works
We’re giving you the secret sauce here. CoolSculpting works by using a heat-extraction process. It uses suction to pull fat up and away from the body (and restrict circulation), then cools from top down. The coldest point of the treatment area is smack-dab in the center. Not because it’s any colder there, but because it’s furthest away from any warm tissue. The way CoolSculpting technology works best is to center the treatment areas over the places you see the most amount of volume, or the place with the biggest pinch. Then your orientation, or the direction you place your applicator (or fat-freezing hand piece) follows the natural curves of the body. That means the person placing your handpiece is the key to your results. They’re ensuring the maximum grab, and the perfect placement.
At Element Body Lab, no two treatment plans are the exact same because no two bodies are the exact same. It’s simple, really. Most CoolSculpting practices are solely focused on slapping that handpiece (aka applicator) on and removing the most amount of fat. Removing this most amount of fat is NOT the goal. The goal is to remove the right amount of fat, in the right place, and leave behind the right amount of fat in the right place. We think the fat we leave behind is more important than the fat we take away, because it’s what you live with. We’ve learned this from experience – and it’s important to remember that your results are ours too. Let us know what you’re frustrated by, then let us help in your treatment planning.
How Much Weight Will You Lose From a CoolSculpting Stomach Treatment?
Hang onto your seats, folks. You may not lose any weight at all. It’s the funny thing about the whole process. Fat is fluffy, it takes up a lot of space, but it doesn’t weigh a lot. Here’s something to think about…
You stand on a scale holding an empty box. Then, you fill that box with cotton balls and look at the scale again. The number doesn’t change much. Fat’s like the cotton balls. It’s fluffy and takes up more mass but doesn’t weigh much. CoolSculpting belly fat isn’t a good weight loss alternative for that reason. If you’re seeking weight loss, we can recommend some fantastic gyms, personal trainers, fitness classes and even recipes. We can see drastic body contouring with virtually zero-pound weight change. We’ll talk more about the science of fat at your CoolSculpting consultation too.
Not everyone should be treated.
The most common mistake people make in their CoolSculpting journey is assuming they have too much, or not enough fat to treat. We have multiple sizes of applicators (or handpieces that we use to freeze the fat) to accommodate different body types and body areas. With CoolSculpting, you’re making long-term changes to your body. It’s important that you meet with a board-certified doctor prior to treatment. They’ll need to do a physical exam and review your medical history because CoolSculpting does have some consideration (or reasons to not be treated). Those can include previous surgeries, hernias, diastasis recti, or muscle separation when you’re thinking about abdomen treatments specifically. There’s lots of others too…
If you have a BMI over 30, we may recommend you spend your hard-earned money on a personal trainer prior to seeking CoolSculpting. It depends on your expectations and your lifestyle. Many folks choose to do CoolSculpting to kickstart their healthier efforts, and to feel some motivation along the way. That’s a great approach and we’re all for it! But let’s discuss it… in person, with a doctor.
Not all CoolSculpting is created equal.
Before you go in for a CoolSculpting consultation, ask yourself the following question – “What would a knockout result from CoolSculpting on me look like?” And dive deep into the answer. Be as detailed as possible. It’s important to know if you’re looking for just a little less, a lot less, or somewhere in between. Think about skin texture, think about shape. Is it the way a button up shirt fits around your belly? Take it with you. The way your love handles look in gym shorts? Bring those too. Show us truth – and ask whatever question you had all along.
If you don’t hit it off and feel well informed by the first provider you meet, interview a few more. Jessie once said – all hairdressers use scissors, but not all haircuts are good. Same is true for CoolSculpting. While all offices offer CoolSculpting, all CoolSculpting is not the same.
Give us a call at 214-897-3006 to learn more from the Dallas CoolSculpting Experts and experience the difference yourself.
Until then,
Happy freezing! ❄
Element Body Lab, the Dallas CoolSculpting Experts
