Cryolipolysis

Cryolipolysis
Intervention
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Cryolipolysis is a medical treatment used to destroy fat cells. Its principle relies on controlled cooling to near 4° Celsius (approx. 39° Fahrenheit) for the non-invasive localized reduction of fat deposits in order to reshape body contours. The exposure to cooling is set so that it causes cell death of subcutaneous fat tissue without apparent damage to the overlying skin. The procedure is billed as a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction. "Cryolipolysis" is a portmanteau of "cryogenic" and "lipolysis". The process is also known as "fat freezing".

In Europe cryolipolysis machines have been developed for suitability in aesthetic clinics and spas. Brands of devices include CoolSculpting, Lipoglaze, Clatuu, isoLipo, and 3d lipo among others.

Cryolipolysis is used for removing certain areas of body fat that are just under the skin to contour a person. Evidence supports its effectiveness at three to four months.

It appears primarily applicable to limited discrete fat bulges. According to a 2015 review it shows promise with the average fat reduction, measured by calipers of about 20 percent. With the small number of people treated, clinical data remain scarce, thus it is not known how long the treatment effect will last, or when and if later treatments would be necessary to maintain the result.

Side effect data are based on a limited experience. Transient local redness, bruising and numbness of the skin are common side effects of the treatment and are expected to subside. Typically sensory deficits will subside within a month. The effect on peripheral nerves was investigated and failed to show permanent detrimental results. No serious long-lasting side effects were encountered during follow-up time of six months.

Lipolysis procedures attempt to "dissolve" fat cells by nonsurgical means. A number of methods have been attempted, including the use of laser, ultrasound, and radio frequency current.Popsicle panniculitis is a dermatologic condition that shows that exposure to low temperatures can selectively damage subcutaneous fat while leaving skin intact. Based on the premise that fat cells are more easily damaged by cooling than skin cells, Cryolipolysis was developed to apply low temperatures to tissue via thermal conduction. In order to avoid frostbite, a specific temperature level and exposure is determined. Physicians Dieter Manstein and R. Rox Anderson at The Wellman Center at Massachusetts General Hospital proposed the concept, exploring it in a number of experiments on pigs, and reported the resulting data in 2008. While the process is not fully understood, it appears that fatty tissue that is cooled below body temperature but above freezing undergoes localized cell death followed by a local inflammatory response, a local panniculitis, that gradually over the course of several months results in a reduction of the fatty tissue layer. When exposed to extreme cold, the body's usual response is to restrict circulation to keep the core of the body at the correct temperature. Cryolipolysis makes use of a powerful vacuum which adds to the inflammatory response by drawing blood up to the surface layers of the skin.

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