Linda Evangelista claims fat-freezing procedure left her 'brutally disfigured'

Supermodel Linda Evangelista claims she was "brutally disfigured" by a fat-freezing procedure she underwent more than five years ago.

The 56-year-old Canadian shared an emotional Instagram post today, alleging the reason she hasn't worked in a while is due to being left "permanently deformed" after using Zeltiq's CoolSculpting. She says she plans to sue the company involved.

"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," she said today in her post.

"It increased, not decreased, my fat cells and left me permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries."

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Evangelista claimed she has developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), a risk she alleges she was not warned about before having the procedure.

PAH is a rare side effect of fat freezing. It occurs when the fat cells increase in size instead of dying. It can be treated with liposuction

"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 said. "In the process, I have become a recluse."

Evangelista was one of the top supermodels in the 1990s. She has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. She now claims she has been left "unrecognisable".

9Honey Celebrity has reached out to Allergan, the parent company of Zeltiq, for comment on the story.