CoolSculpting® Elite is FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental (under the chin) and submandibular (under the jawline) areas, thigh, abdomen, and flank, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks (also known as banana roll), and upper arm. It is also FDA-cleared to affect the appearance of lax tissue with submental area treatments.
The applicator will be placed on the treatment area, and there will be a slight sucking sensation as it adheres to your body, followed by that signature cooling effect. During the procedure you may experience sensations of pulling, tugging, mild pinching, intense cold, tingling, stinging, aching, and cramping at the treatment site. These sensations subside as the area becomes numb. Following the procedure, typical side effects include temporary redness, swelling, blanching, bruising, firmness, tingling, stinging, tenderness, cramping, aching, itching, or skin sensitivity, and sensation of fullness in the back of the throat after submental or submandibular area treatment.
After the applicator is detached, your provider will do a brief massage on the area to break up the treated fat cells and enhance the fat reduction. That’s it!
Each CoolSculpting® treatment is different, so it depends on which areas of the body and how many of them you plan on doing. Depending on the area, treatment can be done in as little as 35 minutes. If you opt to do multiple treatments in a session, expect to spend more time. The CoolSculpting® machines feature dual applicators, allowing patients to do multiple treatment areas at once, reducing the amount of time spent in office as compared to using 1 CoolSculpting applicator.
While you will see up to a 20-25% fat reduction in the treated area after a single treatment, it depends on the person and the area being treated. Your provider will work with you to determine if additional treatments are necessary to reach your desired goal.
You’ll start to see changes as soon as 1-3 months posttreatment. Final results may take 6 months or more.
CoolSculpting® uses cryolipolysis, which is just a technical way to say fat freezing. When fat cells freeze, they die and are then naturally eliminated through the body’s natural process. Don’t worry: This process happens so gradually, you won’t necessarily notice a difference in your day-to-day life.
CoolSculpting® has been cleared by the FDA to safely and effectively treat 9 different areas of the body (see the FDA-cleared areas below).
The CoolSculpting® treatment is not for everyone. You should not have it done if you suffer from cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease, or paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria. The CoolSculpting® procedure is not a weight loss treatment. As with any medical procedure, ask your physician if CoolSculpting® is right for you.
Following the procedure, typical side effects include temporary redness, swelling, blanching, bruising, firmness, tingling, stinging, tenderness, cramping, aching, itching, or skin sensitivity, and sensation of fullness in the back of the throat after submental or submandibular area treatment. Rare side effects may also occur. Paradoxical hyperplasia (visibly enlarged tissue volume in the treated area) may develop 2 to 5 months after treatment and requires surgical intervention for correction. As with any medical procedure, ask your physician if CoolSculpting® is right for you.
The CoolSculpting® treatment helps eliminate stubborn pockets of fat. But, since CoolSculpting® is not a weight loss treatment, it is possible to gain weight posttreatment if you don’t keep up your healthy habits. This kind of weight gain will most likely happen evenly throughout your body, not just in treatment areas.
Changes may be visible as early as three weeks after your treatment. You will continue to see results as your body continues to flush out fat cells and this may continue for 4-6 months after the treatment.