CoolSculpting Gone Bad

CoolSculpting Gone Bad...Yes, gone really bad as instead of reducing the size of my stomach it made it bigger! Now before I get into this, I want to share that if you are new to Barbie's Beauty Bits, that 99% of the content I provide is positive as I feel opinions are just that and not facts. Hence, when I talk about a product, I am only telling you about the ones I like, the ones I hate, you will rarely hear about those.

However, this is a different circumstance, as I feel it is essential to share with you a side effect of CoolSculpting that I was unaware of, primarily as it is claimed to be rare, but it is not. So, what the heck am I talking about? I am talking about a complication called "paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH)." Where instead of the fat shrinking, in the area that is treated with CoolSculpting, it gets bigger, and over time it gets hard and can be painful. WTF?? Yes, you read correctly, I now have a large permanent bulge on my stomach that resembles the CoolSculpting applicator shape!

CoolSculpting Gone From Bad To Worse; My Entire Experience
If you do not want to read my story, you can skip to "What is paradoxical adipose hyperplasia." If not, continue reading. 

Please note, I mention two doctors, Dr. A, where I had CoolSculpting, Dr. B is the plastic surgeon I went to for a second opinion.

Now, I know you are probably thinking well when you decide to have an elective procedure you are taking risks. Well, in this case, yes and no, as I agreed to promote Dr. A’s  total body bundle, that includes red light therapy first and to finish with CoolSculpting. In turn, I would share my progress on my blog and social media as the company had no marketing or testimonials from anyone.

Before And After For Red Light Therapy And Where My Stomach Was For The Start Of CoolSculpting

The first procedure in my fat reduction journey,  which was red light therapy was amazing. I lost weight, and you can see the results from the image above. You can also see in this picture what my stomach looked like prior to CoolSculpting from the AFTER photo. While that experience was successful and I would highly recommend Red Light Therapy for weight loss, the body contouring with Coolsculpting was a downhill nightmare.

Butter Stick After CoolSculping, This Is Normal

The Risks Of CoolSculpting

For the most part, CoolSculpting has an excellent safety record. During the procedure you will get the butter stick effect, which is supposed to be massaged out, this is normal. After the procedure, most patients experience mild side effects such as redness, tingling, and numbness, which goes away after a few weeks. Mine, however, was much longer.  About the 2nd week in, I still had no feeling in the area in which I had the procedure done, and it was still very red and swollen. Because of the concern, I called Dr. A’s office in which I had the procedure, and they said for some people it takes longer to get the feeling back and for me to wait about two more weeks and check back in.

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My Follow Up With The Practice
When I called back, I was able to schedule an appt. With the owner of the practice, he (Dr. A) looked at me and told me, I was fine, and that the area still appeared to be swollen and to check back with him in another month, in which I did.  Two-plus months in and while the numbness eventually went away; I started to notice a bulge, that was getting harder, that too me looked like the CoolSculpting applicator.

Dr. A claimed that sometimes you must have more than one process done to remove the fat. Since he was not the one to do the procedure (a licensed Aesthetician did it) he had no idea what I looked like prior.  So, I told him with all due respect, my stomach is larger than before, and it's not fat, it's very hard, and I did not gain weight. And that I don't think having another CoolSculpting series is what I need. The spot is not soft fat; it is hard and feels like it did after it was frozen (cryolipolysis) during the procedure. And more importantly, the mark is the exact size of the CoolSculpting device, in the exact place it was used.

Dr. A repeatedly told me that if I wanted the bulge to go away, I needed more CoolScultping treatments. Frustrated as Dr. A was not listening, I left and went home. Once I got back, I looked through all my photos to see if I had a before and after to share with him.  I know you are probably thinking; well, didn't the practice have a before and after? NO, they did not, as this is one area there were horrible at.

None the less, the photos I did have were the ones I took of the procedure. And if you compared my current state with the picture you could visibly see the bulge was from the CoolSculpting device and looking back now, it was clearly PAH.

What Is PAH And Why Can It Happen After CoolSculpting?

I was not aware of PAH. I only found out about it, after my frustrations with my stomach, I decided to go to a plastic surgeon (Dr. B) to get a second opinion. It was at that appointment that I was told it was PAH. I was like what the heck is that?

