Cryolipolysis: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Zeltiq determines a full treatment to be at least 50 minutes. This is the amount of time it takes to get the fat cells to an optimum cooling point, resulting in damage to the cells.

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive treatment and there are no contraindication for receiving other treatments before or after CoolSculpting. (Michael L. Workman, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

Each treatment cycle is 1 hour unless it is the coolsmooth and until the technology changes with shorter freezing times you are stuck with treating the area for 1 hour for results. (Payman Danielpour, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Cost of Coolsculpting

Each person’s Coolsculpting treatment plan and cost are different; an in-person evaluation is required to determine if you are a good candidate for treatment.

I would recommend finding an experienced provider in your area for a consultation. (Toral Patel, MD, MS, Chicago Dermatologist)

How much does CoolSculpting cost for me?

Everyone needs a personal assessment of their body fat to determine cost and appropriate treatment.

If fat is firm and fibrotic and not too pinchable, we have other ways to address that fibrotic fat. Fat that causes a belly to protrude but is behind the muscle and is not pinchable will not respond to CoolSculpting.

A customized personal assessment will set the correct action plan for you. (Steven Swengel, MD, Los Gatos Dermatologic Surgeon)

CoolScultping is great because it allows for individualized treatments for all patients, but these do require an in-person evaluation. To get a better idea of cost, I recommend finding an experienced provider in your area for evaluation and recommendation. (Carmen Kavali, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Treatment times for cryolipolysis

The CoolSculpting device treatments are 1 hour per area for most treatments. (The outer thighs are a longer treatment time). I would not recommend shortening the treatment time, as your results could be negatively affected.

While it would be okay to have massage to a treated area after the procedure, there may be some slight soreness to the area so you may want to wait a few days to a week or so. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Prices are regulated

Although it would be nice to head over to another state, you probably won’t find too much variation in prices. The prices offices are able to charge for treatments are somewhat regulated by Zeltiq (the company which makes coolsculpt).

They do this to protect practices who have purchased machines from having someone down the street try and slash prices to get more business. It’s a great technology, and in my opinion is worth the money! (David A. Sieber, MD, San Francisco Physician)

Can CoolSculpting be used on neck/chin and upper back?

At this point, CoolSculpting cannot be used on the neck/chin area. It is possible to sometimes treat areas on the upper back however. You would need to have a consultation to determine if you might be a candidate to treat the upper back or not.

There needs to be enough fat to draw into the applicator for the treatment to be successful. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Coolsculpting can be done on the back, off label, but not the face

Currently there no applicators that fit the face or neck. The upper back areas below the bra strap are often done off-label with coolsculpting to reduce fat but it appears to help smoothen areas that have redundant skin. (Ronald Shelton, MD, Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon)

Cool Sculpting is very useful in the upper back.

CoolSculpting is a great tool in the upper back, especially in the area around the bra line. You would not want to use the technology, as it currently exists, around your neck though. The upper back requires specific heads so make sure that the office you are going to has a skilled provider of coolsculpting with a variety of heads for the machine. (Jeremy Pyle, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

Pain after CoolSculpting

That really depends on your tolerance. Some patients prefer to get everything out of the way but it is perfectly fine to split up the treatments. You can expect bruising, swelling, and soreness in the treated areas.

Abdomen tends to be the treatment most patients take it easy on. Wearing compression garments tends to help afterwards. There is a tingling sensation that may last for weeks. For the most part you can go about your day and it won’t bother you.

For others, you may feel a sharp pain which you will need to call your physician up and follow up with him or her. (Robert G. Aycock, MD, FACS, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon)

Coolsculpting and optimal results

you should see a physician that has expertise with coolsculpting. This procedure was developed and perfected by Harvard dermatologists and when you do the procedure, you are not only paying for the technology but the expertise of the person performing the procedure.

Most medispas do not have a physician that is hands on and involved in the process and even if they do, they tend to be a non-core physician (not a dermatologist or plastic surgeon). You are spending a good amount of money and you should be confident that you are in the care of someone that will get you the best possible results. (Omar Ibrahimi, MD, PhD, Stamford Dermatologic Surgeon)

Do new clinics offer discounted CoolSculpting treatments?

If it is a new account then they most definitely could not be on the website yet. Also, once they do get on the website it could take a while for them to be certified.

I would call Zeltiq and check with them to see if the practice is indeed legit before going to them. Other than that I would go on coolsculpting.com and search for a listed practice. (Patrick L. Basile, MD, Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon)

Be Cautious

If they are not on the Coolsculpting website it could be that they are not a legitimate coolsculpting provider. Zeltiq (the Coolsculpting Company) does not allow Coolsculpting providers to post Coolsculpting groupons, and there are many companies out there offering Coolsculpting – like procedures. (Maiysha Clairborne, MD , Atlanta Family Physician)

CoolSculpting for back rolls

CoolSculpting can be used for back rolls, but only 25% of the fat will be removed and there is no skin tightening. This procedure works best for people with small localized areas of fat that need a little improvement, it does not work well in people who have a body mass index (BMI) over 30. (David Finkle, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

Fat Reduction in 2 months

CoolSculpting does help with the fat reduction within 2 months, on average you would see greater results at 4 months. Additionally you may need multiple treatments to achieve the look you desire, which would be done 2 months apart. Liposuction may be a better alternative. You can achieve your result in 4-6 weeks. (Eric P. Bachelor, MD, Pleasanton Plastic Surgeon)

Losing weight before treatment

Reducing water weight will not improve the actual result. However, visualization of the results is better if a patient is near their ideal weight. (Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS, West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon)

Zeltiq the manufacturer of Coolsculpting has excellent office trainers. Usually when a machine is purchased, all practitioners are trained on how to do the procedure and certified by the company. However, each patient’s comfort level with what provider is obviously different.

In our office, our policy is that only the MDs or PAs do the consultation, evaluation, and actual placement of the applicator so that you build a happy relationship with that provider on follow up.

The best way to minimize the stinging feeeling and twinges is to wear tight underwear like Spanx or pantyhose and take tylenol or aleeve. Most symptoms are gone by the end of the second week. (Grace Liu, MD, Newport Beach Dermatologic Surgeon)

Can CoolSculpting be used as a smoothing method?

Coolsculpting will kill fat cells evenly throughout the treatment area. It is likely the irregularities will remain after a treatment. That being said, please schedule a consultation with your surgeon to discuss your options. Have a wonderful day,. (Martin Jugenburg, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Coolsculpting to smooth out bumps

I would be hesitant to suggest Coolsculpting to smooth out liposuction irregularities. It may help in some specific instances, but it would really be based on a physical exam and an understanding on what is contributing to the irregularities (e.g. uneven fat deposits, scar tissue, etc.). I find that a combination of liposuction/fat grafting can help with some irregularities, or if the irregularity is more of a depression, then I have used fillers/Sculptra in the past as well. (Young R. Cho, MD, PhD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

How many Zeltiq treatments recommended on an area and is liposuction possible afterwards?

The number of CoolSculpting (by Zeltiq) treatments needed will vary by individual. I would say an estimate would be between 1 and 3 treatments for most people. It is possible to have liposuction to an area previously treated with CoolSculpting.

I would recommend waiting at least 3-4 months after CoolSculpting before having any liposuction performed to the same area. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)