The CoolSculpting treatment is very effective, with a 20-25% reduction in fat with each treatment. But, not everyone is a suitable candidate for the treatment.
The most common reason why people don’t see noticeable results from the treatment are because they weren’t candidates to begin with, or it wasn’t explained to them that they will need multiple treatments to get the optimal results.
We are very selective with our candidate selection and for this reason we have seen excellent results in everyone we have treated who has followed our recommended treatment plan. (Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS, Sherman Oaks General Surgeon)
Coolsculpting Procedure Results
There are many studies that show coolsculpting gives improvements in patients who are good candidates. Many need multiple treatments or are not candidates. I see patients daily in my practice for hi definition procedures or contouring that just didn’t get the results they expected from a single coolsculpting procedure. (Jason Emer, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting results
I believe coolculpting is a good option for fat reduction but I prefer liposuction in the majority of cases. I definitely have seen great results with Coolsculpting but I’ve found people with more dense fat that doesn’t pull into the coolscupting applicator tend to have poor results or require many more treatments to see improvement.
If a business offers one option for treating fat they will tend to push that on patients whether they are the ideal patient or not. This is not always true of course but I do think you will get a more honest answer whether you are a good candidate if you see a surgeon who can offer you liposuction.
In addition, to achieve a noticeable or excellent result you may end up requiring 8-12 treatments which can be more expensive than many are willing to spend. If you need more treatments and only pay for one for each area you will likely be unhappy with the outcome. (Josh Olson, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)
Make Sure You Are A Good Candidate For Coolsculpting
Coolsculpting reliably targets and destroys 20-25% of fat cells in the skin. However, it does not reduce visceral fat – the deep fat normally found in our bodies that wraps around organs. Visceral fat can contribute to our shape.
For example, it can cause a distended abdomen even in individuals that do not have than much fat deposited in their skin. It is strange to get no results from Coolsculpting. It’s more likely that people who are not seeing results were poor candidates for the procedure, or primarily had visceral fat deposits.
As with any cosmetic procedure, it is always important to meet with your physician before any treatment, have a formal evaluation and ensure that there are realistic expectations. (Adam J. Mamelak, MD, Austin Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting selectively freezes fat cells to induce programmed cell death, and there are many satisfied patients. However, not everyone is a good candidate for coolsculpting. There have to be realistic expectations and patients require a physical examination to see if coolsculpting would be the right procedure for them. (Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS, Washington Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting fairly reliably reduces fat
Coolsculpting wouldn’t have lasted for over 6 years without being effective. It will reduce fat by about 22 % in the treated area. We just incorporated Z wave to increase results by up to 60%. This is included with all of our procedures.
It is an additional 5 minutes and painless. There us a very small percentage of clients, less than 5 percent, that don’t get results as described. (Steven F. Weiner, MD, Panama City Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting or liposuction
If you are looking for a non-invasive way to get rid of fat, then cools sculpting is an option for you. Both liposuction and coolsculpting can provide a slimmer abdomen and defined waist. I would suggest you have a consult in person where your skin elasticity and desired out comes can be evaluated in person. (Steven H. Dayan, MD, Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon)
The benefits of CoolSculpting over liposuction for patients like yourself is that it is completely non-invasive and without downtime. It may also end up being more cost effective.
Depending on your goals, you may need a couple of rounds of treatment to attain your optimal results. I would treat at least the upper and lower abdomen to start. (Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS, Sherman Oaks General Surgeon)
Liposuction can potentially remove more fat in a single treatment session, but it is invasive and there is a recovery period involved. CoolSculpting is a great option to avoid a recovery period and a non-invasive alternative to liposuction.
It is possible that more than one CoolSculpting session could be needed to obtain your desired results however. (Michael I. Echavez, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting was created for patients who are active and fit, but are having problems getting rid of stubborn fat.
Due to the way this procedure is designed, you will need to have several applications in different parts of your body in order to achieve the results you are looking for. For example lower and upper abdomen and possibly the flank area. (Steven Swengel, MD, Los Gatos Dermatologic Surgeon)
Many options available to contour the abdomen
We live in a wonderful time period. There are so many options available to contour the abdomen and flanks, some surgical and some non surgical. Many times we use a combination of both. Here are a small list of those options:
- Liposuction
- Tummy tuck
- CoolSculpting
- SculpSure
- Endermologie….and there are many more.
Please see a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in body contouring procedures to help choose the right modality for you. (David Finkle, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)
Patients who have stubborn reserves of fat (on the abdomen, flanks, or thighs) but are otherwise fairly fit often experience excellent results with CoolSculpting. Patients may see a as much as a 25% improvement in abdominal fat volume when treated by a physician experienced with CoolSculpting. (Jill C. Fichtel, MD, Columbus Dermatologic Surgeon)
Coolsculpting is great if your have pockets or areas of pinchable fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. You can get a 25% fat loss on the treatment area per cycle; fat loss is permanent and there is no downtime. (Justin Harper, MD, Columbus Physician)
Coolsculpting vs. Liposonix
Both Coolsculpting and Liposonix are ideal for people who are in shape and at, or near, their goal weight. Neither procedure is about weight loss but rather body sculpting or contouring. Without seeing you in person, or at least some detailed photos, it’s impossible to say if you are a candidate for one, both, or neither.
We tend to favor Coolsculpting because the results are great, there’s no downtime and it’s quick, easy and comfortable for patients. (Grant Stevens, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)
Non-invasive Treatments for Specific Areas of Stubborn Fat
Remember Coolsculpting is not a weight loss solution. CoolSculpting is specifically for stubborn areas of fat that are pinchable and soft.
We offer CoolSculpting combined with Zwave therapy at no extra cost at our clinic. By combining Zwave, we see an additional reduction of fat as opposed to doing CoolSculpting alone. (Manish Khanna, MD, FRCP(C), Montreal Dermatologic Surgeon)
It depends on the type of fat and desired results.
Coolsculpting is the gold standard for non-invasive fat reduction but there are some issues. Although rare, some people have developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH) where the fat in the treated area actually gets bigger.
I had this happen to me, so I did not want to treat other areas with Coolsculpting. I used the new SculpSure laser which was more painful but work very well. I then treated the area where I developed PAH with Sculpsure as well and I am seeing the fat shrinking away.
Liposonix has been around for a while but never caught on. I don’t have experience with this device but I would think that if it worked well, it would be more prevalent. You may want to consider some minimally invasive liposuction options as well since the results are much more consistent, especially in experienced hands.
The latest technique is J-Plasma lipo which I love because the healing is so fast and down time is minimal. (Hung William Song, MD, Oakland Physician)
The “gold standard” in spot non invasive fat removal is Coolsculpting. Find an experienced provider who has the new treatment heads. (Maurice M. Vick, Jr., MD, Baton Rouge Urologist)
Is Coolsculpting right for me?
This procedure works best on people who are at a health weight but who have pockets of unwanted fat. Coolsculpting is not weight loss but rather is a body contouring system that allows us to re-shape the body by spot treating areas that are resistant to diet and exercise.
We can sculpt an hour glass shape, flatten tummy bulges and even create a bigger “breezeway” between the inner thighs. If you are looking for a non-invasive fat reduction treatment that permanently removes fat with no needles, no risk, and no downtime then this is s perfect procedure for you! (Marcia Fleming, MD, Vancouver Physician)