Cryolipolysis (Fat Freezing)
Before beginning your treatment, please take a moment to read through the following information carefully. It includes important details about how to prepare for your session, what to expect during your treatment, and how to care for the area afterwards.
Following these guidelines will help ensure your treatment is safe, comfortable and achieves the best possible results.
What is Cryolipolysis?
Cryolipolysis or fat freezing is a non-surgical fat reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat that will not shrink through diet and exercise alone.No general/topical anesthesia or pain medications are required. There is no downtime and you may resume normal exercise and activity immediately.
Results will gradually develop over 1-3 months following your treatment. Areas can be retreated if necessary in the future.
Fat freezing should not be performed on people with the following:
• It should not be performed on areas of skin that are cut or injured, contain
severe varicose veins, dermatitis, or other skin lesions.
• Pregnancy, attempting to become pregnant, and breast-feeding
• Chilblains
• Inflammatory skin disorders
• Skin conditions caused by immune system disorders
• Reduced circulation or skin sensation at the treatment area
• Nerve conditions, such as diabetic neuropathy
• Skin conditions related to the immune system, such as eczema and psoriasis
• Inflammatory skin conditions, such as dermatitis and hives
• A recent injury to the skin area being treated, including scar tissue
• Long-term use of blood thinning medications
• Bleeding conditions that thin the blood
• History of a hernia or a hernia in or near the treatment area
• Active, implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers
• Allergy to propylene glycol or isopropyl alcohol
• Chronic pain conditions
• Severe anxiety disorders
• People who have abnormal cold sensitivity or cold intolerance
• Raynaud’s phenomenon. A rare condition in which cold temperatures can impede blood flow to the fingers and toes.
• Cryoglobulinemia. A type of vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) caused by abnormal proteins that become solid or gel-like in the presence of cold temperatures. It is associated with blocked blood vessels and other problems.
• Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria. A very rare autoimmune disease in which red blood cells are damaged during exposure to cold.
• Cold urticaria. A rare condition in which the skin develops red, itchy spots (hives) after exposure to cold temperatures.
• Cold agglutinin disease. A rare type of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own red blood cells. The condition is often triggered or made worse by cold temperatures.
If you have any of the above listed, please let us know right away as we will have to cancel your treatment.
Pre-Treatment Preparation
• Stop any medications that thin your blood as bruising in the areas of treatment is possible, only if approved by your treating doctor. If you are unsure about whether your medications are blood thinners, please review this with our providers. Over the counter medications like aspirin, anti-inflammatories and fish oil supplements may also exacerbate bruising and should be discontinued. If you cannot stop the medication, please advise of any blood thinning or skin thinning medications you are taking
• Avoid a heavy meal and fatty foods 1 hour before treatment
• Avoid caffeine 2 hours before treatment
• Avoid any alcohol 24 hours before treatment
• Avoid having any laser treatments on the area 2 weeks before treatment
• Avoid excessive sun exposure 48 hours prior to treatment (we cannot treat skin which has been sunburnt)
• If the skin is red, irritated or broken, we cannot treat until the skin has completely healed
• Remove any piercings in the area to be treated
• Please wear loose fitting clothing, no tight jeans etc
• Our treatments are not suitable for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Our Fat Freezing treatments must be had in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle which includes the consumption of at least 2 litres of water per day to achieve results
• Please ensure you attend your appointment with no patches or bandages covering the treatment area
Day of Treatment
• Wear comfortable, loose clothing to your appointment.
• Wear inexpensive undergarments and bring an extra pair to wear home as gel pads will be applied with the applicator and will soil any clothing you are wearing during the treatment.
• You may eat prior to arrival but we recommend a light meal as rarely some patients may feel nauseated at the start of the session.
• Prior to your treatment photography, measurements and weight will be taken for comparison on your follow up.
During Treatment
• The applicators use suction to draw the fat into the device. The vacuum pressure may cause sensations of deep pulling, tugging and pinching in the area being treated. This sensation will subside over the first five to seven minutes of each application and for the remainder of the session should be comfortable.
• Most patients experience very mild sensations; some patients experience more intense sensations at the beginning of each session but the symptoms will subside after the first 10 minutes.
• After one hour the treatment for that area is completed and the device is removed.
