Doctors have long known that some children develop dimples in their cheeks from eating popsicles. CoolSculpting^® works on the same principle, now known as Cryolipolysis^®, as fat cells are more easily damaged by low temperatures than are other body tissues.

Developed by renowned physician scientists Dieter Manstein, MD, and R. Rox Anderson, MD, of The Wellman Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, CoolSculpting^® uses controlled cooling to modify the fat’s temperature to just above freezing. The procedure targets only fat cells in the superficial fat layer closest to the skin. The lipids in these fat cells crystallize as a result of the drop in temperature, causing them to die, a process referred to as apoptosis. The body then carries off these dead cells over the course of two to four months, leaving you with less fat and a more sculpted appearance. Because skin and muscle cells freeze at an even lower temperature, they are left intact.

Once the area to be treated is mapped out, a gel sheet is applied directly to the skin. This ensures safe contact between the skin and the CoolSculpting^® device. You will feel a sucking sensation as the skin is pulled between the two cooling plates, depending on the hand piece used. Note that certain applicators are actually a flat panel designed specifically to treat small bulges, such as a double chin, or a large, flatter area, such as the outer thigh.

With the cooling panel activated, you may feel the cold for a few minutes before the skin becomes numb.

One session requires approximately 35 to 45 minutes and is virtually painless. You can read, check e-mail, watch a movie, or simply rest during the treatment session.

Cirillo Cosmetic Dermatology Spa was the first in the Philadelphia area to offer DualSculpting. Using two CoolSculpting^® hand pieces, two areas can be treated at the same time, reducing treatment time in half—35 to 45 minutes versus 75 to 90 minutes!

The new CoolSmooth^™ hand piece that treats “non-pinchable” fat is excellent for reducing the “saddle-bag” area on the outer thighs. The CoolSmooth^™ hand piece is also very effective for treating belly fat. It does not require the use of suction and lies gently on top of the treatment area. One session with the CoolSmooth^™ hand piece requires 75 minutes.

After a CoolSculpting^® treatment at Cirillo Cosmetic, we conclude your session with Z WavePro therapy, in which non-invasive, high-energy radial shockwaves stimulate your body’s production of collagen for smoother, more elastic, and tightened skin. The treatment is virtually painless, with no downtime required after. Studies also show that a shockwave treatment performed directly after Cryolipolysis^®, and subsequent shockwave treatments weekly for four weeks after, can nearly double the amount of fat reduction to be achieved.

The high-energy radial shockwaves consist of two different parts: a positive pressure pulse and a comparatively small tensile wave component. The positive pressure pulse squeezes the surrounding tissue and breaks the grid structure of the molecules (this is similar to squeezing a ball, the length of the object is decreasing). The tensile wave leads to a collapse of the gas bubbles within the fat structures (cavitation), which re-expand after the high-energy radial shockwaves. This leads to destabilization of the fat structures (this is similar to stretching a rubber band, the length of the object is increasing). ZWave^Pro ultimately results in a mechanical and biochemical lipolysis, better known as destruction of the fat cells.

No! The CoolSculpting^® fat freezing procedure is completely nonsurgical. There are no incisions, suction hoses, needles, or scars! There may be some bruising, redness, swelling, or tingling in the treated area, but most clients return to normal activities immediately. These cosmetic side effects typically resolve on their own and require no rest or recuperation in order to resolve.

Full results of your CoolSculpting^® procedure are seen approximately two to four months after your last treatment. The body takes this time to process the fat cells that have been destroyed due to the lipids crystallizing. These results can be further improved with more treatments, which target additional fat cells.

CoolSculpting^® is not a weight loss device. The fat cells that are removed by CoolSculpting^® never come back. However, if you gain weight, your body is smart and will store the excess fat in other fat cells. There is no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise. However, there is no better treatment than CoolSculpting^® for those stubborn areas of exercise resistant fat!

Patients who eat healthy and enjoy regular physical activity are typically the best candidates for CoolSculpting^®. They also feel better due to the health benefits of positive lifestyle changes.

A CoolSculpting^® procedure at Bryn Mawr and Newtown Square’s Cirillo Cosmetic Dermatology Spa reduces the number of fat cells in the treated areas for good. Once the fat cells are gone, they’re gone! Results from the CoolSculpting^® procedure are lasting. Even if the scale shows the same number, you’ll be thinner and your clothes will fit, feel, and look better!

Patients who want to change their contours have other fat-reducing choices beyond CoolSculpting^®, including the injectable Kybella^® specifically designed to reduce a double chin, vShape Ultrasound that uses sound waves to break down fat beneath the skin, and Vanquish ME^™, which delivers radiofrequency energy into targeted tissue to break up the fat cells.

To destroy fat cells and build muscle at the same time, Cirillo Cosmetic Dermatology Spa now offers EMSCULPT^®, which stimulates tens of thousands of contractions in a short amount of time to slim and tone the belly or provide a lift and rounder shape for the buttocks.

Nonsurgical solutions yield results that tend to improve over time as fat cells are gradually processed. Patients who want more dramatic results that are more visible right after treatment may choose liposuction, which involves a plastic surgeon creating an incision and removing the unwanted fat cells with suction.

In many cases, loose skin that has grown lax due to weight loss or a reduction in elasticity over time can contribute to—or even be the cause of—a flabby look. Firming this skin can allow it to better reveal the natural contours of the body, with better-defined angles. For this, vShape RF and microneedling with Genius^™™ both use radiofrequency energy to stimulate skin tightening.

Every person’s situation will be unique, with some needing just a little fat reduction in one area to get the contours they want, while others may require attention all over the body to both slim down bulges and tighten lax skin. The Cirillo team is prepared to assess each person with individualized results in mind and develop a plan to deliver the desired results.