If you’ve ever wished you could just get rid of stubborn fat once and for all, you’re not alone. Whether it’s belly fat that won’t budge, love handles that seem immune to dieting, or post-menopausal weight gain, many in the Rapid City and Black Hills area are looking for real answers—and lasting results.
At CoolCRYO, we specialize in non-surgical fat reduction and skin tightening treatments that help you look better, feel better, and live more confidently. But a question we hear all the time is:
“If I keep doing fat reduction treatments, can I eventually kill all the fat cells in that area?”
The short answer? Not quite. But you can dramatically reduce the number of fat cells in a target zone—and it helps to understand how your body stores (and holds onto) fat.
🧬 How Fat Cells Work: The Basics
Fat cells (also called adipocytes) are storage containers for excess energy. Everyone has a unique number of fat cells, which mostly form during childhood and adolescence. Once you hit adulthood, you don’t create many new fat cells—instead, your existing fat cells simply shrink or swell depending on your weight and lifestyle.
That means weight gain doesn’t necessarily mean more fat cells—it means bigger fat cells. And the opposite is also true: fat loss often means shrinking those cells, not killing them.
🧪 The Life Cycle of Fat Cells: From Dormant to Active
Understanding how fat cells develop and behave helps explain why some fat seems stubborn, while other areas respond quickly to treatment. Fat cells go through different life stages — and not all fat cells are active at once.
Here’s a breakdown of the key types:
🔹 Preadipocytes (Fat Cell Precursors)
These are immature fat cells—think of them as fat cells-in-waiting. They don’t store fat yet, but under the right conditions (like consistent overfeeding, stress, or hormonal changes), they can mature into fat-storing adipocytes.
➡️ Good to know: Adults typically don’t create many new fat cells, but preadipocytes can still be activated, especially if existing fat cells are at max capacity. Research indicates that preadipocytes, under specific conditions like overnutrition or hormonal changes, can differentiate into mature adipocytes, contributing to fat tissue expansion.
💤 Dormant Fat Cells
These are mature fat cells that aren’t currently storing much fat. They’re present in your body, but in a “standby” mode—not actively contributing to your shape or size.
➡️ Why it matters: Dormant fat cells can reactivate if your body starts storing more fat again — this is why maintaining results after treatment is so important.
🔥 Active Fat Cells
These are fully-engaged fat cells—swollen and storing triglycerides. When we talk about stubborn belly fat or visible bulges, this is what we’re usually targeting.
➡️ These are the cells that fat reduction treatments like Cryo Sculpting and ThermaSlim are designed to eliminate.
By targeting active fat cells first, we can often achieve impressive reductions. But as the number of active fat cells drops, the body may start pulling energy from dormant ones or recruiting preadipocytes, which is why long-term support and maintenance (like compression, lymphatic drainage, or metabolic support) matters so much.
🔬 Are There “Healthy” vs “Unhealthy” Fat Cells?
Yes! Cell size matters.
- Healthy fat cells are small, insulin-sensitive, and non-inflamed.
- Unhealthy fat cells are enlarged, resistant to normal metabolic signals, and often inflamed.
Healthy fat cells, often associated with diets rich in unsaturated fats, support metabolic functions and reduce inflammation, whereas unhealthy fat cells, linked to high intake of saturated and trans fats, can contribute to metabolic dysfunction and increased disease risk. Source: Heart.org
When you begin fat reduction (whether through treatments or lifestyle change), your larger, unhealthy fat cells tend to shrink first, which is why early progress can feel fast. But as those shrink, what’s left are smaller, more stable fat cells—and those are much harder to reduce further.
That’s another reason why we incorporate multiple modalities and keep checking in on what your body is telling us.
⚖️ Healthy vs. Unhealthy Fat Cells: Key Differences
| Characteristic | Healthy Fat Cells | Unhealthy Fat Cells |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Small to moderate | Enlarged |
| Insulin Response | Insulin-sensitive | Insulin-resistant |
| Inflammation Level | Low | High |
| Location | Subcutaneous (beneath skin) | Subcutaneous (beneath skin) & Visceral (around organs) |
| Metabolic Impact | Neutral or supportive | Promotes inflammation & metabolic dysfunction |
📉 Can You Actually Kill Fat Cells?
Yes—certain treatments can permanently destroy fat cells. For example:
- Cryo Sculpting uses fat freezing technology to crystallize and kill fat cells in a targeted area.
- ThermaSlim uses controlled heat and suction to rupture fat cells and stimulate collagen.
After these treatments, your body naturally flushes out the dead fat cells over time via the lymphatic system. Studies show that 10–30% of fat cells in a treated area can be eliminated with each session.
But here’s the catch: you can’t safely remove all the fat cells in a single area, and here’s why…
🧠 Why Fat (or Weight) Reduction May Slow Down
Whether it be your own personal weight loss journey or working with a practitioner on body contouring or fitness, some clients may notice they hit a plateau — a point where the fat or weight doesn’t seem to budge as much as prior. This is completely normal and backed by science.
Here’s what’s happening:
- Fewer remaining fat cells = fewer targets.
As you progress through any body contouring treatment or weight loss program, progress may slow because there’s simply less fat to work on. - The body protects “stubborn” fat.
Areas like the belly, thighs, and arms are hormonally sensitive and may resist further reduction. - Fat isn’t the only issue.
What’s left behind might not be fat—it could be loose skin, fluid retention, or fascia tightness, which require different approaches like skin repair, compression therapy, or muscle toning.
🔄 What We Do If Fat Reduction Slows Down: Our Proven Pivot Strategy
At CoolCRYO, we take a comprehensive approach if results slow. Here’s how we adjust:
- We may switch fat reduction techologies. At CoolCRYO we have 3 of the BEST, most proven fat reduction technologies available anywhere (not just in the Black Hills).
- If we notice more skin laxity, we may shift to more skin tightening treatments.
- If inflammation or retention is present, we layer in compression therapy, sauna, or red light therapy.
- If deeper tone or structure is needed, we incorporate MaxSculpt or vibration-based body toning.
- If hormones or metabolism are contributing, we recommend exploring our weight loss programs, which include both natural and clinical options.
📍 Looking for Fat Reduction in Rapid City or the Black Hills?
If you’ve been battling stubborn fat and feel like you’ve tried everything — from dieting, to CoolSculpting® or other less effective fat reduction technology — we invite you to explore the difference with CoolCRYO.
We specialize in:
- Cryo Sculpting / Fat Freezing
- ThermaSlim fat reduction and cellulite smoothing
- Skin tightening treatments
- Natural weight loss programs
- Easy weight loss at home chewables
Every treatment plan starts with a free consultation, where we discuss your goals, challenges, and create a custom roadmap based on your body’s needs — not a cookie-cutter protocol.
👉 Schedule your free consult here
We’d love to help you take the next step in your body transformation journey 💙
