Cryolipolysis (CoolSculpting) is Not Freezing!

February 11, 2022April 14, 2021 by Admin

It is fairly common to see CoolSculpting described in the press or by medical practices as “Fat Freezing.” Okay, call me obsessive-compulsive, but I would just like to clarify that the fat is not actully frozen during this procedure!

The temperature of the fat is brought to just above freezing. At this temperature, adipocytes (fat cells) are damaged just enough that they shift into the normal terminal phase of the life-cycle of the cell, called “apoptosis’” or programmed cell death. So, at this point, they are marked for death, so to speak, but death is an endpoint that the cells are irrevocably tracked toward. They hang around for weeks or months before death occurs, which is why the changes in the volume of fat lost are so slow to appreciate.

One of the reasons that this has been perceived as freezing by so many may be that the fat is firm when the applicator is removed at the end of treatment. But think of it this way: butter becomes hard even without being frozen, right?

We love the science behind this treatment. Because the cells are just gently nudged onto that train toward oblivion, there is little to no inflammation or pain post-operatively, and no spike in serum lipids. This is why the procedure is so safe and relatively free of side effects.

To Our Very Dear Patients

The outbreak of COVID-19 has been evolving for more than a year now, and we have followed it on a daily basis to ensure your confidence and safety while in our office. The health and comfort of our patients and staff have been and will continue to be our highest priority. Our practice is closely monitoring the situation and strictly following the guidelines recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We are seeing patients in person, as we know you need to be able to visit your doctors, as well as by telemedicine.

We take matters like this seriously and are taking every measure to prevent any illness in our practice, including, but not limited to:

We employ special filtering equipment that removes viral particles from the air including the flu virus and COVID-19. Our filters clean the air in each room 6 times per hour and remove particles down to 3 nm (the COVID-19 virus is 70 to 90 nm in size).
Sanitizing Stations are available to patients and visitors, and you will be asked to wash your hands/sanitize them with CLn, a non-drying, nontoxic product that kills more than 99.9% of coronavirus in 20 seconds even at a 50% dilution. We are pleased to offer samples of this product for every one of you to take home, to improve your health and safety even when you are not in our office.
Staff have been fully vaccinated or already had a mild case of COVID-19 or both.
Nonetheless, we also use hypochlorous spray (made from electrolyzed salt water and completely nontoxic but effective) in our noses and mouth, and eyes to eliminate any potential temporary carriage of cold or COVID-19 viruses from or to you or anyone who enters our office. We offer this to our patients as well, and we can give you information about how to buy online and use this at home for the safety of yourselves and your loved ones.
We sanitize frequently touched surfaces and equipment multiple times a day such as chairs, iPads, doorknobs, etc. with hypochlorous spray.
We screen all incoming patients and visitors in-person/by text prior to appointments.
We monitor our employees for any symptoms that may arise.
Our staff wash hands frequently with Cln wash and wear gloves.
We offer telemedicine services to all patients via Doxy.Me. Please follow this link:https://doxy.me/drsherylclark
Even before the pandemic, Dr. Clark had developed a protocol to optimize your immune system. She now has one specific to preventing COVID-19 infection as well. Provide us with your email, and we will send you a link where you can read about it and purchase quality supplements from an online store that she likes. Also, follow us on social media as we have many posts on this topic.

If you are not feeling well or have been exposed to someone with a COVID-19 infection, please discuss this with us before coming to the office. The symptoms of this viral infection include fever, dry cough, sore throat, fatigue, and muscle aches. It feels similar to getting the flu, but it is not like coming down with a cold. Until flu season has ended, we recommend you have the flu shot, perhaps at a local pharmacy, as soon as possible if you have not already done so, to avoid confusion with COVID-19 infection. Any travel outside of the U.S. in the past 30 days must be disclosed to our office prior to your appointment.

Our practice will continue with normal business hours. We are here to serve your aesthetic needs as well. Patients have told us how much they appreciate this given how much free time they have at home, how busy they normally are, and how visible in a different way they now feel in virtual meetings, which can affect their career success. In addition, it seems being able to wear a mask or be at home is an advantage when having procedures with any downtime.

For more information, visit the CDC’s website for the latest news and safety tips on COVID-19. If we help each other, I am confident we will get through this challenge. New Yorkers have always been great in a crisis.

All the best to you and your good health from MD Skin Science and Sheryl Clark MD!