What are the risks these home treatments have?

Lately there has been a lot of online talk, videos, forums, discussions, news, blogs, etc about DIY fat freezing techniques that can be done at home, saving men and women money on professional cosmetic costs. Fat freezing devices such as lipo-belts have also gained in popularity. A lipo-belt is a device that is fitted with cold-packs that have been chilled in the freezer and then applied to the body, with the goal to reduce fat. The idea is that they work in the same way a CoolSculpting machine works. However, it should be noted that currently there is no medical evidence that these devices work, and since they are not classified as a medical device, there is no requirement for FDA approval.

Another popular internet claim is that it is possible to kill fat cells using an ice pack applied to the stomach area. This is not the case, and at best you will get a cold stomach and at worst, it is possible to burn your skin. Overall, the reasons that these rumors about short-cuts to fat freezing exist is because you may have read that the way CoolSculpting works is based on how it reduces fat cells by ‘freezing’ them. This is an overly simplified explanation as to how the treatment works, used to help explain to patients in broad terms what the process involves.