New Delhi: A slimmer stomach within a few weeks without sit-ups or planks may sound too good to be true, but fortunately it is possible. For those who are looking for a truly effective and safe way to shed those kilos sans the hard work, Cryolipolysis is your go-to treatment.
Approved by the FDA in 2010, this non-invasive technique uses a machine to cool fat deposits to a chilly 40 degrees, which results in the treated fat cells becoming frozen into crystals and eventually dying.
Since the fats crystallize faster than normal cells, there is no damage to skin, nerves or other surrounding tissue.
Dr. Anup Dhir, Senior Cosmetic Surgeon, Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, said, "Cryolipolysis works like frostbite; it freezes fat, leaving the overlying skin intact. A section of your skin is inserted into a freezing device for about an hour, resulting in the disappearance of some fat cells."
Later, the dead cells are naturally eliminated from the body. Each session lasts for around an hour and results in approximately 20 percent fat reduction in the treated area. Unlike with diet or exercise, where the fat cells are reduced in size, with this cooling technology, once the treated fat cells are gone, they are gone for good.
Dr. Dhir added, "The results take 2-4 months to appear. You can have multiple sessions, depending on the need. The areas that can be treated are stomach/abdomen, love handles/flanks, under the neck (double chin), back/bra area, thighs, male chest."
This procedure can cause some bruising and numbness of the skin, but is less invasive than other techniques like liposuction. It is not a treatment for obesity, but is meant mainly for reducing pockets of stubborn fat on the body.
"Procedures that use laser, sonic waves to remove fat can actually destroy other tissue in the process by burning, shattering or extracting non-fat cells. This requires downtime for your body to heal. Cryolipolysis targets fat cells alone, eliminating them in an easy, non-intrusive fashion that exercise and diet can't achieve as quickly or as effectively," noted Dr. Dhir.
Fat freezing technology is good for small areas and needs multiple treatments, whereas liposuction is still the gold standard for bigger areas, giving quicker results with a single treatment, and is far cheaper than the former.
