Dr. Milind Ambe is nationally renowned for having one of the top aesthetic surgery practices in Southern California named Newport Surgical Center. His practice has thrived at its Newport Beach location for 20 years and remains one of the busiest practices of any Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. He wanted to combine his two passions: art and medicine. This led to his decision to become a cosmetic surgeon. After completing an undergraduate degree, medical school and seven years of surgical training, Dr. Ambe continued his education with intensive training in different cosmetic procedures. In 1998, he opened his practice in Newport Beach where he specializes in cosmetic breast, facial, and body-contouring surgeries. He’s also been the surgeon of choice for the women on the hit TV show, The Real Housewives of Orange County for the past decade.

Haute Beauty chats with Dr. Millind Ambe to learn more about Coolsculpting for weight loss. 

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

HB: What is CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting is a fat-freezing technology that targets areas of unwanted fat for body contouring. Fat cells will freeze at a certain temperature and die. Once that happens, the body will naturally eliminate the dead fat cells in 1-3 months or more, resulting in up to 20%-25% reduction of fat in that treated area.

HB: How does CoolSculpting work?

The medical provider will apply a clear gel pad to the unwanted fat pocket (treatment area). This creates a barrier between the cooling panel and your skin.  The treatment then involved freezing your fat at the correct temperature while you sit there and relax for roughly 30-40 minutes.  Once the treatment is completed the medical provider will massage the treated area to help break up the treated fat cells and enhance the fat reduction.

HB: Who is a good candidate for Coolsculpting?

CoolSculpting® is for patients at or near their ideal body weight who want to reduce fat in one or more of the 9-FDA cleared treatment areas. The CoolSculpting® procedure is FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental (under the chin) and submandibular (under the jawline) areas, as well as thigh, abdomen and flank, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks (also known as banana roll) and upper arms. The CoolSculpting® procedure is not a treatment for weight loss, but rather a treatment to help reduce small pockets of unwanted fat that can not be improved through only diet and exercise.

HB: How does this Coolsculpting compare to other procedures of the same nature?

This procedure is a non-surgical treatment of fat reduction and body sculpting.  Each treatment gives approximately a 20-25% reduction of fat in that treated area.  Traditional tumescent liposuction is the surgical gold standard for body contouring and sculpting.  If surgery is not an option or desired then CoolSculpting is an excellent alternative.  Although with CoolSculpting several treatments are usually necessary for maximum benefit.

HB: What does recovery from Coolsculpting look like?

The beauty of this treatment is there is no downtime.  It is performed in a medical office with no anesthesia necessary.  Once the treatment is over there might be some mild soreness for a few days, but in general there is none.  Exercise can even be resumed later that day.