The Science Of Fat Freezing:

Everything You Need To Know About CoolSculpting

Just like our skin, muscles, and bones, fat cells – or “adipocytes,” as they’re scientifically known – are an essential component of the human body. Although fat is often regarded as “gross,” “bad,” and “ugly” in modern Western civilization, it’s actually thanks to fat that the human body is able to release hormones that influence blood pressure, regulate blood sugar levels, and perform a number of critical functions. According to LiveScience, without an ideal amount of body fat, humans would freeze and “we’d be unable to store crucial supplies of certain vitamins, or even have a functioning immune system.”

Contrary to popular belief, the number of fat cells each person has is set during childhood and adolescence, and barely fluctuates in adulthood. When we gain or lose weight, our bodies do not produce more or less fat cells. Instead, the fat cells we already have expand or shrink as the energy inside them is stored for later or burned away, respectively. That said, fat cells do gradually die off and get replaced over time, and it’s thought that half of the fat cells in the human body are replaced with new fat cells every 8.3 years.

Although – yes, fat is essential for survival – a surplus or deficit can be detrimental to human health. In this blog, we’ll explore the health risks that come with being overweight or obese, and a very cool solution that scientists have discovered to actually get rid of fat cells and eliminate them for good. But first, why exactly is being overweight and obese so unhealthy?

Why Is Being Overweight And Obese Unhealthy?

As previously stated, fat is necessary for the body to perform essential functions. However, an excess of fat can interfere with those functions and increase the risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, and it can even increase the chances of developing complications from infectious diseases like COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even mental illness such as depression and anxiety.

One way to know if you’re overweight or approaching that dangerous threshold is to calculate your BMI, or body mass index. A “normal weight” BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, an “overweight” BMI is 25 to 29.9, and anything above 30 is considered obese. However, a simple BMI calculation doesn’t always tell the whole story, especially if you’re an athlete with a lot of muscle mass. In that situation, you should also consider your waist size. According to the National Institute of Health, “women with a waist size of more than 35 inches and men with a waist size of more than 40 inches may have higher chances of developing diseases related to obesity.”

There are a number of different factors that may contribute to excess weight gain in children, adolescents, and adults. An underactive thyroid, excess stress, hormonal changes, and also the natural aging process can all add to the problem or exasperate existing issues. However, the #1 reason why people gain weight is because they consume more calories than they burn – it’s a simple math equation. However, it’s important to remember that weight loss and fat reduction are not necessarily the same thing, which is an essential distinction to be aware of when comparing different body contouring methods, procedures, and techniques.

What’s The Difference Between Weight Loss & Fat Reduction?

Typically, when people are looking to drop a few pounds or tone up their muscles, they simply say they want to “lose weight.” However, it’s not actually that straightforward. According to the Shaw Academy, there’s a major difference between weight loss and fat reduction that people need to be aware of: “weight loss is a decrease in overall body weight. This weight can include muscle, fat, and water from the body.” On the flip side, fat loss is a reduction in body fat, and reducing body fat is often the goal that most people want to achieve vs. general weight loss. That’s because fat loss can actually change the shape and contours of your body, whereas simple weight loss may not.

As previously stated, the most “natural” way to reduce fat is to consume less calories than you burn through portion control, calorie counting, and exercise. That said, when you do lose fat, you’re not actually “losing” fat cells. Instead, you’re shrinking them, and they will expand again if you revert back to your old ways of eating, drinking, and burning calories through exercise. However, through the power of science, research, and development, the aesthetic community has developed modern technologies that work to actually eliminate fat cells from the body and keep them away for good. One such technology is known as CoolSculpting – or “cryolipolysis” – and it’s available at Jiva Med Spa in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio.

So, What Exactly Is CoolSculpting?

How Does CoolSculpting Work?

