Linda Evangelista for the first time showed the consequences of the unsuccessful disposal of body fat: "I can no longer live like this"

Supermodel Linda Evangelista for the first time candidly showed off the consequences of an unsuccessful CoolSculpting beauty procedure (it allows you to get rid of localized fat deposits through exposure to low temperatures) in a new exclusive photo shoot for People .

I liked being on the runway. Now I'm afraid to run into someone I know. I can no longer live like this, hiding and ashamed. I just can't live with this pain anymore. I finally want to speak - Linda admitted to reporters.

Linda Evangelista Linda

Linda Evangelista

In September, Evangelista filed a $50 million damages lawsuit against CoolSculpting's parent company, Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., alleging she was unable to work after undergoing seven CoolSculpting sessions at a dermatologist's office from August 2015 to February 2016.

Within three months of the procedure, Evangelista began to notice bulges on her chin, thighs, and chest and armpits. The same areas she wanted to shrink suddenly got bigger and then numb.

I tried to fix it myself, thinking I was doing something wrong. I got to the point where I didn't eat at all. I thought I was going crazy — said the supermodel.

Linda Evangelista

Subsequently, she went to the doctor. She was diagnosed with paradoxical fatty hyperplasia and told that no amount of diet or exercise would ever fix the situation. According to plastic surgeons, this is a rare side effect that affects less than one percent of CoolSculpting patients.

I don't look in the mirror. Reflection doesn't look like me said the supermodel.

After the procedure, Linda still tried to correct the situation and underwent two liposuctions at her own expense. The clinic offered to pay for the first procedure only if she signed a confidentiality agreement, but the model refused. After the operation, Evangelista said she had to wear compression stockings, belts and a chin band for eight weeks.

It was no better. The bumps are solid. If I go without a special corset in a dress, I will have chafing almost to the point of blood, Linda said, noting that the illness has also affected her posture, as she "cannot press her arms to her sides."

Linda Evangelista

Why do we feel the need to do this [with our bodies]? I always knew that I would grow old. And I know there are things the body goes through. But I just didn't think I would look like that. I don't recognize myself physically, but I no longer recognize myself as a person. She (and she means Linda Evangelista, supermodel. - Approx. People) disappeared, Evangelista confessed.

Linda Evangelista

I hope that I can get rid of some of the shame and help other people who are in the same situation as me. It's my goal. I'm not going to hide anymore — concluded the supermodel.

The CoolSculpting procedure was approved by an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services in 2010. It is based on a process known as cryolipolysis: fat is cooled to a temperature below freezing. Research shows that this treatment, which is popular due to its affordability and minimal recovery time, can reduce localized fat deposits by up to 20%.

For the first time, Linda spoke about her bad experience only last year, saying that she was "disfigured." Because of this, Evangelista did not go out into the world and became, according to her, a hermit.

Linda Evangelista

She was one of the most famous supermodels in the 1990s . During her career, she has appeared on over 700 fashion magazine covers, including 11 covers of American Vogue. Evangelista was also the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld and photographer Steven Meisel. No model was more super than Linda, - Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, spoke about her.