Your results last forever after CoolSculpting. Those fat cells are gone and cant receive any new fat nor can they get smaller because they are gone. This is the same as liposuction. (Robert Graper, MD, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)
How long does CoolSculpting last?
While studies have shown that the fat cells that die following CoolSculpting are permanently gone it is possible for the remaining fat cells to enlarge in a given area making the area appear to get larger.
Therefore, it is important that patients continue to exercise and eat right before and after the treatment. (Cody A. Koch, MD, PhD, Des Moines Facial Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting and SculpSure deliver permanent results
CoolSculpting and SculpSure both eliminate on average 25% of the targeted subcutaneous fat. Both are FDA approved, CoolSculpting uses cold to destroy the fat cells and SculpSure uses a laser to heat and destroy the fat cells.
CoolSculpting Is Clinically Proven To Produce Permanent Results
We are all born with a finite number of fat cells in our body. Fluctuations in weight cause the fat cells to enlarge or shrink. If those fat cells are removed or destroyed, they are permanently gone, our bodies do not regenerate new fat cells.
So, if treated with either of these modalities the results are permanent. (David Finkle, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)
It’s permanent. Typically about 20-30% of the fat cells in the treated area die during a treatment. This is a very effective and safe way to treat “pockets” of fat such as on the tummy, legs, chin, etc.
That being said, this is similar to many forms of fat destruction and if you maintain a healthy lifestyle you’ll likely have wonderful results for a long time. (Douglas Halliday, PhD, MD, , Syracuse Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Once the fat cells die, your body naturally disposes of them and they are then permanently gone. You want to be at a stable weight you can maintain when doing CoolSculpting treatments and other cosmetic treatments.
First check with your plastic surgeon and a Certified CoolSculpting office to see if you are a candidate for CoolSculpting before doing any treatments. (Jeffrey M. Hartog, DMD, MD, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)
Gaining weight after CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting freezes the fat cells and then your body gets rid of the fat cells. This procedure does not prevent you from gaining weight. The remaining fat cells in your body will enlarge. Best to watch your diet and exercise before and after the CoolSculpting treatment. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)
Fat gain after liposuction or CoolSculpting by Zeltiq
Energy in = Energy Used + Energy Stored. Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting can reduce the fat volume in one area 20% at four months. This is not as much as liposuction can remove. If a person is somewhat overweight, but their weight is stable, that means that they are eating more calories than their body needs to use for energy and basl metabolic rate (the normal bodily functions such as heart beating, lungs breathing, etc.)
The excess calories are then stored as fat. If one is stable, and then removes some fat whether with liposuction or Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting, but the diet and exercise regimen don’t change, then there still might be an abundance of calories consumed compared to those needed and there will be an increase in fat.
That fat can be stored in the same cells that are still remaining in the sites that underwent the Zeltiq CoolSculpting and/or in other body sites. (Ronald Shelton, MD, Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon)
Are the effects of CoolSculpting permanent?
The nice thing about CoolSculpting is that it not only removes the fat but also removes the fat cells. As as a result of the cooling process and the freezing of the fat the fat cells will be removed.
Since the number of fat cells we have are stable once we reach our adult years this removal is permanent I.e. these fat cells will not return. Of course, having CoolSculpting cannot (like any other fat reduction procedure) prevent you from putting on weight.
However since the number of fat cells in the treated area have been permanently reduced the amount of fat increase in the treated area will be less as a result of the prior CoolSculpting treatment. (Ted Brezel, MD, Long Island Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting is a permanent reduction in fat
Coolsculpting is a procedure that results in the permanent apoptosis or death of fat cells. Those cells that die are removed naturally through the body’s metabolic system. That fat does not return in that area or any other area of the body. (Steven Hacker, MD, West Palm Beach Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting and weight gain
If you gain weight after Coolsculpting, you may find a disproportionate weight gain in the non-treated areas. The treated areas will have a permanent fat cell reduction. The existing cells can expand, but there are fewer of them.
