Coolsculpting kills about 25% of the fat in the area treated. When fat needs to be stored, it will cause the remaining fat cells to get bigger. Believe me, the body will find a place to put the fat.
Rarely, it will store it areas of fat that aren’t your usual trouble areas. I haven’t seen this with Coolsculpting but I have heard it described for patients that have had liposuction. (Steven F. Weiner, MD, Panama City Facial Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSclupting fat destruction
The fat that breaks down after CoolSculpting is eliminated as waste. The reaming fat cells of the body elsewhere can of course expand, so this is not a weight loss treatment, rather a shaping treatment.
CoolSculpting Involves The Freezing Of Excess Fat Cells Under The Skin
You should continue a healthy diet and exercise regimen to ensure you don’t gain weight. (Reza Momeni, MD FACS, Summit Plastic Surgeon)
Where does the fat go?
We have been performing CoolSculpting for seven years now and I always tell patients that CoolSculpting reduces a certain percentage of the fat cells in the treated area. I emphasize to patients that this is a good motivation to have a healthy exercise and diet regimen because if you gain weight, the remaining fat cells can expand or your body can expand fat cells in another part of your body such as your thighs or hips. (Grace Liu, MD, Newport Beach Dermatologic Surgeon)
Where is the fat cells stored after coolsculpting?
Coolsculpting remove a percentage of fat cells per treatment area. You will still have capacity, but not as much as before, to store fat at the treated areas. This is why Coolsculpting is not a treatment to lose weight, but more for reshaping/contouring.
For best results, it is recommended being close to your ideal body weight before initiating Coolsculpting treatments and maintaining a healthy lifestyle after treatments. (Alain Michon, MD, Ottawa Physician)
Coolsculpting and cellulite
Cellfina is an FDA-approved treatment to help smooth away cellulite dimples with long-lasting results. Our patients are extremely satisfied with Cellfina results. (Andrew T. Lyos, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting will not help with cellulite.
Coolsculpting will not help with cellulite, in fact we discuss that in some cases it can make cellulite worse.
Why? This is because cellulite is caused by septae or bands of collagen that can not be easily broken down with non -invasive procedures.
Now, if fat is reduced reliably (for example with Coolsculpting), the amount of fat is less per given area, but the septal bands still remains. This gives the illusion of worsening of cellulite. All good Coolsculptors will discuss this issue with patients BEFORE Coolsculpting.
Cellulite bands can be broken down with Celfina, another process that is different form Coolsculpting. (Davin Lim, MBBS, FACD, Brisbane Dermatologist)
Coolsculpting and Second Treatment
Results are not seen for 3 months yet people tell you to come back at 4-6 weeks. I suggest waiting to see if the treatment worked.
If you don’t see a result in 6 weeks then consider another treatment or an alternative option. (Jason Emer, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)
Wait 6 weeks before your next procedure
I usually recommend waiting about 6 weeks between CoolSculpting procedures. That being said, it takes about 2 months for patients to see peak results. In one of the largest studies done on CoolSculpting, an average 23% decrease in fat layer thickness, measured by calipers, was seen after 3 months. (Jill C. Fichtel, MD, Columbus Dermatologic Surgeon)
coolsculpting selectively freezes fat cells to induce programmed cell death. If your surgeon has examined you already, it is quite possible that your fat can be treated with coolsculpting effectively. (Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS, Washington Facial Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting causes permanent fat loss
If you can pinch those areas they can be treated. I believe that CoolSculpting would be an option. I would need an in person exam to be able to tell for sure. CoolSculpting does cause a small amount of skin tightening but cannot be advertised that way. (Robert Whitfield, MD, FACS, Austin Plastic Surgeon)
Cellulite
Unfortunately CoolSculpting does not address Cellulite. You may want to look into a treatment like Cellfina for that. (Janet Allenby, DO, Delray Beach Dermatologic Surgeon)
Possible but how much do you want to lose?
I don’t use CoolSculpting for breast reduction in men or women. Though it is not FDA-cleared for that purpose, some doctors have used it to decrease breast size in men who have developed gynecomastia.
CoolSculpting will affect fat cells only – and only those affected by the “handle”. It does not affect breast tissue. Note that only 20% of the fat (excluding muscles) are lost per cycle. Also, the effect may be slower than you expect. So weigh things carefully.(Justin Harper, MD, Columbus Physician)
No results after 3 months post Coolsculpting – More cycles may be necessary
It is hard to comment without seeing before and after pictures and at best a formal in-person evaluation. Patients that are good candidates to Coolsculpting do benefits from multiple cycles/treatments. Adding the Zimmer Zwave to Coolsculpting will give you even better results. (Alain Michon, MD, Ottawa Physician)
No changes seen 3 months after CoolSculpting
Ideally, an exam of you would be helpful to give you the best advice as to whether you should have another CoolSculpting treatment or not. For many people, more than one session is needed to obtain the desired improvement.
The exam is helpful in determining whether there is enough superficial fat to treat and it would be beneficial to see your photos before and after your treatment. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting Results–Add Radiofrequency, Thermage, Vanquish, Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra
It can take about 3-6 months to see your final results. For best results with Coolsculpting, I recommend a combination approach. I recommend adding radiofrequency treatments like Vanquish, Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra for skin tightening and with Z wave/Cellutone for skin smoothing.
However, you may be a better candidate for liposuction. VASER with ThermiRF is a great alternative if you want a more contouring and defined look. Often multiple sessions of coolsculpting combinations are needed for nonsurgical results if you are a candidate. (Jason Emer, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)
Second coolsculpting session
One of the main criteria used for candidacy is bmi (body mass index), if your bmi is greater than 27 and below 30, then you will likely need a second session.
I stress this is only one of several criteria for candidacy. Below 27, then usually one session should produce changes but it depends on skin /fat/muscle quality, treatment area etc which photos /exam can better distinguish. (Drew Varano, MD, Washington DC Physician)
Is cool sculpting or regular liposuction better
Everyone has a different goal and tolerances of what they want to achieve with body contouring. If you are going to do CS on multiple body areas, multiple times then the cost of CS and liposuction are about the same.
Liposuction will definitively give you the most complete result in one treatment. So if you want to be completely effective and efficient, lipo may be the best choice. If you want to minimize downtime, incisions and discomfort at the price of completeness, then CS may be the best choice. (Robert Graper, MD, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)
CoolSculpting vs Liposuction
CoolSculpting and Liposuction can both be very effective in fat reduction when performed by experienced physicians. Which would be better for you really comes down to your goals and how aggressive you are willing to be.
You are correct that you will require multiple treatments of CoolSculpting to achieve the optimal results, but this may still end up being more cost effective than doing Liposuction on all those areas.
Liposuction is also a surgical procedure, and comes with the risks of any surgical procedure: downtime, scars, fluid build up, etc.
If you are willing to accept those risks then it may be the option for you. I think the best thing to do is to get an in-person consultation.
During a consultation your goals can be discussed in detail with your provider to determine which option would be best for you. (Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS, Sherman Oaks General Surgeon)
Сoolsculpting selectively freezes fat cells to induce programmed cell death. The goal of both coolsculpting and liposuction is to eliminate fat cells.
With coolsculpting, this is accomplished without surgery, anesthesia, compression garments or downtime. Which procedure is best for you depends on many factors.
you would be best served to have have an in person consultation with doctors who perform coolsculpting AND doctors who perform liposuction , in order to see if you are a candidate for either procedure. (Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS, Washington Facial Plastic Surgeon)