Millions of people in America have stubborn body fat that they can’t seem to get rid of. Luckily, body sculpting techniques have come a long way in the past several years and are continuing to grow in popularity. One of the most popular of these treatments uses the power of cold temperatures to literally freeze away stubborn body fat. If you’re looking for a solution to fat on your thighs, contact New Image Body Sculpting in Glendale, CA and ask about Coolsculpting for thighs.
CoolSculpting for Thighs: How Does It Work?
CoolSculpting is a non-invasive, FDA-approved treatment that uses the application of carefully controlled low temperatures to freeze fat beneath the skin. It can target stubborn fat in typical problem areas where it often collects, including the thighs, but it also works on the belly, love handles, butt, and chin.
Freezing the fat destroys the fat cells, and once the body flushes those dead cells away, you’re left with a smooth, contoured area. In order to truly understand how and why this process works, however, we must understand how fat works in the human body.
Unique Properties of Fat Cells
The human body stores fat in specialized fat cells. It’s easy to assume that when we gain weight, the body produces more fat cells and vice versa when we lose weight. That is not the case. In fact, the number of fat cells in the human body stays more or less constant after adolescence. It’s actually very difficult to permanently destroy new fat cells or create new ones. Instead, when we gain weight, our fat cells are simply expanding to store more fat. When we lose weight, the fat in those cells is metabolized by the body and the cells shrink in size.
That’s why body fat in areas where it usually collects, including the thighs, is so stubborn. No matter how much fat you burn, those cells are still there. Luckily, fat cells have another unique property that allows us to get rid of them: they freeze at a slightly higher temperature than their surrounding tissues. Using the careful application of controlled temperatures, we can freeze fat cells, destroying them, without damaging the skin or muscle around them.
What Is Treatment Like?
CoolSculpting for thighs is a non-invasive treatment that takes roughly 35 minutes per thigh. That’s 35 minutes for either the inner or outer thigh. If you plan to have both inner and outer thighs treated on both legs, the total time will be more like 140 minutes. This treatment has no recovery time, which means you can walk out of our office and go right back to your normal daily routine. It’s so easy, in fact, that you could get a treatment over your lunch break and go right back to work with no one the wiser.
The treatment itself is administered by our professionals using a specialized CoolSculpting device. An applicator that looks a little like the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner is used to administer suction to the area of treatment, while paddles on the apparatus administer temperatures cold enough to freeze body fat beneath the skin but not so cold as to damage the skin or other surrounding tissues.
People who undergo CoolSculpting treatments report that it feels more odd than painful. Moreover, once the cold temperatures kick in, the area becomes numb. Some people will read a book, watch a show on their phone, or even get some work done while the treatment is administered. It’s an easy, painless, and even relaxing way to melt away some stubborn fat.
How Long Until I See My Results?
A treatment of CoolSculpting for thighs doesn’t provide instant results. The fat cells in the area of treatment have been crystallized and killed, but once they thaw, they’re still there. The body must flush them out and metabolize them over time before your final results will be visible. Typically, people who undergo CoolSculpting for thighs will begin to see their results manifest around the three-week mark. As the body continues to get rid of the dead fat cells, the results will continue to improve.
Most people will see something approaching their final results after two or three months, but the process of flushing away the dead fat cells can take up to six months to fully complete. CoolSculpting’s final results range from a 20% to 80% overall reduction in fat in the targeted area, depending on the person and the area targeted. In trials, 82% of people who underwent the treatment said that they would recommend it to a friend.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Some areas of the body may require more than one treatment, but that’s usually not the case when it comes to CoolSculpting for thighs. The smaller area allows us to complete both thighs in one sitting, whether over two 35-minute sessions or by doing both at once. If you want to have treatments for both the inner and outer thighs though, it will take a bit longer. You can choose to come in twice, once for each thigh, or have the inner and outer thighs done on different days. It’s all up to you!
Some people also return for a follow-up or maintenance treatment. If your first treatment reduces fat in the thighs by 20%, a second treatment could shape them up even more.
Are the Results Permanent?
