6 CoolSculpting Facts Other Plastic Surgeons Won’t Tell You

CoolSculpting is a new procedure that has gotten a lot of attention in the media due to its revolutionary technology and the ability to remove unwanted fat without undergoing massive surgery. However, there are a lot of things that the news outlets, talk shows, and even some other surgeons aren’t talking about. We want to set the record straight regarding this popular procedure so that you’ll be well informed and prepared when coming in for your consultation.

1. You May Need More Than One Treatment: Some patients are satisfied with the results after one treatment, which reduces 20-25% of fat cells. However, you may be required to get multiple treatments to get the results you’re looking for. Each additional treatment will reduce another 20-25% of fat cells each time.
2. It Can Be Uncomfortable For Some Patients: With the word “non-invasive procedure” comes the assumption that this procedure is completely pain-free. Most patients however do experience some discomfort during the first 5 to 15 minutes of the procedure. This discomfort occurs as the vacuum grabs the fat and skin.
3. It May Take More Than One Hour: CoolSculpting is often marketed as “only taking one hour”, however this is only true if you are only getting one area of your body treated. It will take an additional hour for every other area that you get treated. Each love handle is considered to be a separate area, so to effectively treat both sides, the procedure will take two hours. Then, the lower abdomen counts as an additional two areas, which could put the full procedure at 4 hours depending on how many areas the patient wants treated.
4. Full Results Will Not Be Seen Immediately: The full results will not be seen until the fat cells in the treated area are flushed out of the body. This typically takes two or three months and in some patients 4-6 months.
5. CoolSculpting Does Not Give Free Rein To Eat What You Want: You should continue to follow a healthy diet after you get CoolSculpting. The remaining fat cells will get larger if you gain weight and your old appearance may return. You also want to make sure that you exercise on a regular basis.
6. CoolSculpting Cannot Correct Saggy Skin: Improved skin laxity is not a benefit that comes along with getting CoolSculping. In fact, this procedure can make saggy skin more noticeable as you are reducing the fat in your body (similarly to if you lost a lot of weight from exercising). In order to get rid of excess sagging skin, some patients later make the decision to undergo a tummy tuck to get the smooth belly they’re looking for.