CoolSculpting is a common nonsurgical fat reduction procedure. One of the world's most famous supermodels says it ruined her life and turned her into a recluse. In an emotional Instagram post, Linda Evangelista says she has been out of the public eye for the last five years because the procedure "did the opposite of what it promised," the BBC reports. The 56-year-old Canadian says she is now "unrecognizable" despite "two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries." She says the cosmetic treatment, which is also known as body contouring, increased, not decreased her fat cells and caused a condition called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, "a risk of which I was not made aware before I had the procedures."
The condition "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," writes Evangelista, who says she has been "brutally disfigured." Her post refers to a lawsuit but it's not clear whether it has already been filed. "I'm so tired of living this way. I would like to walk out my door with my head held high, despite not looking like myself any longer," she writes. With the lawsuit, she says, she is moving to rid herself of "shame" and go public with her story. There has been no comment from Zeltiq, the company that developed the fat-freezing devices used in the procedure, which Evangelista named in her post.
Evangelista's post led to an outpouring of support on social media from celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, per the Hollywood Reporter. "I have always recognized you as someone who was physically beautiful, yes, but more importantly you really shone bright from within," wrote designer Brandon Maxwell. "It has been your sense of humor, your innate joy, and your ability to present so effortlessly the best in life that I’ve always been the most attracted to. In your darkest moments may you never forget the light you have sparked in so many, and continue to.” (More Linda Evangelista stories.)
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