Body & weight
Cryolipolysis
Cryolipolysis targets and reduces small, stubborn fat deposits through controlled cold – non-invasively, without surgery and without any significant downtime. In our practice we combine the cold treatment with a subsequent shockwave therapy.
Treatable areas
- Abdomen
- Hips / flanks
- Saddlebags
- Thighs
- Double chin
- Upper arms
- Back / bra fat
Some fat deposits prove stubborn – even at a normal body weight, with a healthy diet and regular exercise. This often affects zones such as the abdomen, hips and flanks, saddlebags or the double chin, whose shape is to a large extent constitutionally determined. Cryolipolysis treats such localised fat depots in a targeted way, without surgery and without an injection.
The procedure makes use of a physical principle: fat cells react more sensitively to cold than the surrounding tissue and, after controlled cooling, are broken down over the following weeks via the body's own metabolism. Cryolipolysis is not a procedure for weight reduction, however, but is suitable for clearly definable depots in people of normal weight.
All information is provided for general guidance and does not replace personal medical advice. Treatment results can vary from one individual to another.
Indications
Who it is suitable for
Whether a treatment makes medical sense in your case is something we determine together in a personal consultation. Typical concerns include:
- Abdomen and lower abdominal region at a normal body weight
- Hips and flanks (love handles)
- Saddlebags on the outer side of the thighs
- Inner side of the thighs
- Double chin or fat depot beneath the chin (with a small applicator)
- Upper arms
- Back and bra fat rolls
- Small, clearly definable fat depots that do not recede despite exercise and diet
- People seeking a non-surgical alternative to liposuction for small areas
Step by step
How the treatment works
This is how the treatment usually proceeds with us – from the first consultation through to aftercare.
Consultation and preliminary examination
We assess the fat depot, examine the condition of the skin and tissue and clarify whether cryolipolysis is suitable for you. In doing so, we inform you about how it works, realistic results, possible side effects and alternatives; pre-existing conditions and possible contraindications (such as cold-related disorders) are also carefully recorded.
Preparation and placement of the applicator
The area is measured and marked and a gel fleece applied to protect the skin. The matching applicator – the handpieces come in three sizes – is then gently placed with a vacuum, so that the fat roll is gently drawn in.
Controlled cooling (usually 60 minutes)
The drawn-in area is precisely cooled down and held there in a controlled manner for about 60 minutes; a pulsed vacuum in ten levels supports blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. After the first few minutes, once the suction and cold sensation has eased, the treatment is usually well tolerated.
Shockwave follow-up treatment
Following the cooling, we treat the area with a shockwave device. In our experience – and supported by individual studies – this follow-up treatment may additionally support fat breakdown and lymphatic drainage.
Result and follow-up
After removing the applicator, the area is temporarily cool, reddened and firm. The actual fat breakdown takes place gradually over several weeks; at a follow-up appointment we assess the result and discuss whether a second session is sensible.
Transparency
Prices
- Kleiner Bereichz. B. Doppelkinn, Oberarme
- 250 €
- Großer Bereichz. B. Bauch, Flanken
- 350 €
Die Anzahl der nötigen Areale und Sitzungen besprechen wir in der Voruntersuchung.
All prices are guide values for initial orientation. Medical services are billed according to the German scale of fees for physicians (GOÄ); the final amount depends on the individual effort involved and is discussed transparently with you before treatment. For treatments without a listed price, we are happy to give you a guide value during your consultation.
Patient information
Safety & patient information
Responsible treatment includes open information about possible risks and side effects – even when they occur only rarely.
Redness, swelling and cold sensation
Directly after the treatment, the area is typically reddened, swollen, cool and temporarily firm. These reactions are harmless and usually subside within minutes to a few days.
Temporary numb sensation
Due to the cold exposure, the skin sensation in the treated area may be reduced for a few days to a few weeks. This sensory disturbance generally recedes completely.
Tenderness to pressure and a sore-muscle sensation
The area may be tender to pressure in the days after the treatment; some describe a pulling sensation or one similar to sore muscles. This, too, is temporary.
Bruises
Due to the suction with vacuum, small bruises may occasionally arise, which fade on their own after a few days. When taking anticoagulant medication, the risk is increased.
Paradoxical fatty tissue enlargement (PAH)
Very rarely, the treated fat depot may enlarge over months instead of shrinking. This paradoxical adipocyte hyperplasia is not harmful to health, but can impair the aesthetic result and may, where appropriate, make a surgical correction (liposuction) necessary.
Cold damage to the skin (very rare)
With improper application, frostbite or localised skin damage is in principle conceivable. Through the protective gel fleece, the controlled temperature control of the system and the medical supervision, this risk is kept very low.
Persistent pain or abnormal sensations
In rare cases, pain or abnormal sensations in the area may persist beyond the usual few days. Should complaints be unusually strong or fail to subside, please get in touch with us.
