Not surprising at all, as summer is the time when people make travel plans to sunny and sandy beaches. The preparations aren’t just limited to booking air tickets and beachfront accommodations. You also need to get in shape.

“I have been out of shape for over a month,” says a stenographer. The answer is not rigorous diet and training.

It is surgery. At some point, back liposuction was the buzzword for those who wanted to lose a few pounds quickly. In this procedure, a doctor has patients go under a needle, inserts a cannula under the skin to suction fat from a target area.

Today, for people looking for a body contour, there are other options too. Laser technology has minimized the need for invasive surgical procedures.

Today, around the world, more and more people are undergoing laser treatment to remove scars, pigmentation, and acne.

A system called CoolSculpting is catching on. Manufactured and sold by Zeltics Inc., it has received approval for use in the United States by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Simply put, it is a fat freezing procedure that uses controlled cooling to shed stubborn fat that refuses to respond to diet and exercise.

Several cosmetic surgeons attest that the results are proven, noticeable, and long-lasting.

These are some of the key features of this innovative procedure on the market:

• This FDA approved fat reduction procedure uses precisely controlled cooling to target fat cells.

• It is not an answer for obesity. Rather, CoolSculpting targets areas like the back, fat, bra curls, stomach curls, and love handles.

To explain this procedure more simply, use rounded paddles, chosen from four sizes, to suck up grease like a vacuum cleaner. The patient sits in an inclined chair for approximately 2 hours, while the cooling panels crystallize the fat cells.

According to a physician who specializes in body contouring surgery, “people tolerate mild discomfort very well.” He further adds: “The sucking and cooling sensations eventually disappear.”

Some cosmetic surgeons even go to the extreme of saying that their patients while undergoing surgery, working on their laptops, reading or enjoying a movie.

But is this procedure for everyone?

For people who are considering body contouring surgery, specialists say that this procedure is only for those looking for slight improvements.

CoolSculpting is not a major fat removal procedure like liposuction.

Some of the things doctors look for in their patients include:

• Your age and skin quality.

• Is the skin likely to rebound?

• How thick the fabric is. This is because the suction panel will only be able to treat tissue that it can access.

The good news is that the procedure is non-invasive, the risks are comparatively very low.

For patients, what matters is choosing the right doctor.