Is coolsculpting cool?

I was in the  Fashion Square Mall. It’s in Scottsdale, Arizona and by far the fanciest mall I ever entered. It had every high-end store a shopper (with a lot of money – not me!) could want. Apparently, if you have enough money there is a good way to make your clothes fit that doesn’t require asking the store, “Can I have this tailored?” There, in the middle of the mall on a larger-than-life sign was:

FEAR NO MIRROR

TAILOR YOUR BODY, NOT YOUR CLOTHES

Screen Shot 2016-02-10 at 9.11.38 AMI knew about coolsculpting, but the idea of tailoring your body to fit manufacturer’s ready-to-wear clothes was kind of an alarming thought. The part about “fearing no mirrors” is also alarming and I’m saving that for another blog topic for the future.

Does it seem crazy to anybody besides me that women would actually consider tailoring their bodies to conform to the fashion industry’s idea of a perfect female form? I wouldn’t judge anybody who uses coolsculpting or even liposuction for that matter because they wanted to get rid of a little belly bulge, or some saddlebags on their thighs or a double chin.

Losing weight helps to minimize any trouble area, as mentioned above, but if your body stores fat in those areas, the fat won’t completely go away. You can lose weight and look better, but if you’re trying to make that area be as thin as the rest of you with diet and exercise, you’ll be disappointed. It simply won’t happen. That’s why some people turn to liposuction and more recently, coolsculpting.

I think it’s easier and a lot cheaper to tailor your clothes than your body, but if you really do want to remove “unsightly” fat, coolsculpting won’t do much for you. It works, but only to remove the barest amount of fat – about a centimeter. Nobody should expect the results displayed on the belly on the poster.

On the plus side of coolsculpting, it is a non-invasive procedure. It only requires that a patient sit in the doctor’s office while a machine goes to work gently freezing off unwanted fat. The process called Cryolipolysis and basically the “frozen fat just melts away.” That sounds great.

The problem, however, is that it only removes a small amount of fat. It doesn’t remove pounds or even inches and for those who’ve lost a considerable amount of weight, that roll you can grab isn’t even fat so much as skin and connective tissue.

coolsculpting can be cool if you go into it with realistic expectations and have the procedure done by a licensed dermatologist or plastic surgeon. coolsculpting is a skill-less procedure. It’s done at various facilities including a gynecologist’s office, and medi spas. It doesn’t require much in the way of skill so if it’s the only option for fat removal, that means their scope of expertise is limited and your results may be disappointing.

Since this is my blog, and that means I don’t have to stick to just the facts. I can share my opinion and when it comes to tailoring your body, instead of clothes, I think it’s a waste of time and money.

The cool author of this blog modeling cool clothes! I like  hoodies because I like hiding a little belly pudge with a handy pocket for carrying things like cellphones, tissues, and lip balm!

The cool author of this blog modeling cool clothes! I like hoodies because I like hiding a little belly pudge with a handy pocket for carrying things like cellphones, tissues, and lip balm! Okay… maybe not exactly cool but definitely comfortable and having fun!

I think the coolest people are the ones who give their body proper care and feeding, keep it moving to keep it strong, and love it just they way it is. If a particular item of clothing isn’t flattering, they don’t buy it or if it’s comfortable, they don’t care if it’s flattering. There’s more to life than overly fretting about how we look!

Jackie Conn

About Jackie Conn

Jackie Conn is married and has four grown daughters and four grandchildren. She is a Weight Watchers success story. She's a weight loss expert with 25 years of experience guiding women and men to their weight-related goals. Her articles on weight management have been published in health, family and women's magazines. She has been a regular guest on Channel 5 WABI news, FOX network morning program Good Day Maine and 207 on WCSH.