Fat was dealt another blow recently when Zeltiq, the manufacturer of CoolSculpting, the revolutionary body contouring treatment, received expanded FDA clearance for its new CoolMini applicator. The CoolMini applicator's unique size, shape, and curvature is specifically designed to treat smaller pockets of fat. It's perfect for under the chin where what is known as submental fat accumulates giving rise to a double chin. Other spots it can address include puffs of fat near the arm pits and small amounts of pinchable abdominal fat that resist exercise and dieting efforts. "CoolSculpting is very popular in our practice. People really appreciate non-invasive, non-surgical, no-downtime treatment options," says Timothy Jochen, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Contour Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Center (Rancho Mirage, CA). "Cosmetic surgery is all about tweaking little things that make a big difference. With the CoolMini, we can now help people freeze away double chins or get rid of other small pockets of fat that traditional CoolSculpting couldn't reach before."
CoolSculpting is based upon the research of two Harvard scientists who observed that cold could be applied noninvasively to remove fat. CoolSculpting will continue to effectively address "muffin tops" and "love handles," but the addition of the CoolMini applicator to its repertoire handily expands the procedure's capabilities, which currently includes the following applications:
CoolCore – abdomen and core area
CoolCurve– for flanks
CoolSmooth – other areas of pinchable fat like outer thighs
CoolFit – for straighter areas like arms and inner thighs
CoolMax – for larger circumference areas
Cool-Mini – for double chins and other small pockets of fat