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Don't Believe These 5 CoolSculpting Myths

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Think CoolSculpting hurts or that it requires surgery? Think again. We’re dispelling five myths about the procedure.

Losing weight can be tough enough, but it can be especially frustrating when you work hard at the gym and eat healthy foods and you’re still not seeing the results you want. That’s when CoolSculpting might be an option to consider.

Before you decide if it’s right for you, you need the facts about this commonly misunderstood procedure. Here, we set the record straight with help from Hannah Bodin, supervisor and CoolSculpting technician at the Sculpting Center of New Orleans (a part of Ochsner Health), and Jamie Keyes, a CoolSculpting technician at the Center.

Myth #1: CoolSculpting is for weight loss.

CoolSculpting is not a weight-loss treatment. In fact, ideal candidates are within 25 pounds of their ideal weight. They eat well and exercise regularly. But despite all of their hard work at the gym and at the dinner table, they still have some stubborn fat deposits they’d like to get rid of.

Myth #2. CoolSculpting is surgical.

No, CoolSculpting does not involve surgery. It is an FDA-cleared noninvasive procedure for removing fat. During the procedure, the fat is frozen, and over the course of three months, the body’s lymphatic system processes the cells, removing them through the urine.

Treatments range from 35 to 75 minutes. Most patients will need two treatments, 30 days apart.

Myth #3: CoolSculpting is painful.

When CoolSculpting first entered the market, Bodin explains, it was a little painful for patients. But the technology has evolved, and today’s treatments are no longer painful. The body is numbed from the cold, and some people even take naps during sessions, Keyes say.

Afterward, there is little to no downtime required. Patients can drive home, go the gym and go to work. “They might be a little sore or achy, but there are no restrictions,” Bodin says. “It feels like you did an intense workout.”

Myth #4: You can pick any spot on the body to treat.

The technology has been cleared by the FDA to treat only nine areas of the body. CoolSculpting addresses subcutaneous fat — the fat just under the skin (as opposed to visceral fat, which surrounds the organs). Ochsner’s Sculpting Center of New Orleans treats the nine approved areas:

  1. Under the chin
  2. Jawline
  3. Thighs
  4. Abdomen
  5. Flanks
  6. Bra fat
  7. Back fat
  8. Underneath the buttocks
  9. Upper arms

Myth #5: CoolSculpting is not permanent.

“It is permanent unless you become morbidly obese,” Bodin says. “You only have a certain number of fat cells, and we’re eliminating 20 percent of them with each pass.”

It’s important for patients to continue to eat healthy foods and exercise regularly after CoolSculpting for the best results.

Eliminate stubborn fat with CoolSculpting at Elevate by Ochsner Health. Schedule your consultation today!


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