Linda Evangelista is left 'brutally disfigured' after CoolSculpting procedure
Linda Evangelista has faced dire consequences from the rare side effects of a cosmetic procedure that left her "brutally disfigured" five years later.
The 56-year-old supermodel took to Instagram on Wednesday, September 22, to explain her absence from the spotlight due to the procedure. The '90s icon blamed her "reclusive behavior" on the fat-reducing procedure that she claimed had left her "permanently deformed." Evangelista said she had undergone a CoolSculpting procedure to "decrease" her fat cells, but the procedure "increased" them instead. She alleged she wasn't warned of the side effects and is now seeking legal action.
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The model revealed that she had developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, which is a rare adverse effect of cryolipolysis. The condition has been reported in 0.0051% of the 1.5 million CoolSculpting procedures performed worldwide. The condition causes the treated area to become larger rather than smaller in the aftermath of the procedure, and can leave a "painless, visibly enlarged, firm, well-demarcated mass" under the skin.
"Today I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years," Evangelista said in her social media statement. "To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers' careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiq's CoolSculpting procedure...[It] did the opposite of what it promised. It increased, not decreased, my fat cells and left me permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful corrective surgeries. I have been left, as the media described, 'unrecognizable.'"
Dear #LindaEvangelista, you look fine. No one stays stunningly gorgeous forever. You look funky, attractive and interesting. Come out and live your life. pic.twitter.com/bamHaiE2Tq
— Victoria Weinstein (@peacebang) September 24, 2021
The former supermodel said she wasn't adequately warned of the possible side effects associated with the procedure. "I have developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia or PAH, a risk of which I was not made aware before I had the procedures," she went on. "PAH has not only destroyed my livelihood, it has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness, and the lowest depths of self-loathing. In the process, I have become a recluse. With this lawsuit, I am moving forward to rid myself of my shame and going public with my story. I'm so tired of living this way. I would like to walk out my door with my head high, despite not looking like myself any longer."
The cryolipolysis procedure, popularly known as body sculpting, uses a device that's set below freezing temperature and applied to fat deposits across the body, thereby causing cell death in the fat tissue. The dead fat cells are then passed out by the body. Evangelista described developing Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia - a rare condition in which body fat increases after the procedure known as cryolipolysis, albeit they usually decrease adipose tissue.
While the increased fat deposits aren't necessarily harmful, they also don't appear to go away with time, according to Healthline. Furthermore, PAH is most common in men who have undergone the procedure, although it can affect women as well. While it’s unclear if the suit has already been filed, Evangelista singled out the Allergan subsidiary Zeltiq for allegedly performing the procedure without educating her about potential side effects.