The Plastic Surgeon explained the technology behind CoolSculpting, which I already knew but will share with you. You see, a CoolSculpting procedure cools fat cells to temperatures that trigger their natural death.  Those cells are then eliminated naturally by the body over the following weeks and months.

During the procedure, a non-surgical applicator delivers precisely controlled cooling to the treatment area to selectively target treated fat cells, slimming you down, and leaving the surrounding tissue unaffected. Usually, this is what happens.  However,  a side effect is that the fat in the treated area, instead of shrinking expands and hardens into an unnaturally shaped lump in response to the extreme cold (WTF, wish someone would have explained this too me).

This is called paradoxical (abnormal) adipose (fat) hyperplasia (unusual increase in a structure), or PAH for short. Instead of the area shrinking, the bulge after CoolSculpting gets larger and usually becomes firmer than surrounding tissues and resembles the shape of the CoolSculpting applicator.

Needless to say, I was frustrated, but that wasn't the worst. Dr. B told me the only way to fix this was with Liposuction. WTH, you mean I must have an invasive procedure now and pay for it out of pocket to fix this?

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The Only Way To Treat PAH Is With Liposuction
Yep, that is right while PAH is treatable, the treatment of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is with Liposuction, not another CoolSculpting procedure like Dr. A told me. Furthermore, this is not something I can get right away, as I have to wait about nine months until the bulge softens enough to remove safely.

This entire ordeal has been both emotionally and physically draining, especially considering I did the procedure to help market the practice and secondly to address an already bothersome area on my stomach that now appears worse.

The Doctor Told Me He Would Not Help Me
After finding out that I had PAH, I proceeded to contact Dr. A directly via email. This was a fail as I got no response. About two weeks later, when I acquired his cell phone number, I called him and left him a voicemail telling him I needed to speak with him. When the doctor finally called me back, he was very nonchalant. He said that he was closing his weight loss practice and couldn't help me. He agreed that if it were truly PAH, I would have to get plastic surgery and have Liposuction done to fix it and that I should make an appointment with a plastic surgeon as he could not help me. I was like, so let me get this right, you are telling me that I have to fork out $8000 plus to be put under anesthesia and have lipo done to fix this, and you have nothing to say about it but, you can't help you're closing your practice. He said yes. And that was the end of our conversation.

Liposuction VS CoolSculpting To Lose Fat
In hindsight, I would not have CoolSculpting done. While it is promoted as a noninvasive procedure, it costs more as most have to do 2-3 treatments and you don't even get the benefit of detailed sculpting.

On the other hand, assisted Liposuction or can end up costing less than some non-surgical alternatives in the long run. A plastic surgeon can determine precisely how much excess fat to remove to achieve the desired results in only one procedure unlike me, who now has to pay twice.  And if there is an issue, even a side effect, most Dr's offer to help fix and rectify the situation. Not tell you, sorry, I can't help you, and by the way, we suck so bad we are closing our practice!

Takeaway
Do your research on any cosmetic procedure and always ask about possible complications.  While I did do research, I did not read anything on PAH, nor did the practice, tell me this was a possible side effect.  Otherwise, I may have reconsidered the procedure, since I was only about 15 lbs. overweight.

In conclusion, I hope my story will give some insight to know that while CoolSculpting is marketed as a noninvasive way to lose subcutaneous fat. It is costly, and you should way out your options. And lastly, go to a plastic surgeon, not a spa with an aesthetician to perform, as they can't fix any mistakes or assist with adverse side effects. Otherwise, you will end up like me, stuck as because this was a side effect, there isn’t anything legally I can do about.

Need to contact me regarding my experience or want to share your experience? 

Please email me at barbie@barbiesbeautybits.com

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This is my second post on banishing the bulge, and today Barbie's Beauty Bits will be sharing with you "Everything You Need to Know On How You Can Effectively Lose Weight With Red Light Therapy." As promised I am going to take you on my journey at Slim Silhouettes.

My Review On Fat Loss Reduction The Total Body Bundle, Starting With Slim Light Therapy By Barbies Beauty Bits from Barbara Ritzman on Vimeo.