We know that the number of fat cells is set during childhood and adolescence, and that number varies little in adulthood. Some people may have more fat cells than others; it’s really luck of the genetics draw. When you start to gain weight, those fat cells expand, which causes your waist, hips, arms, thighs, breasts, and double chin to expand, as well. When you eat well and exercise on a regular basis, those fat cells will shrink to give you a slimmer, more svelte appearance. But as soon as you stop those healthy habits, the fat cells will expand to their original size.

It’s common knowledge that fat cells freeze at a higher temperature than surrounding tissue, and they really don’t like the cold. CoolSculpting works by applying a controlled cooling temperature to certain areas of the body, which freezes and ultimately kills the fat cells under the skin’s surface. After the fat cells are dead, your body will naturally excrete them through urine over the next 1-3 months. As stated, CoolSculpting doesn’t cause you to lose weight; it causes you to lose fat. After just a few treatments, you’ll notice that your body feels tighter, your clothes feel looser, and your shape is more contoured. But, don’t worry – the fat cell elimination process is gradual, so nobody will know you got “work” done.

CoolSculpting is FDA-approved to permanently eliminate fat cells in nine different areas of the body including under the chin and jawline, the thighs, abdomen and flanks, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks, and the upper arms. Typically, CoolSculpting works best on patients who already practice healthy habits such as eating a diet that’s rich in fruit and veggies and regularly exercising with a combination of cardio and weights. However, depending on your unique body composition, you may carry additional fat pockets in places that are difficult to remedy. That’s what makes CoolSculpting such an amazing solution to individuals who want to look and feel their very best.

What Does CoolSculpting Feel Like

The process of killing and eliminating fat cells through CoolSculpting may sound scary, but the procedure typically isn’t painful. Instead, it just feels very cold – obviously! Other than that, the manufacturer states that “you may experience sensations of pulling, tugging, mild pinching, tingling, stinging, aching, and cramping at the treatment site,” but those sensations gradually subside as the area(s) being treated becomes numb from the cold. As far as side effects go, CoolSculpting patients may experience temporary redness, swelling, blanching, bruising, firmness, tingling, stinging, tenderness, cramping, aching, itching, or skin sensitivity, and a sensation of fullness in the back of the throat – none of which is cause for major concern.

During your treatment, a gel pad with a vacuum applicator will be positioned on the target area, which draws in the tissue to deliver the controlled cooling. During treatment, you can read, check your email, listen to music, watch TV, or simply relax and take a nap. Typically, after CoolSculpting the fat pockets being treated will feel hard to the touch, almost like a frozen stick of butter. To address that side effect, the CoolSculpting technician has to “massage” the area to redistribute the frozen cells. Although that process can be painful, we offer a FREE Z Wave Q treatment with each session to make the procedure more comfortable and effective.

Wait, What’s Z Wave Q?

Why Get CoolSculpting At Jiva Med Spa?

No matter where you go, aesthetic centers like Jiva Med Spa typically offer cryolipolysis with the CoolSculpting machine. However, Jiva Med Spa is the only place in Ohio that also provides a free Z Wave Q session with each CoolSculpting treatment to enhance results and maximize patient comfort. Not only do we focus on improving the mind and body at our office locations, but we also want to boost spiritual health with every single visit. That’s why creating a relaxing, rejuvenating environment is so important to us. With the ultra-quiet Z Wave Q, we can make CoolSculpting a more tranquil and effective treatment – what could be better than that?

In addition to offering a free Z Wave Q session with each CoolSculpting treatment, we also now offer “DualSculpting,” which is a special technique that uses two CoolSculpting machines at once to target double the “trouble areas.” With DualSculpting, you can cut total treatment time down from eight hours to just four, so you can get on with your daily activities quicker than before! It’s all part of our goal to help our clients lead beautiful, fulfilling lives through aesthetic treatments and procedures. If you’re ready to try CoolSculpting in Columbus or Dayton, Ohio, contact our team of experts today. We’ll walk through your goals and recommend an appropriate treatment plan that will give you the body you’ve always dreamed of.