Coolsculpting with Dr. Sophie Shotter
Spring is in the air and we're all trying to shed those few extra pounds before bikini season begins. The gyms are crowded and green juice selfies have flooded our Instagram feeds – crunch time is here and it seems to come around quicker each year. Sometimes, no matter how intense your workout or strict your diet, you can't seem to ditch stubborn fat. We all have certain trouble areas where flab builds up and doesn't shed, despite our best efforts. I decided to explore the London beauty scene, learning about all the new products and procedures on the market to aid in fat reduction.
One innovative and inspired procedure stood out to me amongst all of the rest; CoolSculpting. CoolSculpting is the process of freezing fat cells in certain areas of the body to -11°C until they crystallize and shatter. Once they shatter, they will not grow back again; an effort which will permanently remove your fat cells and the ability to get fat in the affected area. This works through your body’s natural metabolism, whereby the fat cells are filtered out through the inflammatory clearing proces. After the treatment is complete, your body will naturally eliminate the dead cells over the next 2-6 months resulting in a reduction of fat by up to 25% in the targeted area. It is being pinned as the safe alternative to liposuction and within one treatment you'll be on your way to achieving the sleek, toned body that you've always dreamed about.
Developed by renowned scientists of Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, the FDA-cleared procedure known as CoolSculpting uses patented cooling technology to eliminate fat cells, without surgery, and little to no downtime. The reduction in fat cells in the treated area provides noticeable, and lasting results to help you look and feel your very best. Last month, I met with Dr. Sophie Shotter in Kent, England to get the inside scoop on CoolSculpting and try a treatment of my own. After graduating from Leeds University with an MBChB and BSc in Genetics in Relation to Medicine, Dr. Sophie worked in the the NHS for four years in anaesthetics where she accumulated extensive knowledge and experience in the field. Dr. Sophie founded Illuminate Skin Clinic in Kent where she is the Medical Director.
Before getting the treatment i was a little concerned about the health effects during the process of freezing parts of my body. Cool sculpting protects the body with gel pads which prevent frostbite and there is an inbuilt mechanism in the machine which monitors the body to make sure it’s not too cold so don’t worry about frostbite! After discussing the procedure with Dr. Sophie, I decided to get treated on my chin.
In my first treatment, Dr. Sophie overlapped two applicators on both sides my chin for 40 minutes. Because of the way they're positioned on the jawline, the use of two applicators creates a nice personalized result. The procedure went by quickly and after the first few minutes, I adjusted to the coldness and was able to lay back, relax, and watch a movie on the tv screen in the room. When the procedure was completed and the applicators were taken off, Dr. Sophie massaged the treated area to break down more of the crystals, which results in more fat loss. As you can see in the before and after photos below, the chin only requires one session to see results. My jawline already looks more sculpted and refined.
Before
After
I highly recommend Coolsculpting if you have any pockets of fat you'd like to reduce before summer. The procedure was fast, easy, and required no downtime; a safe alternative to liposuction. It's nonsurgical and noninvasive and the results helped to accentuate my sharp, shaped jawline. It was truly a pleasure working with Dr. Sophie at Illuminate Skin Clinic and I can't wait to visit her again!
https://illuminateskinclinic.co.uk