But please note:

• While this article is a bit lengthy, it outlines all you need to know about the procedure to get the best results!
• You can either read start to finish or just scroll to the question that you want answered to skip ahead.
• Click here if you want to get your own red light therapy for weight loss at home device. Save $50 with code SAVE50 on this belt that offers both red and near infrared
  
• Finally, if you want to just see my before and after results, you can just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Everything You Need to Know On How You Can Effectively Lose Weight With Red Light Therapy

The Struggle With Weight Loss
Losing weight and unwanted fat (not that fat is ever wanted) is a common goal for a lot of us. But, with environmental factors, whether your schedule, stress, or health issues all can prevent the body's metabolic rate from working the way it should. Making the solution not always as simple as a proper diet and exercise.

If you are with me on being frustrated because working out and dieting has not worked, then continue reading as Red Light Therapy (the correct type) can help you to lose weight and I have the pictures to prove it.
 
How Does RED Light Therapy Work to Reduce Fat?
In a few previous articles, I briefly discussed how red-light uniquely impacts the human body. Our bodies absorb light energy—especially at specific wavelengths —and our cells respond by performing their day-to-day functions at an improved level. Not only does this help with things like anti-aging, skin health and collagen, but it also plays a role in the body’s ability to process fat.

This infrared light triggers selected fat cells to create small openings and release some of their contents, thus helping them shrink in size.

Are All Red Light Therapy Machines The Same?
No, no and NO! During this process I had many people say, oh I tried that at the tanning salon or the gym. While the premise behind these fat burning machines are somewhat similar, it is far from the same when it comes to actual results. And if you are like me, I do not have money to waste.

Why Is Slim Light Therapy Different Than Other Red Light Therapy?
It is all in the device and the strength. The Slim Light device at Slim Silhouettes, med spa delivers up to 100 times the light energy of competing systems, and the fat cells are bathed in the highest level of 635nm energy, providing the deepest and most complete exposure to the light. 

Furthermore, Slim Silhouettes is the only medical facility that carries such a high strength device (level laser therapy) in northern VA. So why would I go anywhere else?

How Many Areas Can Be Focused On To Lose Fat?
The Slim Light controller system comes with six pads and a face mask that can be used at the same time on the treatment areas. This allows Slim Silhouettes to thoroughly treat up to eleven regions including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, arms, bra fat area, jowls, chin fat region, and face in a single session! 

Me During A Slim Light Therapy Session Enjoying The Face Mask Treatment

How Does Slim Light Therapy Melt The Fat Away?
Slim Light is an FDA-approved, non-invasive system that harnesses the power of LED Red light therapy, or low-level laser therapy (LLLT), to enhance blood flow and assist in fat loss. 

This innovative approach encourages fat to exit the fat cells and be released into the surrounding tissues, allowing the body's lymphatic system to eliminate it. The fat is subsequently processed by the liver and utilized as an energy source.

My Successful Fat Loss Program
Not only does Slim Silhouettes offer the red light technology but they also tie in a Melt Your Fat Away plan that helps you to optimize the slim light therapy. See below as I walk you through the entire process.

Step 1: Who Is The Ideal Candidate For Slim Light (red light) Therapy?
Your first visit will include a free no-obligation consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for the Slim Light therapy.

As with any medical procedure, determining whether this is for you is essential as the Slim Light (red light) therapy is not for everyone.

It is crucial for me to say that this is not a weight loss program for those that are obese. This a non-invasive therapy for those who are close to their ideal weight (within 30 lbs) but are struggling with troubled areas, due to baby fat, stress, muffin top, and areas that no matter how much you exercise it won’t go away. As the trouble with fat reduction when dieting is you can’t target a specific area, but with red light therapy you can.

Visceral Fat Vs. Subcutaneous Fat
I am bringing this up as Red Light therapy does not work on visceral fat. So what is the difference between visceral and subcutaneous fat? 

The fat you can pinch on your waist, arms, legs, or anywhere else is all subcutaneous fat, stored just beneath the skin. Visceral fat is a different beast: the deep, internal fat packed around your abdominal organs.

Me On The  Body Composition Monitor With Scale

Step 2: Evaluating Your Body With Body Composition Monitor with Scale
During my initial visit, I had a free consultation as well as a total body analysis that allowed them to determine what targeted areas I needed to focus on.

Besides the obvious health concerns related to excess fat, finding out more about your body besides what you see in the mirror or on the scale is essential! Hence the concept of body contouring as the red light therapy has proven itself to be extremely useful when it comes to change your body from the inside out physically.

