Fat freezing or liposuction?
Freezing fat burst onto the UK aesthetic scene back in 2010. Before then people who wanted to change their body shape and rid themselves of unwanted excess fat would need a form of fat removal surgery, like a tummy tuck or liposuction.
Not only is surgery extremely pricey (a tummy tuck in the UK averages at an eye-watering £10,000 approx.) but it carries some pretty scary risks – with infection and scarring at the lower end and haemorrhage, sepsis and death at the higher end.
And if you thought it was over after the surgery, you’d be mistaken. You’re looking at 6 weeks off work to recover, in some cases longer. Forget about driving or going to the gym while we’re at it too.
Even if you can ignore the inconvenience and cost, just the idea of cosmetic surgery itself is anxiety-inducing.
When an alternative solution for fat freezing – cryolipolysis – became available, you can imagine its popularity! Finally, a life-changing, confidence-boosting treatment that was accessible to all – hooray!
A tiny fraction of the cost, no downtime and next to no risk (we do have to caveat ‘next to no risk’ because nothing is ever 100% risk free).
Over the years, technology has improved – machines are getting smaller, lighter, quicker and more efficient – but the method hasn’t. The cryolipolysis method has stood the test of time because it’s founded in science.
The longevity benefits of cryolipolysis, a.k.a. fat freezing
Let’s get straight to the heart of it because before we go any further, you want to know what the benefits of fat freezing are:
- Lasting elimination of stubborn fat cells
- On average, up to 35% fat reduction from the first session
- Pleasant and risk-free treatment
- No increase in triglycerides
- No scarring to the skin in the treated area
- No need for anaesthetic
- Affordable and within everyone’s reach
- Non-invasive, unlike other similar treatments
- More than one area of the body may be treated in a single session (i.e. upper & lower abdomen or arms, thighs etc).
The science in fat freezing
Now you know the ‘why’ behind this treatment, let’s delve into ‘how’.
Approved for aesthetic use by the FDA in 2010, the initial concept came around much longer ago when scientists were studying the effects of frostbite on fat.
We use a device by Lipofreeze 360° but CoolSculpting is another popular brand for fat freezing. You can see from the image below that there are cups attached to the device. These panels are placed precisely onto the treatment area, holding it in place using a vacuum.
The treatment cools underlying fat cells causing them to crystalise (freeze). Fat cells are more sensitive to these low temperatures so surrounding tissues and skin are not damaged.
This natural process crystalises the fat cells and they will eventually die. Over the course of the following days, weeks and months, your body naturally eliminates and removes these dead cells through your lymphatic system. As a result, the area of the body looks slimmer with the reduction of fat.
If you’re into the deep science of things, these scientific studies below provide some further reading:
Cryolipolysis – Step by Step
Step 1 – FREE Consultation
A consultation is an important step before your treatment. You’ll meet your therapist who will run through your medical history, understand your concerns and what you would like to achieve. They will examine the area to ensure suitability and the best treatment plan as well as discussing aftercare. Of course, there’s no obligation to proceed.
Step 2 – On the day of your Fat Freezing treatment
There are no pre-treatment requirements so just arrive on the day as you are! We do suggest wearing loose clothing, especially around the area you are having treated, for maximum comfort, and drinking plenty of water in advance.
When you arrive at our award-winning clinic, your therapist will take you into one of our private treatment rooms. We will take measurements and ‘before’ photos (these are a great way to track your progress but are completely optional).
Your therapist will place a protective membrane over the treatment area and then select the cups that are best suited to your body (we have lots of different sizes – including a chin cup, pictured below).
You’ll initially feel some suction and the cups secure the area, a lovely warming sensation and then a gradual drop in temperature until it settles as -7 °C.
The treatment takes 45 minutes and you don’t need to lift a finger! Grab a book, listen to some music or we can turn the lights down for a cheeky powernap.
The cups will be removed after 45 minutes and your therapist will massage the area for 5 minutes to help the lymphatic system to start breaking up those fat cells.
Step 3 – Fat Freezing Aftercare
Immediately after the treatment, you will notice the area feels numb. How quickly that feeling returns varies from person to person – it could be within the hour; it could be by the end of the day. This is completely normal.
There’s no downtime so you really can bounce back to business as normal! We’ve had clients who will squeeze in a treatment on their lunch break or before they pick the kids up from school.
Daily gentle massaging and increasing your water intake are great ways to aid and speed up the lymphatic process.
Regular exercise and enjoying a balanced diet will help to maintain your results too.
Step 3 – Next sessions of Fat Freezing (if required)
Generally, we recommend a course of at least 2 treatments on an area although some clients continue on a monthly basis for optimal and the longest-lasting results. This does depend, however, on how much fat is in the area. Results may vary, the dissipation of the fat cells begins immediately after your first treatment.
We recommend allowing 4-5 weeks before repeating the treatment, this gives your metabolic and lymphatic systems adequate time to do their thang! It is also at this point that the effects of the treatment can be noticeable with a measurable difference.
You may start to notice results within 2-4 weeks post-treatment and full results are usually seen within 8-12 weeks but sometimes results continue for up to 6 months!
We’ll continue to monitor your progress by taking further measurements and photos (optional) and checking in on your aftercare routine.
A Case Study – Fat Freezing on the Abdomen
Russell Harper is a long time friend of Cryojuvenate and a fellow Sevenoaks business owner. You can check out his photography business here.
The demands of his job as a photographer can be taxing – lots of hours spent on his feet, bending up and down to get the perfect shot – Russell is a pretty active individual but despite this, he was still struggling to shift the cm’s around his stomach. Does this sound familiar to you?
To date, Russell has had two sessions of fat freezing on his abdominal area with us at 4-5 weeks apart. Here are the results we saw after just two sessions:
Starting off, his initial measurement revealed a middle abdomen circumference of 106cm.
Just 5 weeks later, he returned for his second treatment, already celebrating a significant 4cm reduction!
Fast forward another 4 weeks, and the results were even more thrilling—another 4cm gone!
In just 9 weeks, our client achieved a remarkable 8cm reduction around his abdomen. And the best part? His body will continue to eliminate this frozen fat for up to 3 more months!
Fat Freezing options at Cryojuvenate in Sevenoaks Kent
Cryolipolysis is treatment we’ve been offering at our multi-award-winning wellness clinic in Sevenoaks for years – in fact, it’s one of our top-selling services and for good reason.
Monthly membership
CRYO *SLIM, TRIM & TRANSFORM – Freeze Fat, Build Muscle, Feel Confident.
Our most cost-saving option is our membership. For £199 per month, you’ll receive £644s worth of treatments! Basically, 6 of our treatments for less than the price of one individually purchased cryolipo session!
This membership includes:
- 1 x Cryolipolysis treatment
- 2 x EMS Medisculp treatments
- 1 x Leg Compression
- 1 x Red Light
- 1 x Whole Body Cryotherapy
Plus, members get these additional discounts too:
- 10% off products
- 20% off other treatments
- 10% off Get A Drip IV Drips & Injections
- 1 x whole body cryotherapy guest pass for a friend pcm (new client)
Purchase this membership here
Learn more about this membership
Fat Freezing Courses
Purchase a course of treatments and save money. One treatment covers one area so to treat multiple areas, you will require multiple treatments. By purchasing multiple treatments upfront, you can save between £99-£397!!