• Immediately upon removal of the device the tissue will be firm and massage is important to maximize the treatment result. During this 2-5-minute process, it will feel like a deep tissue massage – uncomfortable but bearable.
• Immediately after the procedure the treated area may look or feel stiff, white (or red), bruised or swollen/bloated. You may feel a sense of nausea or dizziness as your body naturally warms and sensation returns to your treatment area. If you are experiencing these symptoms let the provider know and we will help you as necessary.
• In some patients, the skin may ache or sting for a brief period of time as sensation returns to the area. The skin will initially be pink and some evidence of bruising may be immediately visible. The pinkness will subside over the first several hours after treatment. If you have developed bruising it may remain for up to a week following the session.
Risks and Side Effects
You can expect none or some of the following symptoms immediately after the procedure. These symptoms may persist for up to several weeks. Most patients have very mild or no
symptoms at all but, as with any medical procedure, each patient experiences it uniquely. Symptoms always subside over time. The treated area may be red for up to a few hours after the applicator is removed. This is an expected but temporary effect.
• Bruising, swelling and tenderness can occur in the treated area. This typically resolves within a week or two.
• Nausea, tingling, stinging and cramping in the treatment area are possible on treatment day. You may feel a temporary dulling of sensation or itching sensitivity in the treated area.
• Numbness at the site is common, resolving over 1-3 weeks. There typically is minimal recovery time after Fat Freezing. You will be able to return to your normal daily routine immediately after the procedure.
• It is common for the treated area to feel bloated and to look swollen for the first three weeks after Fat Freezing. Compression tights such as yoga pants or Spanx may feel good to wear during this period.
• You may experience a temporary dulling of sensation or itching/tingling/off sensation that can last for several weeks.
• 4 to 10 days post Fat Freezing you may notice more intense sensations than during the first few days. This is due to the inflammatory response your body naturally mounts to remove the dead fat cells.
• Other common side effects but not limited to: deep itching, tingling, numbness, soreness, or tenderness to the touch, mild to moderate pain or aching in the treated area, cramping or muscle spasms, diarrhea, redness, firmness, pinching sensation, swelling, tenderness, bruising, stinging, tingling, skin sensitivity, a feeling of fullness in the throat after treatments involving the neck or chin region
• Pain that starts several days after the treatment and usually resolves when numbness goes away, or after about a month
• Scarring or changes to skin color
• Reduced movement or response of the tongue following procedures involving the neck or chin
• Lower lip muscle weakness following procedures involving the neck or chin
• Reduced saliva production and dry mouth following procedures involving the chin or neck
• Frostbite, or first- and second-degree freeze burns
• Dizziness, light-headedness, sweating, painting, nausea, and flushing
• Hyperpigmentation, or dark skin coloration that often resolves on its own
• Subcutaneous induration, a generalized hardness or specific hard nodules that develop in the treated area and can be painful.
• Abrupt and undesirable changes in fat layering
• A condition called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia: In some very rare cases, fat cells respond to fat freezing by enlarging rather than dying. This condition is called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH). Researchers are not sure why PAH occurs, but most people who develop the condition are men. While PAH does not cause any symptoms aside from changing physical appearance. PAH equires corrective liposuction or other surgery to remove the enlarged fat cells.
Aftercare
When Do I Expect to See Results? Following the procedure, a gradual reduction in the thickness of the fat layer will take place.
You may start to see changes as early as three weeks after Fat Freezing and you will experience the most dramatic results after two to three months. Your body will continue to process the injured fat cells from your body for approximately six months after yourprocedure.
Please ensure that you adhere to the following:
• Avoid caffeine 2 hours and alcohol for 24 hours following your treatment. We also recommend that your intake of caffeine and alcohol over the 12 week period is in moderation as both of these toxins dehydrate your body
• Avoid warm/hot temperature environments such as sunbeds, steam rooms, saunas or hot tubs for 24 hours after treatment. You can however, bath or take a shower in luke warm water in the evening following your treatment.
• For 12 weeks following your treatment, you must drink at least 2 litres of water every day. This aids the ‘Flushing Out’ process of via your lymphatic system.
