In today’s cosmetic world, there seems to be a new treatment for fat loss around every corner. Beauty magazines are filled with new creams, pills, cleanses, and treatments, all aimed at the same thing: removing fat! But do they work? The vast majority of these are scams, so it is understandable if you are skeptical about CoolSculpting.
What is Coolsculpting?
CoolSculpting is an FDA-approved, non-surgical way to remove fat cells and contour your body. CoolSculpting is cleared to treat nine different areas: the abdomen, flanks, banana roll (fat below the bottom), thighs (inner and outer), bra fat, upper arms, back, the submental (fat below the chin) and the submandibular areas (fat below the jawline). How COOL is that?
What to expect during the treatment
A dermatologist or trained technician applies a vacuum-like device on your stomach, love handles, arms, thighs, or wherever you have an extra bulge of fat. It freezes the subcutaneous fat in the area, using a process called cryolipolysis. This technology enables precise cooling and provides safety by only affecting fat cells while sparing skin, nerves, and muscle.
Pain during treatment used to be one of the most common complaints that patients had during the treatment. However, the company has improved the technology since CoolSculpting was first released in 2010. The new applicators that were released in January 2017 have better contact with the skin, creating less of a painful sucking sensation in the skin. The CoolSculpting cycle time has also been decreased from one hour to 35 minutes, making the total treatment time less. Be wary of older reviews online that may be talking about older technology. The treatment itself is relatively painless for most patients. Patients often complain of a little stinging and burning for about 6-8 minutes of the treatment time, and then the skin often goes numb, making the remaining session comfortable. Most common side effects can include some mild swelling post-therapy, some temporary numbness in the treated skin, or some mild bruising. Most side effects resolve within a week. In very rare cases, patients can experience prolonged pain and swelling.
Once the fat is gone, does it stay gone?
Yep! That is the amazing thing about the CoolSculpting technology. Once the fat cells are treated and gone, they stay gone for good. However, CoolSculpting is not a weight-loss treatment. You may not actually lose pounds on the scale. Remember, it is a fat-reducing treatment. With each treatment, you reduce the number of fat cells in an area. The remaining fat cells can still function normally, which means they can shrink and grow with weight gain or loss. Depending on the amount of fat you have, you may need multiple treatments spaced six weeks apart.
Things to consider when deciding if CoolSculpting is right for you
CoolSculpting does not improve cellulite, and it does not tighten loose skin, with the exception of the double chin. Coolsculpting is the only non-surgical fat reduction technology to earn the FDA clearance to improve the appearance of lax tissue under the chin.
What’s the catch?
There really isn’t one. Results can take up to 12 weeks before you can see your optional results of about a 20-25% reduction in the area we are treating. So it is not immediate. It is important that you are assessed correctly during your consultation. Improper placement of the CoolSculpting template can lead to poor results. We have highly trained CoolSculpting providers that offer free consults to determine if you are a candidate. Schedule yours now.