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Cryolipolysis: freezing fat for weightloss
Cryolipolysis refers to the noninvasive, selective destruction of the
fat
layer. This is a highly promising procedure that is being looked at as a quick
alternative to liposuction. It cools fat cells in your body through use of a
plate-like device. Lipolysis then naturally breaks them down for you.
Zeltiq is the name of the device used in Cryolipolysis. It has been approved
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cooling the skin during laser
treatments and other thermal procedures. By cooling the fat cells to a
temperature right around freezing for long periods of time, it alerts the body
to just get rid of them. It doesn't need them and naturally absorbs them over a
couple of months.
What is zeltiq cryolipolysis?
The technology used for cryolipolysis has been
approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for cooling the
skin, and for use in certain procedures due to its anesthetic effect. The
technique is limited to these uses in the United States. Elsewhere in Europe and
in some parts of Canada, however, zeltiq technology is now
being used for fat removal.
It was first developed by Dr. Rox Anderson and his team at
the Wellman Center for Photomedicine.
How freezing fat works:
A significant change in body temperature actually causes the cells to react a
certain way. This medical fact is what cryolipolysis technology
operates on. Applying a cooling device to the skin causes body temperature to
drop. And lowered body temperature triggers a metabolic process called
'apoptosis'.
 Apoptosis is a natural mechanism of the human body wherein
cells are actually meant to self-terminate (scientifically referred to as
programmed cell death, or PCD). Cells need to die so that new cells can be
generated. This is the process by which the body continues to grow and heal
itself. An average person usually loses 50 to 70 billion cells every day.
The idea of destroying cells (fatty cells and tissues in particular) is
nothing new when it comes to cosmetic
fat removal. Conventional
liposuction involves the break down of fatty cells so that it can be
extracted from the patients body. What is disadvantageous of such a
fat removal
procedure is that destroying large amounts of cells at a time can be harmful to
the patient's health.
But since zeltiq cryolipolysis triggers a natural and
gradual process that terminates cells, one can say that it is indeed a safer and
more organic method.
Another advantage of using the zeltiq method is that it
requires no anesthsia, and it involves no recovery time at all.
Cryolipolysis benefits
-
 This non-invasive fat removal procedure is best suited for eliminating
thick fat build up in small areas, such as potbellies,
love handles and back
rolls. However, cryolipolysis could not remove fat from large areas such as
the thighs and
bottom.
-
Cryolipolysis does not damage the nerves, blood vessels and bones present
in the treatment area.
Side effects of cryolipolysis
The treatment produces mild side effects.
-
Usually patients experience numbness in the treatment area from the excess
cold. The numbness might last for a few hours.
-
The treatment area might mildly ache for a few days.
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Some health experts fear that the liver might be forced to overwork to
eliminate the excess dead fat cells from the body. This would cause fatigue
and lethargy.
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