Diary of an Aesthetic Virgin – Freezing the Fat Away, the Procedure
It’s been a while since the last instalment of my aesthetic journey. And so far it has been a really smooth journey (metaphorically and physically speaking with my lack of wrinkles!).
And whilst the treatments have been pain-free and the results natural, the biggest difference has been to my self-confidence and how much better I have felt about myself.
So, it was exciting to venture once more to the Madejski Stadium and into Aspire Clinic to have my CoolSculpting treatment to target the pockets of hard-to-shift fat that come with being a mum, coupled with a Mediterranean heritage.
Having had such a thorough consultation, I felt well prepared, if a little nervous at just how cold things were going to get. And having heard horror stories of liposuction, I wasn’t convinced that this was going to be pain-free; I mean, how can fat be eliminated without it hurting just a bit? As the old adage says, no pain no gain?
Once again, Sarah, Aspire’s CoolSculpting expert enveloped me in her warmth and easy confidence and marked up my inner thighs and lower tummy with a black pen. All ready to start the treatment, I hopped up on to the bed, got in to a comfy position and Sarah placed the sticky, protective gel pad on my inner thigh. The applicator was then placed on to my skin and suctioned my inner thigh ready to start freezing the fat away.
The sensation was a slight amount of suction and then things started to get cold. Very cold. Anyone who knows me knows how much I detest the cold, and as the area being treated got colder, so did my mood! Luckily the freezing sensation only lasted a few minutes and the area went completely numb. So there I was, snuggled under a fleecy blanket, iPad in hand, with 45 minutes to myself, what a treat.
At the end of the treatment, Sarah removed the CoolSculpting applicator and began to massage the area vigorously to make the fat cells breakdown quickly enabling the body to naturally eliminate them. For me, this was the most uncomfortable part of the treatment, but it lasted exactly two minutes, so even I (believe it or not I am a total wimp and drama queen) was easily able to cope with it.
The treatment was then repeated on my other inner thigh and then my lower abdomen, with no more discomfort than the first area. At the end of the treatment, Sarah advised me that I could return to normal activities straight away and didn’t need to rest or treat the areas with creams or massage.
It turns out that Sarah is not only the CoolSculpting expert at Aspire, she was also a nutritionist and personal trainer in a previous life, so gave me some great advice about how I could help the CoolSculpting process and get the best result possible. Sarah also introduced me to Aspire’s independent nutrition and exercise expert, Marla Murray, the creator of Bestlife Basics. Aspire’s partnership with Bestlife Basics means that they can offer their patients a 360° care package that includes helping individuals make the positive changes that will help to maintain and enhance their CoolSculpting experience and embrace a healthier lifestyle in the long-term.
So with this in mind, and my need to exercise to keep my Greek bum at bay, I decided the next step on my aesthetic journey would be a personal training session with Marla.
Still to come, find out if Christina survived the personal training session with Marla and how her six and 12 week CoolSculpting reviews went...