To determine where you are and where you want to be, you step onto a total body composition machine that measures seven different fitness indicators:

• Body fat percentage
• BMI
• Skeletal muscle
• Resting metabolism
• Visceral fat
• Body age 
• Weight

Step 3: Prepare Before Your Red Light Therapy Procedure
Once you have all the medical advice and have determined your melt that fat away plan, it is important however to make sure you know what you need to do for the best results, see these below.

• Before each appointment, you want to make sure that you drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated.
• Don’t eat 1 hour before or after the appointment.
• Wear loose clothing, preferably something that is not black as the light does not go through black.

Step 4: The Number Red Light Therapy Sessions Required
Typically it takes 10 to 12 sessions for significant and long-lasting results. This type of therapy is cumulative, and consistency is essential. Therefore, it is recommended that you come every other day to allow your body time to process the extra fat.

Me During Red Light Therapy Session, Mid Section

How Many Red Light Therapy Sessions I Had
I had a total of 10 sessions in which I focused on my midsection, everything below my bra line and above my bikini area.

Treatment is not invasive, they wrap the area in which you want to lose fat with the slim light pads. The experience is very relaxing as you get to lay down, listen to music, and most like me fall asleep.

How Long Does The Red Light Treatment Take?
60 minutes in total. This includes treatment and exercise. The initial visit and final course treatment visit will take an additional 10-15 minutes to take measurements before and after each treatment.

Other Questions And Other Beauty Bits
Why Do You Have To Exercise Post-treatment?

It is essential that post-treatment that you do some type of exercise (10- 20 mins) to speed up the lymphatic system and blood circulation that helps to process the fat that has been released. Slim Silhouettes has a whole body vibrational exercise machine that the clients can use after their treatment while still in the office, thus assuring that the exercise requirement has been met.

Me Jiggling Out My Fat On The Pulser

Why Do You Have To Do A Liver Support?
Dr. Nichols and staff does recommend this as your liver is the ultimate filter to remove toxins and nutrient byproducts from the body. The fast release of fat requires a healthy liver, and therefore high-quality liver support like Milk Thistle is recommended.

Do I Have To Diet?
You do have to reduce your calorie intake while limiting starchy carbs and simple sugars. They also recommend lessening alcohol as it can affect the liver which will work against the treatment, decreasing the results.

Why Do I Have To Drink So Much Water?
Drinking water is imperative to help flush out the fat. A tip I learned is to drink lemon water as it cleanses your body from the inside out.

Why Do I Have To Use A Body Cincher?
Waist Trainers, Shapewear, and Cinchers are recommended! While these are not an alternative for working out, they do have their benefits. So, adding one of these types of compression garments is a must, primarily as they help mold the area and prevent you from retaining fluid.

How Long Does It Take To Show Results?
Red light therapy has no negative side effects and can produce immediate and lasting results. However, it doesn't eliminate fat cells; rather, it reduces their size and assists in releasing some of their contents. If you consume significantly more calories than you need, your body will eventually store fat once more.

For this reason, after the desired results are attained from the Slim Light Therapy,  Slim Silhouettes recommends their Total Body Bundle which combines both Slim Light Therapy with CoolSculpting.

My Results
You can see my results here and as you can see it does work. I lost over 4 inches in my midsection.

My Before And After

My Final Thoughts
Overall, red light therapy has shown positive results for fat loss and body contouring for me, and you will see the results in my next article. This type of treatment offers a safe, non-invasive alternative for helping people improve their looks and their overall health. 

But as noted before, wavelength and intensity are incredibly important when it comes to light therapy. Make sure you choose a medical facility that uses a device that delivers red light with the correct wavelength with an optimal amount of power.

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Are you tired of struggling with "Exercise-Resistant" bra bulges, saddlebags, muffin top, or post-pregnancy baby fat? If so, then Barbie's Beauty Bitts want to invite you on my Journey with Slim Light Therapy and CoolSculpting for fat loss.

For me, diet and exercise just have not been enough to help me achieve the lean, toned body I had a year ago. Circumstances in my life changed resulting in me having to move and I live in the boonies, making it much harder for me to go to the gym as much as I want, shopping at a decent grocery store and of course, the wine doesn’t help either.

