Freezing or surgery?

When diet and exercise have done all they can and a bulge stays put — love handles, a lower-belly pooch, back fat or a bra-strap bulge, the inner or outer thighs, a double chin — there are two broad ways to deal with it. Liposuction removes the fat surgically. CoolSculpting cools it instead: precision-controlled cooling takes the fat cells in the treated area to a temperature that triggers their natural death, while the skin and tissue around them are left unharmed. Over the following months the body clears the dead cells away by itself.

The two side by side

Incisions. CoolSculpting has none; liposuction is an operation.
Recovery. After CoolSculpting you go straight back to your day; liposuction calls for several days of downtime.
Comfort and cost. CoolSculpting involves minimal discomfort and costs less.
Scale. Liposuction can treat larger areas in fewer sessions, and that is its genuine advantage.

Bellava’s team can tell you which suits you, or whether a combination does. Surgical liposuction at Bellava forms part of larger operations, such as a tummy tuck or mommy makeover, performed by board-certified plastic surgeon Chang Soo Kim, MD.

On the day

A session runs 35 to 60 minutes, depending on how many applicators are used. You will feel cold as the panels are placed and some pulling as suction draws the tissue in; most patients liken it to a firm massage. Bring a book or your laptop, or simply doze. Nothing has to heal afterwards.

The treatment is carried out by Bellava’s licensed medical estheticians, Semira Crecco-Donnelly and Natalina McEwan, both certified in CoolSculpting.

In the weeks afterwards

Temporary redness, bruising or numbness where you were treated can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. A rare side effect, paradoxical fat hyperplasia, makes treated fat thicken rather than shrink, and following the CoolSculpting protocols closely is how the team keeps that risk low. Subtle changes may appear from around three weeks, with the full result taking two to four months. Fat cells that have been destroyed are gone for good, though weight gained later can still settle in places that were not treated.

From Somers

Bellava is at 182 Route 117 Bypass Road in Bedford Hills, about 13 minutes without traffic from Somers town hall in the old Elephant Hotel, with I-684 carrying you most of the way.

Somers patients ask

Is CoolSculpting FDA-cleared? Yes, for both safety and effectiveness.

How many sessions will I need? It depends on the area. Some need more than one, and your plan states how many.

Is the consultation free? Yes. A specialist examines the areas that bother you, goes through your health history and past treatments, explains how the treatment works and what to expect, and writes a plan for you. Book it online with Book Now.

CoolSculpting for Somers, NY