Banish The Bulge

The brand new year is the perfect time to finally get rid of excess baggage, especially if your past few months have been sedentary. Yanni Tan tries CoolSculpting to find out how it banishes unsightly bulges and why those who have been working out to no avail should consider it.

- Yanni Tan

Fat freezing may sound like a complicated, time-consuming and painful procedure until you actually try it. And by it, we mean the current treatment of choice, CoolSculpting by Allergan (coolsculpting.com). While it has always been touted as a non-invasive, non-surgical and needle-free alternative to liposuction, the idea that fat cells can be frozen and killed via a machine may still deter some people as a rather startling concept.

The fact is, fat freezing or cryolipolysis is as simple as lying down for a whole afternoon. Pain level is honestly low. My minor reservations about this popular procedure quickly dissipated during the first cycle of the treatment at Dr Kevin Chua Medical & Aesthetics (kevinchua.com.sg, 6694 6700, #03-05 International Building). My goal is to trim down my jiggly arms and rediscover my waistline.

To be sure, CoolSculpting is not a weight loss treatment but a fat reduction one that can contour and shape the body. My weight is healthy and I exercise regularly, but I am a good candidate because the stubborn pockets of fat remained despite exercising twice weekly. I admit, I only do moderate-intensity exercises without any weight or core training.