Hence, I decided to investigate some additional ways to help me get rid of this stubborn unwanted fat. For my fat loss, I decided to take advantage A package called the Total Body Bundle which combines both Slim Light Therapy and CoolSculpting to help sculpt and get rid of fat in those unwanted places. The Slim Light reduces the body fat, and CoolSculpting helps to contour.

Both are the latest trend aesthetic specialists are seeing as the new generation of treatments and procedures targeted toward the growing population of people looking for non-invasive ways to help address unsightly and unwanted extra fat.  I love that they can safely eliminate fat without the cost, downtime, and risk associated with surgery.

For those of you who are not familiar with these procedures or want to know more about them continue reading.

Banish The Bulge A Review On CoolSculpting And Slim Light LED Therapy

What The Heck Is Slim Light Therapy For Fat Loss
Slim Light Therapy which incorporates Red Light LED technology for non-invasive body fat loss, will basically reduce the fat by melting the fat cells. This type of therapy is based on over forty years of research starting with NASA experimentation and culminating with the aesthetic and orthopedic industries today.  Following the recent discovery that 635nm light influences fat cells, this innovative technology has created an explosion in the body sculpting industry.

The process also increases collagen and elastin in the skin while creating a slimmer appearance. ~Yeah, Barbie's Beauty Bits is all about this.

How CoolSculpting Can Help With Fat Reduction In The Body
Unlike the Slim Light method of fat reduction that uses heat, the CoolSculpting procedure cools fat cells to temperatures that trigger their natural death.  Those cells are then eliminated naturally by the body over the following weeks and months.  During the procedure, a non-surgical applicator delivers precisely controlled cooling to the treatment area to selectively target treated fat cells, leaving surrounding tissue such as the skin unaffected.

When Do You See Results?
Neither method shows immediate results as the body's own natural processes work to remove and dispose of the dead fat cells over time. And best of all, as a kid, we have all the fat cells we are going ever to have.  So, when we gain weight, we are not getting more fat cells in our body, they are just getting larger (and some can split into very overweight people). Because we do not grow new fat cells, the treated areas fat cells are gone forever with CoolSculpting!

Where Does The Fat Go From CoolSculpting & Red Light Therapy?
This is a question I asked as well. As I mentioned above our fat gets bigger and shrinks as we gain and lose weight. So, for the Slim Light Therapy, after the fat is released, it is broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol and enters the bloodstream. Once in the blood, the fatty acids can be either used as fuel or quickly eliminated by the body through your liver.

During the CoolSculpting procedure, a percentage of your fat cells (in the target treatment areas) are killed, allowing them to release the fat they have been storing, which is metabolized by the body over a few weeks and gone forever.

However, it's important to understand that neither of these procedures are for weight loss.  Both freezing & melting the fat cells naturally causes them to release their contents so they can be more readily burned off, when you are working out and or with your daily activity.  In addition to these procedures, you do have to eat right and exercise for optimum results.

Why Combine CoolSculpting With Slim Light Therapy
Both procedures offer different results, but combined together are supposed to be the cat's meow when it comes to fat loss, and this is why I decided to take advantage of the “Total Body Bundle Package” 

You start with the Slim Light Therapy first as it melts away the fat (but does not kill it), so when you follow up with the CoolSculpting, there is less fat to work with, so you will get better results quicker, and the cost is much less than if you just did CoolSculpting.  Also, CoolSculpting isn't designed to tighten and treat the skin; it just kills the fat dead. Hence, Slim Light therapy is paired with the CoolSculpting to help stimulate collagen production and improve the appearance of cellulite, helping you to reach your overall goal of total fat loss.

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Who Is A Right Candidate For CoolSculpting And Slim Light Therapy?
I will say that these procedures are not for everyone. They are geared towards people who are looking to lose stubborn fat that just won’t go away with exercise or diet: it's most definitely not an alternative to healthy weight loss.

My Fat Loss Journey
I am inviting you to join me on my fat loss journey. I recently started this treatment and will keep you guys in the loop on the procedures, behind the scenes, unedited photos, updates, CoolSculpting before and afters, Red Light Therapy for weight loss before and afters, and real results.

In the meantime, check out my video below on my first visit to Slim Silhouettes and my first red light therapy session.

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