How supermodel Linda Evangelista’s fat-freezing cosmetic procedure went wrong and what you need to know about its side effects
- Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia can occur weeks or months after having a procedure called CoolSculpting, which freezes fat cells that are then cleared as waste
- The rare side effect causes fat cells to increase. Those considering it should be aware of the risks and get medical advice beforehand
What is paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, or PAH? Few of us had ever heard of the condition until Linda Evangelista’s story broke; the 56-year-old Canadian supermodel claims she suffers from it after having had an aesthetic procedure to reduce fat called CoolSculpting – or fat freezing.
The phrase describes what happens when the fat-freezing procedure goes awry: paradoxical (unexpected) adipose (fat) hyperplasia (enlargement).
CoolSculpting – a brand name for a procedure known as cryolipolysis – is supposed to make body fat disappear. It’s a non-surgical fat-reduction technique in which a special applicator cools fat to such a low temperature (read sub zero) that it begins to disintegrate and is expelled from the body as waste.
On the surface, it sounds like the safest, easiest and least invasive way to shape a body slimmer, especially in light of stories about liposuction – an invasive fat-reduction technique – that can go fatally wrong.
In most cases, cryolipolysis, including CoolSculpting, which has been around for a decade, does work well and safely, with minimal side effects such as redness, tingling and a bit of pain. But occasionally, in some people, it causes precisely the opposite to happen: the fat doesn’t just stay where it is, it grows exponentially.