CoolSculpting is the brand name for a fat-freezing method that aims to get rid of stubborn fat in certain parts of your body. The method is called cryolipolysis. The FDA approved it in 2010.

Scientists came up with the idea for cryolipolysis by studying what happens to fat during frostbite. Fat freezes at a higher temperature than skin. The cryolipolysis device cools your fat to a temperature that destroys it while leaving your skin and other tissues unharmed

Cryolipolysis isn't surgery and doesn't use needles. The device holds the part of your body your doctor wants to target between two paddles. The paddles cool quickly and your doctor leaves them in place for about 35 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. During that time, the process destroys about 20%-25% of the fat cells in the area that's targeted.

The final results may not show up for a few months, but you may start to see some changes within a few weeks. Your immune system clears out the dead fat cells slowly over this time.

Cryolipolysis isn't a way to lose weight. Your doctor might suggest it if you've tried diet and exercise and haven't been able to get rid of certain fat bulges.

You should also avoid cryolipolysis if you have loose skin, poor skin tone, Cryoglobulinemia (a condition where abnormal proteins in your blood thicken in cold temperatures)Cold urticaria (a skin condition that causes hives on your skin when it gets cold), Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (a type of anemia that destroys your red blood cells when you're in cold temperatures), Raynaud’s phenomenon

Studies show that cryolipolysis is safe and effective. The risks are few and rare. There's no damage to your liver. Side effects are mild, too, and go away after a short time. On average, it lessens the amount of fat in targeted areas by 10%-25% after the first treatment and up to 80% after the second.