• Avoid the use of anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen and Celebrex for six weeks after the treatment. The inflammatory response in your body is the mechanism which removes the fat cells and inhibiting the body’s ability to mount a response may slow the progress of your result following Fat Freezing.
I agree to before and after treatment photographs, measurements and weighing, as this will help for medical evaluation of the results of the treatment. Information will be acquired for medical records or marketing purposes.
(a) (Contraindications ) You must not use this Treatment if you experience any of the following conditions:
(i) Women who are in menstruation, pregnancy or lactation;
(ii) Thin people with obesity (BMI) below 18;
(iii) It is generally not recommended that minors receive this type of treatment;
(iv) Patients with abnormal coagulation function or mental disorders;
(v) The patient has hernia and local varicose veins at the treatment site or nearby sites;
(vi) People who have had recent dermabrasion surgery or scar tissue;
(vii) People with skin problems at the treatment site, such as open or infected wounds, eczema or dermatitis;
(viii) Patients suffering from tumors, cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases, heart disease and infectious diseases (such as hepatitis B, AIDS, etc.);
(ix) There are implanted medical devices in the human body (such as pacemakers, defibrillators or pacemakers);
(x) It is not recommended to use cryoglobulinemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, cold urticaria, peripheral circulation disorder, Raynaud's disease or similar low temperature intolerance for such treatment;
(xi) It is recommended to consider treatment after one year of surgery (such as appendicitis) at the treatment site;
(xii) Customers implanted for weight loss can wait 3 months before receiving frozen fat treatment;
(xiii) After liposuction or other weight loss surgery, you can receive treatment six months to one year later. If the subcutaneous tissue is very hard, it is recommended not to do it first;
(xiv) Stop any anticoagulant medications that affect blood flow within two weeks of surgery; OTC medications (such as aspirin, antibiotics, and fish oil) may also cause skin damage.
(b) (Risk of injury) You understand and acknowledge that the Treatments may expose you to risk, including accidents, injury, illness or even death. You assume all risk of injuries associated with participation in the Treatments, including but not limited to, falls, contact with other participants, equipment failure, risks inherent in receiving cosmetics therapies and the loss of your personal property, and exclude Alive Co from any liability.
(c) (Pre-existing conditions) You warrant and represent that you have no injuries, physical restrictions, disabilities or predispositions to sickness or injury (Conditions) that may affect your participation in the Treatment or that if you are aware of such Conditions, you participate in any Treatment provided by Alive Co entirely at your own risk. If you believe a Treatment will not be safe, you must inform the relevant Personnel of that fact and not participate in such Treatment.
(d) (Results not guaranteed) We make no representations or warranties that a Treatment will bring about any particular result, outcome or improvement, whether aesthetic or otherwise. You acknowledge and agree that participation in a Treatment does not guarantee any particular result or outcome and that results differ for each participant depending on personal circumstances. You recognise that results vary for each person and understand that adherence to pre-treatment and post-treatment guidelines is crucial in influencing the effectiveness of the Treatment.
(e) (Non-medical treatment) You acknowledge that, while we adhere to the highest safety standards, our Treatments are non-medical treatments and should not be relied upon to address underlying medical or health conditions.
(f) (Not medical advice) All information and recommendations provided by us, including information that is provided by our personnel in the course of providing a Treatment, on the Website or via email or over the phone, is general in nature and is not intended to be professional advice, a medical diagnosis or treatment of any kind and should not be relied upon as such. Any reliance on or use of such information is entirely at your own risk and we are not liable for any loss or damage suffered as a result of or in connection with such reliance.
(g) (Consult medical professional) Some therapies may involve physical stress to the body which may subject you to risk of serious injury. Alive Co urges you to obtain a physical examination from a doctor before participating in any Treatments. You agree that when you use any facility provided by Alive Co or engage in the Treatments, you do so entirely at your own risk. We at our absolute discretion, may refuse participation in the Treatment to you, if we believe that your physical condition renders the Treatment unsuitable for you.
(h) (Emergency procedure) By using this Service, you acknowledge that you have been shown the location of the emergency stop and emergency alarm systems and understand how to activate them. You agree to activate the emergency alarm and the emergency kill switch if you find yourself in distress. Failure to adhere to these emergency procedures may result in increased risk to your safety and may affect the effectiveness of emergency response.