Fat cells can be combated with cold, and a new technology being offered for the first time locally takes advantage of that fact to trim love handles and belly fat ? without surgery.
SkinSmart Dermatology of Sarasota has been involved in early clinical treatments for the Zeltiq Cryolipolysis device for fat layer reduction and is introducing it in Southwest Florida. The company is one of only nine in Florida to offer the treatment. The Zeltiq Procedure gently cools unwanted fat cells at specific areas of the body, causing them to shrink and gradually be eliminated from the body.
The procedure for non-invasive fat layer reduction is available on a limited basis in Canada, the European Union and other international markets. The Zeltiq device is also cleared by the FDA for various applications related to skin cooling during dermatologic treatments, with a pending application for non-invasive fat layer reduction.
"It's the most exciting technology we've seen in decades, and the first technology that effectively reduces fat without surgery," says the Medical Director of SkinSmart, Elizabeth F. Callahan, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. She reports she has found the device to be extremely effective on areas such as fat bulges and pads that do not respond to diet and exercise.
?It?s especially effective on resistant localized areas such as back fat, love-handles and isolated belly fat,? she says.
The Zeltiq technique is based on science developed by a Harvard University dermatologist and researcher which demonstrated that fat cells are more susceptible to cold than other cells and can be selectively, painlessly and permanently destroyed. Starting several weeks after the procedure, cooled fat cells begin a process called ?apoptosis? and begin to shrink and disappear. The body absorbs the damaged fat cells and removes them as is normal through the liver.
?The procedure is non-invasive, absolutely painless, and offers noticeable results,? says Dr. Callahan. ?Early patients who tried it were highly satisfied.?
The Zeltiq procedure involves no needles, surgery or downtime. A non-invasive applicator targets the area of fat to be treated with precisely controlled cooling. Treatment cycles last one hour and, depending on the area treated, patients typically require two to four treatment sessions.
Afterwards, the cooled fat gradually shrinks and is eliminated from the body over a period of two to six months in most patients. Clinical studies have shown that the Zeltiq Procedure can reduce 1 to 2 cm of the selected fat layer thickness by up to 22.4% within two to four months post-procedure after a single treatment.
SkinSmart Dermatology offers the Zeltiq Procedure as part of its menu of treatments. Dr. Callahan notes that the Zeltiq Procedure fills a need between cosmetic and surgical treatments.
?It?s helpful for difficult areas like love handles and areas of the stomach where exercise and nutrition are just not enough. It?s not intended for weight reduction, nor will it replace certain other procedures, such as traditional liposuction for more pronounced results.
?But the Zeltiq Procedure targets the fat layer while being non-invasive and so comfortable that patients just read or work on their laptops during treatment, then return to their normal activities the same day,? she adds.
Dr. Callahan is a board certified cosmetic dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in private practice in Sarasota. She served her post-graduate residency in dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, and a post-graduate fellowship in Dermatologic Surgery / Cosmetics and MOHS Surgery at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. As Medical Director of SkinSmart Dermatology, she maintains a practice staffed by other skin professionals who provide a range of skin healthcare services.
For more information on SkinSmart, please visit http://www.skinsmartdermatology.com or call 941.308.7546.
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