What happens to new fat accumulated in the body once the old fat cells are frozen or destroyed through CoolSculpting?

Question

I had liposuction a couple of years ago on my stomach area but was not advised until after the procedure that new fat would go into other fat cells, which has happened and now my arms and thighs are getting bigger.

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear Pianostrings:
If you have a treatment that eliminates fat cells, those cells will die and not return. When you gain weight, all the fat cells of your body get larger because they need to store more fat, and when you lose weight, they all get smaller. Without any treatment, you have a given number of fat cells at birth, and that number does not change throughout your lifetime (with the exception of someone who is severely obese, in which case the cells can increase in number), but with treatment, the number of cells in the treated area is permanently reduced. Those cells will not be replaced with new cells, and you will reduce the volume of fat in the area you treat. And you will put less fat on in the treated area with weight gain than you would have had you never had the treatment. Relative to the rest of your body, you will always have less fat in the treated area than you did before. 
Now, this is a bit of a simplification, since there are factors that influence the amount of fat that will be stored in the fat cells in different areas of the body. For example, cortisol and insulin allow more fat to be stored in the fat cells around the waistline. But with regard to your question, it is fair to say that fat will not move from one part of your body to another after localized treatment.
This of course assumes that you have a treatment that allows the cells to enter apoptosis and die. There are treatments out there that only injure the cells or empty them of their fat, but when they recover they will take on fat again, and the fat reduction will only be temporary. #CoolSculpting does kill the fat cells, as does #Kybella.All the best,   Dr. Clark

Michael H. Gold, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question and sorry that you were not told certain important things after your liposuction procedure.  The fat removed with CoolSculpting will not come back and with proper diet and exercise, can be maintained permanently. If you gain weight, the fat cells that are left behind will grow and affect your overall condition.  So if you are gaining size in the areas that were taken care of, it is because you probably have not kept up with your diet and exercise pattern – which also must be done here.

Drew Varano, MD · Answer

Coolsculpting spot treats fatty tissue . It will remove 20-25% of the subcutaneous fat for a localized treated area. You stilll have remaining fat cells in that area plus other areas of the body . Consumed food stored as fat  is then deposited  into adipose cells which are distributed throughout the whole body . Because there are less fat cells in the treated area, there will not be as much stored in that site

Edward Stokes, MD · Answer

Hi Pianostrings, thank you for your excellent question.  CoolSculpting is a revolutionary non-invasive and non-surgical treatment that is perfect for those who are within 10-20 pounds of their goal weight.  Best results will be experienced by those who take on healthy diet and exercise practices as a way of life.  Many of our patients have already been eating right and working out, but find that there are areas that simply do not go away on their own.  If you can pinch it, we can treat it.  As for post treatment distribution of new fat, this varies from patient to patient.  For most, the new fat will distribute more evenly throughout the body as a whole.  Whereas pre-treatment with CoolSculpting, they may have always found that the fat accumulated in the abdomen, it would now add evenly elsewhere.  For most, this is not something that is noticeable.  For others who actually gain weight, these patients may find that particular areas are bigger, but not the areas that were treated with CoolSculpting.  Not gaining weight is the key.  Unfortunately, some patients think that because they had the CoolSculpting treatment, they can now stop worrying about living a healthy lifestyle.  That is not a proactive plan.  I hope this information is helpful.  God luck with everything!

What happens to new fat accumulated in the body once the old fat cells are frozen or destroyed through CoolSculpting?

Answers (4)

Answer: CoolSculpting and post treatment weight distribution

Answer: CoolSculpting and post treatment weight distribution

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CoolSculpting

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

What happens to new fat accumulated in the body once the old fat cells are frozen or destroyed through CoolSculpting?

Answers (4)

Answer: CoolSculpting and post treatment weight distribution

Answer: CoolSculpting and post treatment weight distribution

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CoolSculpting

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.