When we do not treat
In certain situations we do not carry out a treatment, or only at a later time – for your safety.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Cold-associated disorders such as cold agglutinin disease, cryoglobulinaemia, paroxysmal cold haemoglobinuria or cold urticaria
- Circulatory disorders such as Raynaud's syndrome
- Hernias (e.g. umbilical or inguinal hernia) in or at the edge of the treatment area
- Open, inflamed or diseased skin in the treatment area
- Significant excess weight or obesity – here cryolipolysis is not the suitable method
- Relevant coagulation disorders or the use of blood-thinning medication (individual medical assessment)
- Pronounced sensory disturbances (neuropathies) in the treatment area
- Fresh scars or implants in the treatment area without medical clearance
This information does not replace a personal medical consultation. Before every treatment we inform you individually about the procedure, risks and alternatives.
In depth
Medical details & background
How it works & the evidence
The number and distribution of fat cells (adipocytes) is to a large extent constitutionally determined. With weight loss the fat cells do shrink, but their number in a region remains largely the same – for this reason, localised depots on the abdomen, flanks or beneath the chin can prove stubborn despite exercise and a balanced diet.
Cryolipolysis takes advantage of the fact that fat cells react more sensitively to cold than the surrounding structures such as skin, muscle, vessels and nerves. If the fatty tissue is cooled down in a controlled manner to a defined temperature and held there for about 60 minutes, the fat cells trigger a programmed cell death (apoptosis) – selective cryolysis. The surrounding tissue thereby remains largely unaffected, which makes the treatment a gentle, non-invasive procedure.
Decisive for safety and result is precise, even temperature control; a protective gel fleece between applicator and skin prevents cold damage to the skin surface. The damaged fat cells are then broken down over several weeks by the body's own scavenger cells (macrophages) and transported away via the lymphatic system and the liver metabolism – which is why the result develops gradually. The subsequent shockwave treatment is intended to support this process by stimulating blood circulation and lymphatic flow.
Cryolipolysis is an established procedure that has been used for many years for the non-invasive reduction of localised fat depots; the underlying principle of the selective cold effect on fat cells is scientifically described and officially recognised. Controlled studies and reviews show, for suitable areas, a measurable reduction of the fat layer thickness with an overall favourable safety profile. On the supplementary shockwave treatment there are indications from individual, small studies; no binding promise of efficacy can be derived from them.
Important for your understanding: the individual response to cryolipolysis varies, and not every area is equally suitable. Rare side effects such as paradoxical fatty tissue enlargement are described and belong in honest information. Cryolipolysis is, moreover, expressly not a procedure for weight reduction – for this indication, medically supervised concepts are the appropriate choice.
Preparing for your treatment
A few simple measures before your appointment help you contribute to the best possible result with as few complications as possible.
- Come to the treatment at a stable body weight – cryolipolysis shapes contours, it does not replace weight reduction.
- The treatment area should be free of irritation: no open or inflamed skin, no fresh sunburn.
- Discuss the use of anticoagulant medication with us in advance – please never stop it on your own initiative.
- On the day of treatment, wear comfortable clothing under which the treated area is easily accessible.
- Plan sufficient time for the session.
Aftercare
The right care after treatment supports healing and the result. You will receive individual recommendations from us – as a rule:
- A brief massage of the area directly after the treatment supports the warming and may favour the effect – we show you how.
- You are immediately ready for everyday life and presentable; a temporary numb or tight sensation is normal.
- Drink enough water in the days after the treatment and move normally – this supports the removal of the breakdown products.
- Be patient: the result develops over several weeks, the final result can be assessed after about eight to twelve weeks.
- Get in touch with us immediately in the event of unusually strong pain, persistent numbness, skin discolouration or blistering.
- Attend the agreed follow-up appointment – only then can it be assessed whether a second session is sensible.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers to questions we are asked particularly often about “Cryolipolysis”.
Sources & guidelines
- Foundational works and reviews on selective cryolysis (cryolipolysis) in peer-reviewed dermatological and aesthetic-medical specialist journals
- Publications on the combined application of cryolipolysis and acoustic shockwave therapy (including works on the additional reduction of the fat layer thickness)
- Case reports and reviews on paradoxical adipocyte hyperplasia (PAH) as a rare side effect of cryolipolysis
- AWMF guideline register – S3 guideline on the prevention and therapy of obesity (for distinguishing local contour treatment from weight reduction)
Personal consultation
Arrange a personal consultation
In a confidential conversation on our practice floor at the Albertus Zentrum in Mönchengladbach, we take time for your questions and assess whether the treatment may be suitable for you.
More treatments
You might also be interested in
For very small, clearly localised depots such as a double chin, injection lipolysis (the fat-away injection) may be a suitable alternative; for larger or pronounced fat areas, surgical liposuction is often more effective, which we do not offer ourselves but openly address during the consultation. If the focus is actually on a general weight situation rather than a single fat roll, our Medical Weight Management is the more honest path.
