I did it. I froze my fat cells.
It actually sounds like some sci-fi movie. To tell the truth, it’s something I have fantasised about almost all of my life, struggling with the stubborn fats on my thighs. In fact, I’ve always wondered if Shylock would accept a pound of my fats. Actually, I may have more than just a pound for him.
Now, back to freezing my fats. As you may recall from my consultation with Dr. Terence Tan from Halley Medical Aesthetics, he recommended the CoolSculpting treatment for both my inner and outer thighs.
I took this shot when they were just preparing to open for the day. I reached super early for my appointment because I was so kancheong! 😀 This is the sparkling new Halley Medical Aesthetics at Orchard Gateway!
What’s CoolSculpting? It is a fat-freezing procedure that is the only US FDA-cleared, non-surgical fat-reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat that resists all efforts through diet and exercise.
That sounds exactly like my problem. In my mid-year goal check for my exercise and slimming journey, I’d lost a grand total of 1cm off my thighs after working out at the gym and doing toning exercises for six months. I need to try something other than exercise because clearly, it is not helping to slim down my problem area.
So back to CoolSculpting. The CoolSculpting procedure safely delivers precisely controlled cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. Treated fat cells are crystalized (frozen), then die. Over time, the body naturally processes the fat and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted look. Unlike liposuction, the effects will not be immediate as it takes time for the body to rid the dead fat cells so results will only be seen after some time. Some people may see the difference as early as three weeks after the treatment, but most will see the most drastic difference within 2-6months.
Info taken from CoolSculpting.com
The key thing is that the fat is gone for good so the results are long term! Untreated areas will have no change in fat cell distribution.
I was really apprehensive on the day that I went for treatment. How was the treatment going to be like? How would it feel? How would I feel? What are the steps involved? I almost couldn’t sleep the night before the treatment!
Anyway, I’ve got it all documented in a video, where I share my thoughts about slimming before and after I met Dr. Tan, the most significant thing that I’ve learnt from him, and of course the procedure and how it’s like. If you’re as kancheong as me, then I think you’d be glad to know that it wasn’t the least bit scary as you can see me smiling during the treatment in the video!
Here are some of the questions that I had regarding the procedure prior to treatment, and I’ll share with you my honest responses, having gone through the treatment.
Will I feel very cold? Well if it’s cold enough to freeze the fat cells, then yes, it definitely is cold. But the initial intense cold will last only for a short while, say 5-10minutes. In my case, I felt it only for a minute, maybe less. It varies from individual to individual.
Is it painful during the treatment? I didn’t feel any pain at all during the treatment, though there are some people who might feel some pain in the initial part. I was happily playing games on my phone for the entire time. I munched on some biscuits and bread too. 😀
How long does it take? I did both inner and outer thighs. Since there are two CoolSculpting machines at Halley Medical Aesthetics, I could work on two areas at once to save time – one inner thigh and one outer thigh, then switch over. It took 60 minutes and 75 minutes respectively so the whole treatment for both legs took 75min+75min (excluding preparation and time taken to switch over in between). Halley Medical Aesthetics is one of the few clinics in Singapore that offers DualSculpting, which is the use of two CoolSculpting machines at the same time. This effectively reduces treatment time by half.
What to bring for the treatment? I was informed by the administrative staff to bring along a pair of shorts (which can be rolled up to make space for the machine where necessary), socks and a sweater just in case I feel too cold. And in general, be dressed comfortably for the treatment. I brought along a T-shirt to change into so I could be as comfy as possible. I didn’t need to use the sweater in the end.
What happens before the treatment? I was briefed by Dr. Tan about the procedure and the applicators that will be used. He also marked out the spots on my thighs that the applicators will be placed for maximum effect using a marker and template of the applicator.
Dr. Tan showing me the template of the applicator
After that, he took some shots so I could see the difference when I return for review in the near future.
What happens during the treatment? For the outer thighs, the therapist placed a thin gel pad over the skin to protect the skin first before the applicator was placed on the thigh. The foam that is being applied on my thighs (as shown in the photo below) ensures that the applicator is placed accurately on the problematic area.
As for the inner thighs, the machine uses suction. Basically after the applicator is put in place, the machine then starts doing the work! All I did was relax.
What happens after the treatment? After the applicator is removed, the therapist massaged the area for 2-3 minutes. The areas will definitely be numb. They were a little red, but by the end of the second round of treatment, the red patches I got from the first treatment were totally gone. There is no downtime at all and I went for lunch with my family immediately after the treatment. I didn’t walk funny or anything like that!
How much is the treatment? An individual CoolSculpting application at Halley Medical Aesthetics costs $690. Since I did the inner and outer thighs, that counts as four applications. But the price decreases if you buy more applications (you can check out the price list), with the price per application going down as low as $520.
I can’t wait to see the results!!!
[Update: View the results here.]
Halley Medical Aesthetics
277 Orchard Road #03-15
Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858
T: 6737 8233 | www.halley.com.sg
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