All types of body contouring treatments and devices have mild side effects, such as redness, swelling, tenderness, and bruising at the treatment or injection site. These effects usually last for a few hours to several days before disappearing on their own. Studies have shown that cryolipolysis is safe and effective, with minimal risks and side effects. On average, it reduces the amount of fat in specific areas by 10 to 25%.Cryolipolysis is a cosmetic treatment, so insurance won't cover it.
It is recommended for patients who require minimal changes in appearance and have realistic expectations. Thanks to new technologies, it is now possible to reduce persistent fat pockets and improve body contour without the need for surgery, scarring or downtime. However, cryolipolysis is contraindicated in people with cold-sensitive conditions such as Raynaud's syndrome, cryoglobulinemia, cold hives, severe varicose dermatitis or loss of skin continuity due to prolonged exposure to the localized cold inducer. Ultrasound energy is transmitted through the skin and causes rapid changes in pressure that cause fat cells to break down while leaving surrounding tissues unharmed. The device can also be used on the arms if there is enough fat to fit properly between the two cooling panels used during treatment. After a single intervention, adipocyte apoptosis generates an increase in collagen in adipose tissue related to the lobular paniculitis process and the thickening of the interlobular fibrous septa that occurs over several months, reducing the thickening of the fat layer. Even though fat cells freeze and disappear forever, you must continue to control your weight and exercise.
In a study carried out by Zelickson et al., which was conducted with pigs to study the reduction of the fatty layer of the adipose layer through cryolipolysis, histological analysis demonstrated the loss of adipocytes and the local thickening of the fibrous septa. There are several FDA-approved treatments that allow for gradual and moderate fat loss without surgery or downtime. These treatments use light to cause certain fat cells to create small openings and release some of their contents, helping to reduce their size. Ultrasonic fat reduction uses highly focused sound waves to break down the walls of the fat cells in the area to be treated, thus releasing fat from the inside to be metabolized by the body and reducing the size of the fat deposit. Klein et al. observed skin tightness as a result of cryolipolysis treatment in patients with sagging skin, even those who had a significant reduction in fat volume did not have skin sagging.
In injectable form, deoxycholic acid can break down fat cells on contact and in isolation reduce a fat pocket. These results also coincided with those of Ferraro et al., who stated that cryolipolysis results are more visible in patients with discrete localized fat and that it is not very effective in obese patients.
