CoolSculpting for Belly Fat: Are You a Good Candidate?

Even if you’ve done the work and lost the weight, it can be hard to slim out certain areas. This includes the lower abdomen, which is one of the first places your body stores fat. Unfortunately, no amount of exercise is going to burn away belly fat. You’ll need a more targeted approach to successfully flatten your midriff, and CoolSculpting can help. 

At New Image Medical Spa in Fremont, California, Dr. Surinder Sandhu offers noninvasive body sculpting to help you achieve your ideal body shape.

An overview of CoolSculpting 

Nonsurgical fat reduction has come a long way in recent years, with different types of body contouring options gaining popularity on the market. Among them is CoolSculpting, which uses a form of controlled “frostbite” to eliminate fat cells. 

Fat freezes at a higher temperature than skin, which means it can be targeted without harming the surrounding tissue. As your body warms back up, blood flows through the area, and the damaged fat cells are processed and eliminated from the body by your immune and lymphatic systems. 

This process, known as cryolipolysis, is noninvasive and requires no anesthesia. It’s been approved by the FDA for over a decade. However, CoolSculpting and other forms of body contouring aren’t intended to replace weight loss or liposuction. Instead, these treatments should be used to add the finishing touches to your figure. 

What makes a good candidate 

If you’re unhappy with your total body mass or weight, body contouring won’t be able to do much for you. Diet, exercise, or weight loss surgery are the only ways to drop the numbers on the scale. Options like CoolSculpting are meant to be employed after the heavy lifting is finished. 

Even if you’ve reached your goal weight, you might notice that some stubborn pockets of fat simply won’t burn away. These deposits are often stored in the stomach, thighs, and hips. Doing squats and sit ups will strengthen the muscles supporting those areas, but they won’t burn fat. 

In these cases, CoolSculpting might be the solution. Candidates for this type of body contouring should be at a stable weight with healthy skin that can endure the cold. 

Do not seek out cryolipolysis if you have the following: 

• Loose skin at the treatment site 
• Cold urticaria (hives)
• Raynaud’s syndrome 
• Nerve problems 
• An active rash 

CoolSculpting requires no downtime, but you’ll have to be patient as your body breaks down the crystallized fat cells. It can take a few sessions to achieve the results you’re looking for, but the end result is a slimmer, more natural looking figure. 

If you’re looking for a gentler approach to fat reduction, body contouring might be the answer. 

To learn more about cryolipolysis and other nonsurgical body sculpting options, schedule a consultation with Dr. Sandhu by calling New Image Med Spa at 510-269-2324, or request an appointment online.