Dr. Stewart is passionate in helping her patients feel comfortable in their own skin. She has over 29 years of experience when it comes to medical and cosmetic dermatology. She stays updated with the latest technology and advancement in dermatology and strives to provide her patients with new and proven treatments to better improve their lives.
A: The first thing I would say is that there is likely no permanent damage from the situation that you describe. My second piece of advice would be to seek a new appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist who specializes in and is highly experienced in cosmetic procedures. It astonishes me that women will often seek out the lowest prices for Botox and other injectables with little care or thought of who is administering those products. Seek out an experienced professional and I believe you will be fine. Adrienne Stewart MD FAAD
A: I have never heard of any situations where a CoolSculpting treatment has caused the type of symptoms you describe. I understand the obvious correlation you may discern given the timing of your problems occurring after treatment. This procedure is very superficial and should not cause the type of condition you have experienced. Adrienne Stewart MD FAAD
A: I do not use CoolTech in my practice. I use CoolSculpting in combination with other fat removal modalities i.e. radiofrequency and ultrasound. From the little I know about CoolTech, it is a similar process in that it freezes the fat to kill a certain percentage of fat cells. I believe this technology involves a 1 hour process whereas the new CoolSculptig process is only 35 minutes. I hope this helps. Adrienne Stewart MD FAAD
A: The new CoolSculpting machines require 35 minutes. The fact that you got 30 minutes is within the margin of error and probably is not a situation where you got "shortchanged". Having said, that my office probably would have offered a discount on the second procedure but because of safety reasons certainly would not have repeated the procedure over the same area after the dislodging of the handpiece.. With regard to your question about second or even third sessions, it really depends on how much you are trying to lose in a given treatment area. The fat cells killed per session are about 20%. I believe that second sessions are extremely effective in many cases. We use combination therapies with radiofrequency and ultrasound used in conjunction with CoolSculpting. I would recommend that you speak with your practitioner about your concerns. Adrienne Stewart MD FAAD
A: It is difficult to say why your dermatologist might have recommended this protocol although it is not unusual to do a light peel a month or so prior to laser treatment. It really depends on the type of peel and the type of laser procedure. If your dermatologist is a board-certified dermatologist who is experienced in cosmetic dermatology as opposed to medical dermatology the advice will be well-founded. You of course could go to another cosmetic dermatologist for second opinion prior to treatment. Adrienne Stewart MD FAAD