Linda Evangelista claimed she has been 'brutally disfigured' from the rare side effects of a cosmetic procedure she underwent five...
Linda Evangelista claimed she has been 'brutally disfigured' from the rare side effects of a cosmetic procedure she underwent five years ago, as she explained her absence from the spotlight on Instagram on Wednesday.
The supermodel, 56, took a tentative step back into the public eye when she blamed her 'reclusive' behaviour on a disfiguring procedure. In the social media statement, the Nineties-icon claimed she had been 'permanently deformed' due to a rare side effect from the fat-reducing procedure.
According to Linda, she had undergone a CoolSculpting procedure to 'decrease' her fat cells, but instead the procedure 'increased' her fat cells, a peril she insists she was not warned of, so is now seeking legal action.
She has developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia - a rare, previously unreported adverse effect of cryolipolysis, which has been reported in of 0.0051% of the 1.5 million CoolSculpting procedures performed worldwide.
With this condition, the treated area becomes larger, rather than smaller, in the weeks after the procedure. It can leave a 'painless, visibly enlarged, firm, well-demarcated mass' underneath the skin.
Dramatic return: Supermodel Linda Evangelista, 56, claimed in an Instagram statement on Wednesday that she had been 'permanently deformed' after a CoolSculpting procedure caused a rare side effect (pictured left, in 2017, AFTER having the procedure and before the procedure - right in 2005)
Rare adverse effect: She claimed she had developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia, a condition in which fat cells increase rather than decreasing after a cryolipolysis procedure
Linda's statement read: 'Today I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years. 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.''
The model claimed she wasn't properly warned of the potential side effects associated with the CoolSculpting procedure. She went on: 'I have developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia or PAH, a risk of which I was not made aware before I had the procedures...
'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...
That was then: Linda is pictured in 2016 in Tokyo, in one of her most recent appearances, which came shortly after the treatment which caused her fat cells to increase and cause weight gain
Changing look: Linda shared snaps on social media in 2019, yet kept her face largely obscured beneath hats and her body entirely off-camera
'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 held held high, despite not looking like myself any longer.'
During a cryolipolysis procedure, also known as body sculpting, a device that's usually set below freezing temperature is applied to fat deposits, which causes cell death in the fat tissue.
The body can then pass the dead fat cells.
She described developing Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia, a rare condition sometimes observed after similar procedures in which adipose tissue (or body fat) increases after procedures known as cryolipolysis, even though they usually decrease adipose tissue.
Changes: Linda was showing her evolving appearance in 2017 (left) when she was pictured in Tokyo shortly after undergoing the procedure, while she looked different at the Met Gala in 2015 (right)
According to Healthline, the increased fat deposits aren't harmful, but they also don't appear to go away on their own over time. The 'very rare' condition is most common in men who have undergone cryolipolysis, though it can still affect women.
Linda singled out the Allergan subsidiary Zeltiq for allegedly performing the botched procedure without informing her of the potential negative side effects.
Sarah Michelle Gellar was unveiled as a CoolSculpting ambassador last year.
Speaking at the time, Sarah detailed that while she is incredibly fit and healthy she struggles with difficult to shift areas of fat. She said: 'I had had such a positive experience with the procedure [Coolsculpting®] (and the results)…
'I was able to target those specific areas with an incredible result and with only an hour of my time (I even managed to get through a few chapters in the book I was reading) so you know that's a win for me.'
Linda's post elicited an outpouring of sympathy and supporting from the model's admirers and friends in the fashion industry.
Moschino Creative Director Jeremy Scott penned: 'You are and always will be a supermodel now adding super role model of courage to your glorious resume. I love you'.
Mad Men star January Jones said: 'Love that you're reclaiming your story. This strength and bravery supersedes any superficial outward appearance. An icon is an icon is an icon. Always.'
Evangelista's fellow supermodel Cindy Crawford wrote: 'Linda — your strength and true essence are forever recognizable and iconic! Bravo!'. Gwyneth Paltrow shared her love with a heart emoji.
Fellow supermodel Helena Christensen shared a moving comment for her old friend. She penned: 'It would've taken immense courage and strength to write these words. I can honestly say that I broke down in tears reading this...
Changes: She lamented the life-changing impact of the procedure which had the reverse of the desired effect (pictured left in 2017 and right in 1990)
CoolSculpting is the original form of cryolipolysis. Areas are sucked into a handpiece and cooled so fat cells freeze, die and are excreted. One session is needed, but can be repeated after 12 weeks. Each treatment takes an hour and results are seen from around three weeks
'Not only because I knew in my heart you somehow had been quietly going through something deeply personal and disturbing but also because I thought of all the scars life leaves on us all, whether physical or emotional and how long we suffer mostly in silence and alone.
'It is so important and beautiful when someone steps out of the shadow and are brutally honest and real. Thank you for being beautiful inside and out.'
Naomi Campbell, who soared to fame alongside Linda in their heyday, wrote: 'Elos I applaud you for your Courage and strength to Share your experience and not be held hostage by it anymore .. You know I love you...
'We love you and here for you always Right by your side .. I can't imagine the pain you gone through mentally these past 5 years ., your free of it now....
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