Commentary on: Paradoxical Adipose Hypertrophy (PAH) After Cryolipolysis

Paradoxical adipose hypertrophy (PAH) after cryolipolysis is a common and concerning complication associated with cryolipolysis body contouring. Body contouring, or body sculpting, procedures are the fastest growing procedures in aesthetic medicine. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), approximately 387,000 body sculpting treatments were performed in the United States in 2016.¹ The number of body sculpting treatments has risen 68% since 2015, which was the largest year-to-year growth of all cosmetic procedures.¹ Within body sculpting procedures, cryolipolysis, or "fat-freezing," accounted for 177,000 treatments or 45.7% of all body contouring treatments. In fact, cryolipolysis surpassed the growth rate of body sculpting treatments by increasing 76% from 2015 to 2016.¹