CoolSculpting is used for fat reduction to create body contouring, but it will not tighten saggy skin. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting does not tighten skin
CoolSculpting or fat freezing does not tighten skin. If there is a lot of loose skin then skin removal would be necessary. However, the new laser fat reduction machine, SculpSure, has shown some promise in skin tightening.
SculpSure is non-surgical, no down time and FDA indicated for fat reduction in the abdomen and flanks. Some off label uses of SculpSure has demonstrated skin tightening, probably due to the heat generated by the laser. (David Finkle, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting is used to permanently reduce the number of fat cells in your body.
CoolSculpting is a phenomenal non-invasive technology for the reduction of excess fatty tissue without surgery.
Patients with good skin elasticity tend to see some skin shrinking as the fatty tissue is removed by the body’s lymphatic system however patients with extreme skin laxity and excess fat may need to consider other treatment modalities to address the laxity. (Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
Zeltiq will work on super tone bodies but not on loose skin
Zeltiq is amazing for isolated areas but not for loose skin. When you have loose skin, you will need surgery to cut the skin and take out the fat. (Michele S. Green, MD, New York Dermatologist)
Does skin sag after fat loss from CoolSculpting?
If there is no sagging skin before a CoolSculpting treatment, there should not be any afterwards. The skin is normally elastic enough to contour to the new shape. The treatment does not normally produce any skin tightening however, so if there is sagging skin before the treatment, this will not be improved after the procedure. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Skin quality after coolsculpting
Coolsculpting , freezing fat, causes a slow breakdown of fat cells. If the skin elasticity is good prior to treatment it should remain. Because the process is slow the skin can sometimes retract and appear tighter than before.
However it will not tighten and area that has stretch marks. Before your treatment an evaluation will be performed (Helena Guarda, MD, Suffolk Plastic Surgeon)
Skin tightening with Coolsculpt
Coolsculpting is FDA approved for reducing fat in specific areas; It is not FDA indicated for skin tightening, however, there was a recent paper published in the Dermatologic Surgery in which both patients and physicians were asked if they had noticed skin tightening after the procedure and the answer was :YES.
To find out if you are a good candidate for Coolsculpt, it is best to have an in person consult and at that time they will discuss the cost for your optimal treatment transformation with the recommended number of cycles. (Quenby Erickson, DO, FAAD, FACMS, Chicago Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting and Loose Skin
Coolsculpting does very little on lose skin, I often combine it with other skin tightening procedures such as velashape or venus legacy. (Jason Emer, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting and the Abdomen
Coolsculpting is a fabulous procedure for the abdomen. To determine the correct applicator that you will need you need to come in person for evaluation. Coolsculpting will not help loose skin. I often use Thermage in combination with Coolsculpting for these purposes. (Michele S. Green, MD, New York Dermatologist)
Coolsculpting and skin
Coolsculpting is a great option to spot reduce fat pockets noninvasively. Because the coolsculpting works slowly by causing the fat cells to die and be reabsorbed, there tends not to be any increased laxity after treatment.
Quite the opposite, there is sometimes a skin retraction that is helpful in some patients. Coolsculpting tends to work best in patients who have a little give in their skin. However, in patients with significant laxity, it will likely not be the best option. (Kyle Coleman, MD, New Orleans Dermatologic Surgeon)
Skin sagging post CS
If you had loose skin in the area being treated prior to having a CoolSculpting treatment, then once the fat is removed from that area, the skin will continue to be loose. CoolSculpting is not meant to tighten skin, however, there are times when patients have a nice result with the skin post CS treatment. Prior to starting any type of treatment I would advise speaking to your board certified plastic surgeon to ensure this is the right procedure for you to get you overall optimal results. (Randolph Capone, MD, FACS, Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting shrinks fat. How your skin responds depends on it’s elasticity to start with. If you have very loose skin, it will remain loose afterwards. Most patients having coolsculpting have decent skin quality and their skin contours well as the fat shrinks. (Sanjiv Kayastha, MD, Albany Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting, like liposuction does NOT inherently tighten the skin, it simply destroys the fat cells. The skins response depends on the underlying elasticity of the skin, which is affected by age and prior weight gain or pregnancy.
That being said, most peoples skin does not look worse after coolsculpting especially just one round. If one were to do aggressive liposuction or 3-4 rounds of coolsculpting on a person with loose skin, it could look worse.
Radiofrequency therapies suchs as venus, velashape, exilis, trusculpt can tone and tighten the skin in conjunction with coolsculpting to a degree. But, If you truly have a descent amount of excess skin, an abdominoplasty is the best option if you are willing to undergo surgery.
If you do not want to have surgery but want to look better in clothing and and get rid of some fat, you still could be a candidate for coolsculpting. In fact, my typical patient for coolsculpting is in their 40-50s and has had children and are happy.
Its just important to have the right expectations. I would recommend an in person consult with a plastic surgeon who performs both tummy tucks and coolsculpting in order to get an honest opinion. We offer free consults at both our richmond office and tysons corner locations. (Reps B. Sundin, MD, Washington DC Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting and skin shrinkage
it has been shown that coolsculpting does help with skin shrinkage. the inflammatory effect from the chilling probably causes some skin improvement. (Jason Pozner, MD, Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting and Skin Tightening
Coolsculpting reduces the bulge in a given area but does not tighten up the skin. Since the fat loss is gradual over several months (unlike liposuction), the skin will shrink back with the area of fat that was treated.
If you have skin laxity, I recommend Thermage to tighten the skin through radiofreqeuncy heat to produce new collagen. (Michele S. Green, MD, New York Dermatologist)
Coolsculpting mechanism of action
Coolsculpting kills fat cells using a controlled cooling protocol. In my clinical experience, I have seen the skin adapt to the area treated and there is no loose skin left afterwards.
If you concern is having loose skin following Coolsculpting, I would advise this is unlikely unless you already have an excess amount of loose skin prior to the procedure. (Omar Ibrahimi, MD, PhD, Stamford Dermatologic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting is great in helping the reduction of the amount of fat cells, but is not meant to fix the skin laxity. Also, cryolipolisis is great when you are close to your goal weight.
This is not a weight loss treatment, so there will be no change in weight from the treatment. It would be best to see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to see what the best options are for you.
You may be able to do CoolSculpting and it can help some with the fat reduction, but it may take multiple treatments to get the reduction you are looking for. (Jeffrey M. Hartog, DMD, MD, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)
CS versus Tummy Tuck pros and cons
CoolSculpting (CS) will help the outer fat/skin bulge but not improve the laxity of the abdominal “corset”.
In both cases, any fat “lost” by either procedure will be redistributed elsewhere if you do not reduce calories or expend more calories. Many of my patients will start with CS along their “muffin top” and return at a later date when they are ready for the “Mommy Make-over”. (Dean P. Kane, MD, FACS, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting post pregnancy
You should consult in person with a board certified physician who can offer surgical and coolsculpting options to determine which procedure is best for you. (Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS, West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon)
An examination of abdomen would really be needed to know for sure if you would be a good candidate for cryolipolysis, but s, I would say that you could obtain some improvement with the procedure.
Of course, surgery can produce the most dramatic results, but cryolipolysis can decrease the volume of fat in the treated area. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)