Freeze Fat

I was flipping through Marie Claire magazine last night (my mom bought me a subscription) when I spotted an article about a new treatment called Zeltiq that actually freezes fat. The article was a first-hand account from a woman who is a runner and healthy eater, but always had a bulge of belly fat like a donut around her middle. No matter how many vegetables she ate or how many miles she ran, she couldn't get rid of it.

So, she found out about a plastic surgeon who was offering a new treatment called Zeltiq that actually freezes off fat cells and causes them to disappear. She found out she was a perfect candidate because it's not a treatment for people who have a lot of extra weight to lose, but for people who are fairly close to their ideal weight but have a stubborn spot or two, like gut fat or love handles.

The writer of the article gleefully went through with the treatment -- hardly caring about risks or the fact that the doctor told her it was possible some of the "lost fat" could pop up elsewhere on her body -- because she hated her belly fat so much. In the end, she was very happy with the results and ended up scheduling one final treatment to zap the last of her fat.

Since I've written quite a bit about cosmetic surgery (though I've never had anything stronger than a glycolic acid peel, myself) this made me wonder about this new Zeltiq treatment, and I did some research to find more details.

Zeltiq is a treatment that cools the skin, using a machine manufactured by Zeltiq Aesthetics, which is a company in California that started in 2005. Right now, in the United States, the Zeltiq machine is used by cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists for skin cooling during cosmetic procedures that heat the skin. It is used in some places in Canada and Europe to freeze fat (which makes the frozen fat cells eventually disappear) but it has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for that purpose.

The company is seeking FDA approval for their device to be used for freezing fat cells, but that approval is pending and it could be months or longer before it happens (if it does.) Some plastic surgeons, however, are using the device "off label." Using a device or medication "off label" means that a doctor is using something that has been FDA approved for one purpose (in the case of the Zeltiq device, for skin cooling during cosmetic procedures) and using it for a different purpose (in the case of Zeltiq, for fat removal.) This is a legal and accepted practice, though some doctors are reluctant to do it.

So what does this mean? It means there are relatively few Zeltiq providers right now. (In California, for example, there are only 21, according to the company's Web site, and some states have none.)

So, how does it work? Here are the steps:

1. If you want to get Zeltiq, you visit plastic surgery clinic for an initial consultation, so the doctor can explain the risks and make sure you're a good candidate.
2. When you go back for the Zeltiq treatment, you lie down and the Zeltiq machine is attached to the part of your body that has the unwanted fat. Like a vacuum, it sucks in the fatty part of your body and cools it so the fat in the cells crystalizes. The company calls this Cryolipolysis, which is a fancy term that basically means freezing fat. The procedure takes about an hour.
3. The fat doesn't go away immediately, but slowly disappears over a period of about several months and, doctors think, is processed and eliminated by your own body. After it's gone, it does not return in that spot.

Of course, anyone who is considering any cosmetic procedure should first look at some general before and after photos online to make sure they have an idea of what kind of results other people are getting with the procedure, to see if it's even something they're interested in. (Later, they should also ask any service provider they're considering to see before and after photos of that person's actual work, too.)

But, to get a general idea about Zeltiq results, here are some links to Zeltiq before and after photos. This photo gallery is from the U.K. arm of Zeltiq (since the procedure has not been approved for fat removal in the U.S.) and shows photos of clients who have been treated for belly fat, hip fat and back fat.

And here is another photo of a patient from AmericanHealthandBeauty.com, and the La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre also has a photo of a Zeltiq patient.

Important tip: when you look at photos online, make sure they're actual photos of the procedure you are considering. Some sites put up generic "fat reduction" photos that might not be of patients who have been treated with Zeltiq.

According to the Web sites of some doctors who perform Zeltiq treatments, it is relatively painless, though the patient might experience some mild discomfort and soreness. The writer of the Marie Claire article described some tenderness after the procedure, but basically just seemed to think her stomach felt and looked weird (cold and reddish.)

Though Zeltiq is marketed as being "non-invasive" and less risky than some other procedures, such as liposuction, it is still relatively new and patients should proceed with caution -- especially if they decide to get the procedure done "off label" before the FDA even approves it for fat reduction. For more info, SkinSmart Dermatology has an FAQ on Zeltiq.

Photo credits --

Ice photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/ / CC BY 2.0

Sexy abs photo: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dideo/ / CC BY 2.0