Fat-Freezing: The Body Sculpting Treatment Disfiguring Women

90’s supermodel Linda Evangelista recently shared a post about complications following a fat-freezing treatment which has reignited the debate about the safety of fat-freezing cosmetic procedures.

In the Instagram post, the star described how she was left ‘brutally disfigured’ and ‘disformed’ after developing paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH) following a fat-freezing procedure. This has led the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) to look into the complications of fat-freezing treatments and release new data.

Looking at treatments that required surgery by its member surgeons between 2018 and 2020, BAAPS found that 7% had to deal with serious complications, with 21 patients requiring surgery over the three-year period. Further to this, 21 patients were left with some permanent deformity or scarring, even after undergoing surgery to try to correct the impacts. Of these patients, nine required liposuctions, eight required an abdominoplasty and four required surgery for skin necrosis.

What is PAH?

Fat freezing works by freezing the fat cells in your body, which your body later breaks down and excretes through normal systems. However, in some cases, the fat freezing can cause a gradual enlargement of the treated area, activating a reactionary process in the fatty tissue that thickens and expands the fat cells rather than breaking them down and allowing the body to remove them. This is known as PAH and although rare, is a known effect of fat freezing treatments.

The Benefits of SMARTSculpt Pro

The SMARTScupt PRO boasts a proven combination of advanced technologies that work simultaneously together to provide significant and effective results. It has a proven track record in treating a wide range of indications including inch Loss, fat reduction, skin tightening, buttock lifting and the effective treatment of cellulite.

The SMARTSculpt Pro does not use any fat freezing technology, making it much safer and without the associated risks, such as PAH. Our leading technology uses “Gold standard” 150w Bi-Polar radiofrequency to destroy adipose fat cells and stimulate deep collagen fibres, whilst infrared heating technology enhances results and further tightens skin. Adaptive roller massage and advanced vacuum technology provide increased metabolism and targeted treatment efficacy.

The SMARTSculpt Pro technology has already been installed in over 2000 salons worldwide, delivering treatments to over 100,000 clients. Our intelligent body shaper delivers comfortable, non-invasive treatments for circumference and fat reduction, skin tightening, total body contouring and the successful treatment of cellulite. Its proven track record of body shaping has enabled it to become recognised as the world’s number one fat reduction and body contouring technology.

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Provide a safe treatment for your patients and put your salon or clinic at the forefront of aesthetic treatment offerings.

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By Dee Malan September 4, 2026
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