Cooling Fat Cells Helps Sculpt the Body

The CoolSculpting system is based on a process known as cryolipolysis. During the procedure, a noninvasive applicator cup generates a gentle vacuum pressure to draw the tissue between the cooling panels. The applicator cup then delivers precisely controlled cooling to target and eliminate fat cells in specific areas of the body. Starting several weeks after the procedure, the fat cells that have been exposed begin a process called apoptosis and begin to shrink and disappear; they are then gradually eliminated through normal metabolic processes. The result is a reduction in fat bulges that is visible in most patients in about two to four months. The CoolSculpting system is a product of Zeltiq (Pleasanton, CA, USA).

"There is a strong demand for noninvasive procedures that can address the concerns of people who are not considered overweight, but despite diet and exercise, have pockets of fat that bother them,” said dermatologist Jeffrey Dover, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. "While traditional liposuction and laser liposuction are invasive surgical procedures that are designed for fat reduction, CoolSculpting is an exciting new approach that is noninvasive and has shown significant, durable, and reliable results in clinical studies for removing fat without the potential risks and downtime of invasive procedures.”

Cryolipolysis is based on the fact that exposure of fat cells to cooling via energy extraction leads to the release of cytokines and other inflammatory mediators, which gradually eliminate the affected fat cells in the months after the procedure, reducing the thickness of the fat layer. Lipids from the fat cells are slowly released and transported by the lymphatic system to be processed and eliminated, much like that of fat from food.

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