Fat is complicated. It’s stubborn, demonized, praised, misunderstood. Everyone’s relationship with fat is different. One thing that has remained fairly consistent is a cultural obsession with mastering fat — whether that means embracing it, or erasing it.

As far as the latter is concerned, plastic surgery has always had seemingly magical answers. First there was liposuction. Then came the advent of non-invasive fat-reducing procedures, such as CoolSculpting and SculpSure.

Here’s what the hype is about and what you need to know if you’re considering a non-invasive fat-reduction procedure.