Cryolipolyse - Figure correction removal of body fat

What is COOLtechcryolipolysis?

COOLtechcryolipolysis is a safe, quite painless, non-surgical figure correction treatment that removes localised body fat in a selective manner. The operating mechanism of the COOLtechcryolipolysis is based on the selective sensitivity of fat cells (adipocytes) during controlled freezing which causes controlled cell death (apoptosis) of these fat cells.

During the cryolipolysis treatment, the skin fold of the area to be treated is placed in a vacuum Coolsculpting handpiece. Through suction, the skin fold is placed firmly between the two cooling panels of this handpiece. As a result, heat is extracted from the fatty tissue. The freezing cycle of a skin fold takes 70 minutes. This outpatient treatment is done without the need for anaesthesia or analgesia. Fifteen minutes after the cryolipolysis treatment, normal activities can be resumed.

The operating principle of cryolipolysis

The word cryolipolysis contains 'cryo' for cold and 'lipo' for lipid or fatty tissue. When fat cells are cooled to 5 °C for a certain time, they will eliminate themselves. The scientific name for a natural cell death is apoptosis. During a period of 3 months, fat is released from these dead fat cells and removed by the body. Fat cells are a lot more sensitive to cold than the surrounding muscle cells, skin cells and nerve cells. These will barely react to the COOLtech treatment and, therefore, will not suffer any damage.

What areas can be treated with the COOLtechcryolipolysis method?

With cryolipolysis, we can treat the following areas of the body:

  • The stomach area (abdomen): partly or entirely
  • The outside of the thighs or the so-called breeches: the area above the knees
  • The inside of the thighs: the area above the knees
  • The waist or the so-called love handles
  • The bottom (the glutei)
  • The male breasts
  • The upper arms (coming soon)
  • The double chin (coming soon)

The device makes it possible to treat two skin areas simultaneously.

Is a cryolipolysis treatment painful?

  • The CoolTech® figure correction is a comfortable treatment for most patients.
  • Sometimes, a mild pain is experienced in the first freezing minutes. Since freezing has a narcotic effect, the mild pain disappears after about ten minutes of treatment time.
  • An anaesthesia and / or pain medication is not necessary during treatment of the patients.
  • During the cryolipolysis treatment, most patients can comfortably read a book, listen to music or just relax. 

What to expect after the cryolipolysis treatment?

  • After the cryolipolysis treatment and removing the COOLtech handpieces, the skin fold thaws within ten minutes. The skin can then be massaged gently. The patient may experience some pain at this point. 
  • After the treatment, some local redness and swelling can occur. This can last for a couple of hours, but will disappear almost entirely after 24 hours. 
  • Blisters caused by the cold are rare.
  • In some patients, impaired sensitivity (dysaesthesia), tingling (paraesthesia), numbness (anaesthesia) and / or mild soreness may occur in the treated areas. This can last from several days to several weeks. However, these complaints do not affect normal activities.
  • Fatigue and fever may also occur in the first 24 hours.
  • Fainting (vagal response), bruising (hematoma) and cold burns can occur as exceptional side effects.

Aftercare following the COOLtechcryolipolysis treatment

  • Specific aftercare is not necessary after the cryolipolysis treatment.
  • You can go to work and exercise immediately after the treatment.
  • Exposure of the treated area to the sun or a sunbed is best to be avoided from 5 days before and after the treatment.
  • During the week following the treatment, we advise you to drink plenty of water (at least 1.5 litres daily).
  • It is also advisable to keep your weight under control. The cryolipolysis treatment for figure correction is not a licence to take in more calories!

