Few CoolSculpting patients have probably thought much about the connection between their lymphatic systems and the nonsurgical fat reduction treatment. CoolSculpting at our Boston practice is very popular, but many of the women and men who schedule treatments don’t realize that they can speed up the results by flushing dead fat cells more efficiently through lymphatic drainage.
How Does CoolSculpting Work?
Before providing tips on how to enhance the lymphatic process, it’s important to understand how CoolSculpting reduces fat. At our certified CoolSculpting practice, licensed medical assistant Haley Stevens performs the procedures. She selects an applicator that’s specifically designed for the treatment area and begins the treatment, which cools the target area until fat cells “freeze.” This is a process called cryolipolysis. Fat cells begin dying at temperatures that aren’t cold enough to damage the skin’s surface or surrounding tissue.
How Is the Lymphatic System Involved?
It takes time for the fat cells to be removed naturally from the body—which occurs through the lymphatic system.
This means that most patients don’t see their final results until 3 months or more after their last treatment session. There are ways, though, to help accelerate that progress—and that includes lymphatic massage after treatment.
Tips for Speeding Up CoolSculpting Recovery
The body begins excreting fat cells almost immediately after a treatment, but the process can take as long as 6 months for some patients. Lymphatic drainage is responsible for removing most bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other toxins to keep the body healthy. It also gets rid of dead fat cells.
So, what can you do? Here are some tips:
- Drinking water with lemon: Staying hydrated—with or without lemon in your water—is important because it leads to more frequent trips to the bathroom. That’s how those dead fat cells get flushed from the body. Lemons are rich in vitamin C, which boosts liver function and helps clear the body of toxins.
- Work up a sweat: Just like drinking plenty of water is a good habit, even if you don’t get a CoolSculpting treatment, regular strenuous exercise is something that should be built into your schedule. Sweating and increased blood flow are important for the lymphatic system’s function and lead to lymphatic drainage.
- Lymphatic massage: Massage therapy designed to improve lymphatic drainage is different than a deep tissue massage. Instead, it involves gently massaging areas to encourage the movement of lymph fluids around the body. This is a technique that patients can perform for themselves at home or with a licensed massage therapist. A 2014 study found that there was a consistent and notable increase in fat reduction when massage was used after treatment.
- Foam rollers: Hard foam rollers are common sights at gyms and are used for various reasons, including lymphatic drainage. Foam rolling oxygenates the blood and spurs the flow of stagnant fluid in the lymphatic system, which then flushes the buildup of dead cells and toxins.
- Deep breaths: Exercises involving deep breathing help pump fluid through your blood vessels and lymph nodes. Place both hands on the stomach and inhale through your nose while expanding the stomach, then exhale. This is one of the breathing exercises that help lymphatic drainage.
It’s important to choose an experienced CoolSculpting provider such as Haley to get the best possible results, as you can see in our gallery of before-and-after photos. You can contact us using the online form to request a consultation or call us at (781) 740-7840 to schedule an appointment.
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