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With CoolSculpting, if It is not weight loss, where does the frozen fat go?

The fat cells are damaged by the cold temperature during CoolSculpting and are slowly dissolved and broken down in your body by cells called macrophages. The fat cell particles are then cleared from your body through your lymphatic system and goes through the liver where it is processed out of your body as waste. This is a gradual process, and results typically appear over about 1 to 4 months as the body clears the treated fat cells.

Clinical Context

The treated fat sits in a defined layer between skin and muscle, which is why the applicator can target it without affecting deeper tissue. Cooling injures the fat cells in that layer, and scavenger immune cells called macrophages move in to engulf the debris, carrying it into the lymphatic system and bloodstream for processing by the liver, much like fat from digestion. Nothing is suctioned or excreted directly; it's broken down and cleared internally, which is why changes emerge gradually over 1 to 3 months.

Answered By

Dr. Steven Williams

President Emeritus of ASPS

Dr. Steven Williams is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the Past President of the prestigious American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and a charitable person who dedicates his life to those in need of his unique expertise.

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