As mentioned above, fat cells are extremely difficult to naturally destroy or create. That means the results from your CoolSculpting treatment should be permanent. However, it’s important to remember that this treatment will destroy only up to 80% of the fat cells in the targeted area. Even in the best-case scenario, 20% of the fat cells are still left over. If weight gain occurs after treatment, those remaining fat cells can still expand and the appearance of body fat in the treated area will return. Luckily, with proper diet and exercise, this is unlikely to happen.
How Much Does It Cost?
CoolSculpting costs vary depending on the location and size of the area of treatment. If you’re treating both thighs, but only one side (inner or outer), it will cost an average of around $1500, or $750 per thigh. Because this is an elective treatment rather than a medical procedure, most insurance companies will decline to cover it. They would do the same for liposuction in most cases, which can cost anywhere from $2000 to $10,000. This makes CoolSculpting a far more economical choice.
Do I Need to Prepare?
We will consult with you to discuss their goals and expectations prior to administering the treatment. After that though, there is nothing more for you to do assuming you meet the requirements for CoolSculpting.
Who Is a Good Candidate for CoolSculpting?
While this treatment is safe and non-invasive, it’s not suitable for everyone. There are certain medical conditions that may preclude people from undergoing this treatment. Here are the people for whom CoolSculpting is a good solution for stubborn fat on the thighs:
People in Good Overall Shape
It’s very important to note that CoolSculpting and other body sculpting treatments are not meant for weight loss. If your goal is to lose weight for health reasons, you should consult with your physician and formulate a diet and exercise plan.
CoolSculpting and its cousins are purely aesthetic treatments that are typically most effective for people who are at or near their target body weight. Not only will they achieve the best results right off the bat, but due to their healthy lifestyles, they are likely to retain those results over the long term.
People Who Want to Target Specific Areas
If your thighs are your primary area of aesthetic concern in terms of body fat, CoolSculpting might be a great option for you. Treatments like this are effective when used on localized areas such as the inner or outer thigh or the belly. If you want a more general reduction of body fat, invasive liposuction surgery may be a more suitable choice. It can remove more fat in one sitting than most body sculpting treatments.
People Who Have Ruled Out Invasive Surgery
As mentioned above, liposuction can remove more fat in one sitting than most body sculpting treatments. It comes with a lot more downsides than CoolSculpting, however. It’s much more expensive, for one thing. It requires downtime for recovery, and it can take weeks before a liposuction patient is able to resume their normal levels of physical activity.
Despite these problems, liposuction results don’t show up any faster than results from CoolSculpting due to the inflammation the procedure causes. If all of that sounds like a no-go to you, CoolSculpting is a great alternative to liposuction.
Who Is Not a Good Candidate?
There are a few folks out there for whom CoolSculpting is not the best option for getting rid of stubborn body fat. There are other conditions that may prevent certain people from undergoing this treatment, but these three are the most common:
Pregnant Women
Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to become pregnant should not seek this treatment. While this treatment is safe and effective, the lack of studies done on pregnant women and body sculpting makes it simply not worth risking. In addition, pregnancy causes many changes within the body, so the results achieved by body sculpting may not be the same post-pregnancy.
Those With a Hernia in the Area of Treatment
If you have a hernia or a history of hernia in the area of treatment, there are better body sculpting options for you than CoolSculpting. The suction involved in the treatment could exacerbate the condition.
Anyone Under Age 19
As mentioned above, young people’s bodies are still settling on the number of fat cells they’re going to contain. It’s always better to wait until the body stops growing and developing to undergo any treatment like this, and growth can continue well into the teens.
Call Us Today!
When someone tells you that a simple, 35-minute treatment can melt away stubborn body fat like magic, it’s natural to be a little suspicious. When it comes to CoolSculpting, however, the fact is that it simply works.
This treatment has been proven in trials and approved by the FDA to treat the appearance of body fat on the thighs and other areas where fat tends to collect. If you’d like to learn more about CoolSculpting for thighs, including whether or not you’re a suitable candidate, contact us at New Image Body Sculpting in Glendale, CA to schedule your consultation today.