Having said that, I recommend that you consider this body contouring procedure when your weight is stable as you will enjoy a long lasting result. (Young R. Cho, MD, PhD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting Is Permanent
CoolSculpting® fat reduction, like liposuction, is permanent. The fat that is destroyed will not return. If you gain weight, the remaining fat cells will increase in size, but the number of fat cells will not multiply.
The exception to this “rule” is that if you become morbidly obese, then the fat cells will multiply and you will undo the effects of the procedure. Pregnancy will not change the number of fat cells; the weight gain will increase the size of the cells, and they should return to their pre-pregnancy state after weight loss.
Repeated treatments are safe, and there are no long-term health effects related to the treatments. (Louis C. Cutolo, Jr., MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)
If you gain a large amount of weight all fat cells everywhere get larger. Yes you can do liposuction a second time in the same area, but with laser lipo and Vaser ultrasound lipo, there is some scarring underneath the skin, which makes a second procedure harder.
This is not true with CoolSculpting, Yes, you can safely and effectively do multiple procedures in the same areas with CoolSculpting and yes, I am impressed with the results. There are no cancer risks seen over the history of liposuction, i.e. suction trauma, heat injury with lasers or using cold during treatment as with CoolSculpting. (Douglas J. Key, MD, Portland Dermatologic Surgeon)
The CoolSculpting Fat Loss is Permanent
CoolSculpting causes fat cells to be frozen and irreversibly undergo a process of cell death. Thus, this fat is permanently eliminated. If you gain weight, as with pregnancy, the remaining fat cells could expand. However, for patients who maintain their weight and continue to live a healthy lifestyle, the results should continue for many years.
At this point, some have observed several years of continued improvement after CoolSculpting, but no one can say at this point that it only lasts 10-15 years. To answer your other questions, repeated treatments in the same area are indeed safe.
There is no known cancer risk or long-term tissue damage. (Ryan Greene, MD, PhD, Fort Lauderdale Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Lasting effects from CoolSculpting
The fat cells that reach the designated cooling temperature are gone. You do need to remember that CoolSculpting is not meant to be a weight loss procedure, but a fat pocket targeting procedure.
Patients who show the best results are those who are close to their ideal weight who have isolated areas of fat accumulation that are not responding to exercise or diet. Fat cells themselves do not multiply, but they can expand and weight gain that is not muscle will certainly enlarge fat cells over the entire body, including in the same areas where you were treated.
The treatment is FDA approved and safe. The affected fat cells disintegrate slowly and are swept out of the body in a way that does not trigger increased blood fats. The skin does not “freeze” at the same temperature as fat cells, so no collateral damage occurs.
There has been no correlation to cancer risks. (Rebecca Fitzgerald, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting-induced Fat Cell Death is Irreversible and a Permanent Process
CoolSculpting offers a highly effective and biologically selective non-invasive modality to eliminate fat. The results so far have been permanent with some of the earliest treatments having been performed more than five years ago, and the areas if excess fat have not returned.
CoolSculpting-induced Fat Cell Death is Irreversible and a Permanent Process, therefore this explains the lasting results that we are seeing. With CoolSculpting the fat cell actually dies and then in gradually eliminated after the treatment over the following few months.
Maximum results from treatment may be seen after two to three months. (Leyda Elizabeth Bowes, MD (not practicing), Miami Dermatologic Surgeon)
The fat cells that get frozen off in a coolsculpting treatment are permanently eliminated from your body. In a best case scenario, you can expect up to 35% of the fat cells in a treated area to be permanently frozen.
Revolutionary Treatment Uses Its Patented Cryolipolysis Technology
That is why it is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise so you can get the best results from your coolsculpting procedure.
There is no harm in doing multiple treatments to the same area. It is done often. There have been no long term adverse effects with the coolsculpting treatment, but please remember that the treatment is still very young (only a few years old).
It is important that you discuss everything with your provider prior to committing to a coolsculpting treatment. (Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS, Sherman Oaks General Surgeon)
Are Coolsculpting results TRULY permanent? Also, are repeated treatments safe?
Coolsculpting treatments are permanent as fat cells are removed (similar to liposuction results). When you gain weight, such as in pregnancy, you do not gain more fat cells but the current ones expand. These can shrink back again if you lose weight. (Daniel Shapiro, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)