CoolSculpting Q&A

75%

WORTH IT RATING

360 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average CoolSculpting Cost: $1,525

Learn about CoolSculpting

870 people and 113 doctors are talking about CoolSculpting

Get Free Email Updates

Is Any Damage Done to the Skin During the Fat Freezing Process?

asked 7 months ago by Knarf in Kirkland, WA
Latest answer by Joe Gryskiewicz, MD
Question viewed 492 times
Tags: risk, safety, skin

With the freezing technique, if the fat is frozen, what's happening to the skin? Isn't the skin frozen? Damaged? Why doesn't the skin die?

11 answers to Is Any Damage Done to the Skin During the Fat Freezing Process?

CoolSculpting and your skin

Your skin stays protected by a gel pad that is placed between your skin and the machine. The temperature that the machine cools down to only affects the fat cells, which in turn keeps the skin from getting frost bite... more

Joe Gryskiewicz, MD
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Cool sculpting and Skin Damage?

Thank you for the question.The cool sculpting device is able to “target” the adipose cells because the skin is protected (with gel pads) during the procedure. Freezing of the skin cells requires a lower temperature than does adipose cells. I hope this helps. see video

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

CoolSculpting freezes and kills the fat cells not skin

The scientists of Zeltiq worked out the temperature sensitivities and determined at what temperature the fat cells would perish before the epdiermal cells. It is a selective process and the skin is preserved. see video

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

www.thenyac.com

Coolsculpting procedure done properly protects the skin from freezing.

The coolsculpting device requires that gel pads are placed on the skin to protect it during the procedure. The skin does not freeze because it is protected.

Laurie Casas, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.casas.md

Coolsculpting and the skin

Coolsculpting is a very controlled and sophisticated piece of equipment that applies a temperature that is specific for killing fat cells and is not low enough to damage epidermal (skin) cells.

Steven Hacker, MD
West Palm Beach Dermatologic Surgeon

www.palmbeachdermasurgery.com

Coolsculpting does not damage skin

Coolsculpting does not damage the skin because skin freezes at a lower temperature than fat. After the procedure, the skin is cold and red, but within minutes, it quickly warms to room temperature. Meanwhile, the underlying fat cells commit "suicide," leaving the patient with a more desirable contour after a couple of months.

Melissa Chiang, MD
Houston Dermatologist

www.integratedplasticsurgery.com

Skin remains unharmed after CoolSculpting

During the Zeltiq CoolSculpting process, a soft gel pad is first place on the skin to protect it from the cooling process. Additionally, the fat cells are "frozen" or crystallize at the higher temperature than the skin. Bringing the temperature to a lower temperature than it takes to freeze the fat, but above the temperature that the skin freezes is the basis to the technology.

Jason D. Bloom, MD
Philadelphia Facial Plastic Surgeon

Safety of Coolsculpting, Skin Protection

The skin is protected by a special gel pad which prevents damage. Also, the device constantly monitors the treatment site, if there is any indication that the skin is not properly protected, it will shut down. The CoolSculpting unit accomplishes this by very precise thermal monitoring.

Burton M. Sundin, MD
Richmond Plastic Surgeon

www.drsundin.com

Can the skin be damaged during CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting is safe because fat freezes at a temperature higher than other tissue such as skin, muscle and nerves. The CoolSculpting device will bring the tissue inside the applicator to a temperature above which the skin will be damaged and not below. This allows one to treat an area without damaging the skin. As the other commenters aptly noted there is also a gel pad which provides some protection.

Ted Brezel, MD
Long Island Dermatologist

No Skin Damage during CoolSculpting

Fat freezing or CoolSculpting by Zeltig destroys fat cells by a process referred to as cryolipolysis. Skin and fat are suctioned into a mechanical head with freezing panels, and over 1 hour the tissue is frozen. About 20% of the fat cells develop ice crystals inside the cell and are destroyed by the body over the next 8-12 weeks. In the early studies with Zeltig there were cases of frostbite and skin death. The company then developed a protective gel pad that is... more

David Finkle, MD
Omaha Plastic Surgeon

www.bodybyfinkle.com

No damage to the skin with Coolsculpting

Coolsculpting does not damage the skin during treatment. Fat cells are more susceptible to cold and are destroyed at higher temperatures that skin cells are. This difference in freezing temperatures allows the fat cells to be destroyed without damaging the overlying skin. The skin is also protected by a gel pad during the treatment.