Paradoxical Hyperplasia

Coolsculpting before and after results in New York

Freeze the Fat With CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting has become one of the most popular non-surgical body contouring treatments in the world. By lowering the temperature of your fat cells, a CoolSculpting treatment essentially “freezes” them so that they can’t function or hold fat anymore. During the 3-6 months after your treatment, the frozen fat cells disintegrate, and your body processes them through your lymph system.

After a series of treatments (usually 2-3), your body reshapes itself to its new, sleek contours. You can lose several inches of fat with CoolSculpting, without the downtime and recovery of a surgical procedure, such as tumescent liposuction. CoolSculpting freezes away:

• Tummy fat
• Hip fat
• Thigh fat
• Arm fat
• Chin fat
• Waist fat

Women and men love CoolSculpting because they can lose the fat gradually (in other words, discreetly). CoolSculpting also has potential minimal side effects, but they tend to be minor, such as a day or two of swelling, pinkness, or tenderness on the treatment area. You should be able to return to your normal activities directly after your treatment. 

Here comes the paradox

The reason for the term “paradoxical hyperplasia” is that a CoolSculpting treatment is designed to eliminate fat so that you have a smaller circumference in the treatment areas. However, in very rare cases, the fat doesn’t break down. 

Instead, it conglomerates into a hard mass that actually makes the treatment area look bigger, not smaller. In fact, the treatment itself seems to trigger a paradoxical growth of fat cells in the area. This rare side effect usually appears about 6 months after treatment. Instead of a reduced circumference, patients notice an enlarged mass that’s in the shape of the CoolSculpting treatment paddles.

CoolSculpting-certified doctors and aestheticians have performed more than 650,000 cycles of CoolSculpting throughout the world. According to Zeltiq, who manufactures CoolSculpting, paradoxical hyperplasia only occurs in 1 out of 4,000 treatments. However, a recent, small study suggests that the incidence could be as high as 1 in every 138 treatments. To learn more about this study about CoolSculpting, visit ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Because the side effect is rare, nobody’s quite sure yet if there are identifiable risk factors for paradoxical hyperplasia. For unknown reasons, the majority of paradoxical hyperplasia cases occur in men. 

How to get rid of paradoxical hyperplasia

Ironically, the fix for non-surgically induced paradoxical hyperplasia is surgical liposuction. The good news is, if you have paradoxical hyperplasia, Zeltiq pays to reverse your condition with liposuction. The bad news is you must wait several months after you developed paradoxical hyperplasia before undergoing liposuction.

At Gotham Plastic Surgery, we’re experts at contouring ideal body shapes with non-surgical and surgical techniques. After your corrective liposuction procedure, you’ll have the sleek curves you set out to get through CoolSculpting. In fact, patients who had to undergo corrective liposuction for their paradoxical hyperplasia were ultimately thrilled with their new figures.

Why Gotham Plastic Surgery?

Gotham Plastic Surgery is the only office in midtown to offer the time-saving Dual CoolSculpting. By using two different sets of CoolSculpting applicators, we cover twice the area in the same amount of time.

You also have the best chance of a happy CoolSculpting outcome when you’re treated by the highly trained experts at Gotham Plastic Surgery. We’ve been shaping bodies for decades with surgical liposuction and know how to make the changes that make you look your best. 

Philip Miller, MD FACS has undergone extensive training in CoolSculpting. Our office is certified by Zeltiq as an official CoolSculpting provider. Only our doctors and highly trained personnel perform CoolSculpting at Gotham Plastic Surgery, so you know you’re in good hands. You can look at our before and after photos to get an idea of the beautiful results you can expect.

Set up your body contouring appointment today

To set up your body-contouring consultation for CoolSculpting or liposuction, call our Manhattan office today at 646.791.3066 or book online.