<p>Linda Evangelista, the supermodel made famous in the 1990s, said she had become “brutally disfigured” and “unrecognisable” after a cosmetic body-sculpting procedure that had turned her into a recluse.</p>.<p>“Today I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years,” she wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday.</p>.<p>“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 which did the opposite of what it promised.”</p>.<p>Evangelista, 56, said after the fat-freezing procedure she developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, a side effect in which patients develop firm tissue masses in the treatment areas.</p>.<p>She said the cosmetic procedure left her “permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries.” She said she had not been told of the risk.</p>.<p>“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,” she wrote. “In the process, I have become a recluse.”</p>.<p>Although Evangelista’s Instagram post mentioned a lawsuit, it was unclear whether one had been filed or where.</p>.<p>According to CoolSculpting, the procedure has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of visible fat bulges.</p>.<p>According to the website of Allergan Aesthetics, a global pharmaceutical company whose brands include CoolSculpting, the procedure may cause an enlargement in the treated area about 2-5 months after treatment, requiring surgical intervention for correction.</p>.<p>Neither Allergan Aesthetics nor the FDA immediately responded to a request for comment Thursday.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>Linda Evangelista, the supermodel made famous in the 1990s, said she had become “brutally disfigured” and “unrecognisable” after a cosmetic body-sculpting procedure that had turned her into a recluse.</p>.<p>“Today I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years,” she wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday.</p>.<p>“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 which did the opposite of what it promised.”</p>.<p>Evangelista, 56, said after the fat-freezing procedure she developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, a side effect in which patients develop firm tissue masses in the treatment areas.</p>.<p>She said the cosmetic procedure left her “permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries.” She said she had not been told of the risk.</p>.<p>“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,” she wrote. “In the process, I have become a recluse.”</p>.<p>Although Evangelista’s Instagram post mentioned a lawsuit, it was unclear whether one had been filed or where.</p>.<p>According to CoolSculpting, the procedure has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of visible fat bulges.</p>.<p>According to the website of Allergan Aesthetics, a global pharmaceutical company whose brands include CoolSculpting, the procedure may cause an enlargement in the treated area about 2-5 months after treatment, requiring surgical intervention for correction.</p>.<p>Neither Allergan Aesthetics nor the FDA immediately responded to a request for comment Thursday.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>