*PR: Gifted-only treatment

Sian Victoria © - CoolSculpting, fat freezing treatment, Hampton Clinic, West Midlands

How to get rid of stubborn body fat

Stubborn fat that won’t budge is the bane of my life, I do my best to eat a healthy diet and exercise as much as I can around the university and home office life. But the excess fat around my belly, arms and love handles always makes me reach for the comfortable loose clothing in my wardrobe as opposed to the fitted tops and dresses that just don’t look as flattering on me with an extra spare tyre around my waist.

I’m forever searching for ways to burn fat, but until recently it never occurred to me that you could instead freeze fat to make it disappear with new state of the art machinery called CoolSculpting.

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive treatment that uses a technology called Cryolipolysis to freeze excess fat cells on stubborn areas of the body such as the flanks (love handles), under the buttocks, inner & outer thighs, under the chin, upper arms and the abdominal area.

How does Coolsculpting work?

Coolsculpting works by using an applicator that sucks onto the excess skin to freeze the targeted fat cells over 30 minutes to 1 hour. As I’ve had the treatment myself the suction and freezing can be uncomfortable but it's not painful. Your free to play on your phone or read a book while your fat is freezing.

Once the treatment is complete the clinic practitioner will massage the area for two minutes to break down the frozen fat cells. The destroyed fat cells will then be flushed out of the body through your urine over the next 2-3 months.

Although it takes a while for the fat cells to disappear this is beneficial so that the body gradually tightens where the excess fat used to be so that you’re not left with loose skin.

Benefits of Coolsculpting treatment

Fat cells that are frozen are permanently destroyed
Treatment is FDA cleared, safe & effective
A non-invasive procedure with minimal discomfort so you won't need time off work
There’s an average of a 20% reduction in fat cells per treatment (though results can vary person to person)
Target stubborn areas of fat without damaging the surrounding skin tissue

Possible side effects of Coolsculpting

Bruising
Swelling & tenderness
Pain or discomfort
Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia where the treatment has the opposite affect

What to do before & after Coolsculpting treatment?

Before treatment drink at least 2 litres of water, as well as after treatment and every day during the 2-3 months to help your body flush out as much destroyed fat cells as possible. Massaging the area with an oil such as Vitamin E can help break down the fat cells too.

Most clinics offer a free consultation to discuss if the treatment is right for you.

My Coolsculpting experience

Coolsculpting may sound like the perfect solution to easily get rid of unwanted fat. That’s why I accepted an invitation to receive complimentary treatment on my upper arm fat at Hampton Clinic located in Hampton-in-Arden not too far from Birmingham. I received the treatment in 2018, but after unsuccessful results and some before and after photos that went missing at the clinic, I decided against promoting the procedure.

However, I’ve now decided to share my experience since I’ve now seen people all over the world are achieving fantastic results with this non-invasive aesthetics treatment and if you do have the money to spare then I would recommend having it done.

But you will need to bear in mind that for 1% of people the treatment does have the opposite effect and can instead increase the volume of fat cells in the treated area. This is most common with men. Although, it seems that I’m part of the unlucky 1% as the loose ‘bingo-wing’ fat on my arms did get bigger which certainly knocked my confidence even more. When this happens, it’s called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia.

If you are to have the treatment. I would recommend taking your measurements and before and after photos so that you can see the progress for yourself rather than relying on the clinic to take them.

It depends on where you have the treatment on the body, but I did find it uncomfortable and was dizzy occasionally throughout the session. Although what I found most painful was having the iced cells massaged straight after, which you can probably tell from the look on my face, it’s the least pleasant part of it.

The following days and weeks my arms were considerably sore and bruised. Nothing excruciating; however, I did feel delicate and I did do my best to be careful and not do anything too strenuous. The ladies at Hampton Clinic were lovely and treated me well during the procedure to ensure that I was comfortable and were checking on me regularly. It’s just disappointing how the photos went missing.

Either way, I wouldn’t let my experience stop you from having the treatment. It’s just unfortunate that my body rejected it. However, you might be part of the lucky 99% of people that it does make a difference on.

At the time of treatment, I was vegetarian, but have since become vegan and am a lot more active now that I’m not at university. Therefore, I have managed to slightly reduce the arm fat I gained.

After going through CoolSculpting, I’d suggest focusing on a wholesome, plant-based diet. It’s not only good for your body but can also help maintain those results in the long run. Pair that with some regular exercise, and you’ll really be doing your body a favour! Adding resistance bands to your exercise routine can be a game-changer, especially for toning up those areas where you want to see improvement.

Depending on how much fat you’re looking to get rid of and which stubborn spots are giving you trouble, you can choose to follow this plan alongside your treatment or as an alternative. Just remember to listen to your body and make adjustments as needed. Consistency is key, so find activities you enjoy!

A few months after having the CoolSculpting procedure I accepted another complimentary fat freezing treatment. But this time an affordable cryolipolysis treatment using the CoolSlimming machine in Edgbaston Village to remove stubborn back fat. As you can imagine I was apprehensive about doing so. But thankfully this time there was a slight difference in the reduction of fat, and I made sure to take my own before and after photos.

To conclude

Although the cheaper fat freezing alternative to CoolSculpting appeared to reduce my back fat. During the procedure, I didn’t feel that it froze the fat as much as the CoolSculpting machine and I had absolutely no bruising or pain afterwards.

So, I don’t feel that the cheaper machine is as effective as the original CoolSculpting procedure. Therefore, the results will simply depend on whether your body accepts to breakdown and flush out the fat cells or not and of course, it depends on how much you are willing to pay to have the treatment done.

Follow & Support