The expected results after a COOLtechcryolipolysis treatment

  • Multicentric studies show the efficiency and safety of this treatment method.
  • From a treatment of four skin areas on the stomach (abdomen) and the waist '(love handles'), you can expect a circumference reduction of 4 to 7 cm (with an average of 5.9 cm).
  • The best results are achieved in people of normal weight who want to get rid of persistent fat deposits.
  • The result of a cryolipolysis treatment develops slowly over the course of three months. The first noticeable improvements are apparent after approximately three weeks. The end result can be evaluated by measuring and / or photographic control only after three months.
  • The COOLtech lipolysis provides a uniform reduction of fatty tissue. The number of treatments is not limited, and, if required, the procedure can be repeated with a minimum interval of 3 months until the desired result is obtained.

COOLtechcryolipolysis versus liposuction

  • During a preliminary consultation, the alternatives for a COOLtechcryolipolysis treatment can be discussed, including the acceptance of the existing situation, losing weight through dieting or exercise (work or sports) and, finally, liposuction.
  • A COOLtech cryolipolysis treatment is based on a non-invasive technique in which no needles are used or cuts made. For those who want to avoid the risks of surgery, cryolipolysis is a good alternative for liposuction.
  • Liposuction is a surgical procedure that can result in a local figure correction. During liposuction, fat is subcutaneously drained by negative pressure in cannulas.
  • Liposuction, however, has some drawbacks:
    • Anaesthetic has to be applied
    • Prior to the procedure, a large amount of liquid needs to be introduced in the fatty tissues
    • There are risks of bleeding, infection and fat emboli
    • After the treatment, you have to wear a compression bandage for more than a week, there is also some discomfort which will hinder certain normal activities during the first week after the procedure. 
    • After liposuction, the result in terms of figure improvement and uniformity are highly dependent on the surgeon's skills. 
  • The advantage of liposuction:
    • With a successful liposuction, more fatty tissue can be removed in one treatment than with the COOLtechcryolipolysis process.

Contra-indications

The COOLtechcryolipolysis treatment is not recommended and, therefore, cannot be performed in the following cases:

  • In patients with limited subcutaneous fat (less than 1.5 cm) in the area to be treated
  • In patients with an intolerance for cryotherapy, Raynaud's disease, with severe cold urticaria, with a too large amount of a certain type of proteins in the blood that can clump together with cold (cryoglobulinemia), cold fibre hypoproteinaemia
  • During pregnancy and lactation
  • During treatment of a hernia of the abdomen (abdominal hernia)
  • In the case if you have recent scars or stretch marks in the treatment area
  • In the case of fever and / or an active infection
  • If you suffer from varicose veins (varices), a sterile blood vessel infection (phlebitis) or blood vessel inflammation causing blood clots (thrombophlebitis)
  • In the case of chronic diseases, including:
    • a disturbed immune system
    • connective tissue disseases
    • disturbed wound-healing
    • skin disease (dermatosis) of the treatment area
    • blood diseases such as disturbed coagulation
    • metabolic diseases
    • unstable diabetes
    • severe liver, heart or kidney failure
    • abnormal tissue growth (neoplasm)
  • In patients under the age of 18 years

Relative contraindication

Because the COOLtechcryolipolysis treatment is not a slimming technique, it is not used in people with corpulence (obesity). Obesity is measured by the body mass index, which is calculated by dividing the body weight in kilogrammes by the square of the height in metres. If the result of this calculation is greater than 29, you are considered obese and cryolipolysis cannot be performed.

Some additional practical instructions

  • As we work with contact gel during the treatment, we advise you to bring spare underwear.
  • Since the treatment takes 70 uninterrupted minutes, we advise you to urinate in advance.
  • If you would like to keep yourself busy during those 70 minutes, it may be useful to bring some reading material, such as a book, magazine or tablet. 

What you also need to know

  • Based on the operating principle of the device and the results represented at conferences, good results are expected with a correct diagnosis. However, the treatment can only remove fatty tissue. A skin fold of softer skin, for example, will not disappear. Other treatments are available for this.
  • Preliminary measurements and photographs will be taken. These are intended for result and evolution assessment. Although almost always an improvement can be realised with a correct diagnosis, the degree of improvement can be difficult to estimate individually. 

If you have any question about COOLtechcryolipolysis treatment, do not hesitate to contact us.

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