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Hi everyone. I had my procedure done three days...
Hi everyone. I had my procedure done three days ago. I'm inspired by a lot of the posts on here so I've decided to document my experience. I hope that my results are as great as some of the ones I've already seen on this website.
I first had a consultation with a certified Coolsculting technician associated with the dermatologists practice. After our consulation, we decided that I would have two of the large applicators placed on my lower abdomen. The day of the procedure I was walked through the process by a friendly office staff member who provided me with a robe, flip flops, socks and tea. It felt like being at a spa.
After having my pictures taken, an RN came in to mark the area to be treated. She then applied a cool jelly-like cloth pad to protect the area and then placed the large appplicator. How did it feel? To me, the suction felt like my lower abdomen was getting a mammogram. The first 2 minutes or so were uncomfortable, but not unbearable. The process with the first applicator lasted an hour, which went by fast because I was on the phone with friends. After the applicator was removed my skin was bright pink and the frozen area looked like what's been described as a large stick of butter. The area was massaged and the stick of butter flattened. I didn't feel any pain. The area was just numb. The same process was followed for the other side of my lower abdomen. This time I fell asleep because I had noone else to call and the Netflix in the room wasn't working.
The entire process from check-in to check-out lasted 3 1/2 hours.
Here's a snapshot of what I've felt:
Day 1 - No pain. The area is a bright pink. No bruising. The treated area is numb.
Day 2 - The treated area feels like it's suffering from a throbbing headache with fluid swishing around from side-to-side. Still numb. Skin color is back to normal. Some minor bruising.
Day 3 - The throbbing sensation from yesterday has decreased about 80%. The bruising has minimized and the area is still numb.
I'll keep updating as I progress and I'll post pictures as soon as I can.
I first had a consultation with a certified Coolsculting technician associated with the dermatologists practice. After our consulation, we decided that I would have two of the large applicators placed on my lower abdomen. The day of the procedure I was walked through the process by a friendly office staff member who provided me with a robe, flip flops, socks and tea. It felt like being at a spa.
After having my pictures taken, an RN came in to mark the area to be treated. She then applied a cool jelly-like cloth pad to protect the area and then placed the large appplicator. How did it feel? To me, the suction felt like my lower abdomen was getting a mammogram. The first 2 minutes or so were uncomfortable, but not unbearable. The process with the first applicator lasted an hour, which went by fast because I was on the phone with friends. After the applicator was removed my skin was bright pink and the frozen area looked like what's been described as a large stick of butter. The area was massaged and the stick of butter flattened. I didn't feel any pain. The area was just numb. The same process was followed for the other side of my lower abdomen. This time I fell asleep because I had noone else to call and the Netflix in the room wasn't working.
The entire process from check-in to check-out lasted 3 1/2 hours.
Here's a snapshot of what I've felt:
Day 1 - No pain. The area is a bright pink. No bruising. The treated area is numb.
Day 2 - The treated area feels like it's suffering from a throbbing headache with fluid swishing around from side-to-side. Still numb. Skin color is back to normal. Some minor bruising.
Day 3 - The throbbing sensation from yesterday has decreased about 80%. The bruising has minimized and the area is still numb.
I'll keep updating as I progress and I'll post pictures as soon as I can.
Hating Life Right Now
Post-CoolSculpting Day 4 - Up until last night I was doing OK. Today I'm pretty much hating life. I didn't sleep well at all last night. At all.
At first, the treated area felt like it was covered in itchy sweater material. Now, it's a burning sensation (like the one that is left behind on the skin when a bandage is removed from a hairy arm or leg) with some cramping. Really, all I want to do is yank out my skin.
I took two acetaminophen and there is slight improvement. I called the Center and was told a nurse would call me back to provide me with a prescription. I hope the pain does not increase, otherwise I'll take a day off from work.
Oh, the things I do for beauty...
At first, the treated area felt like it was covered in itchy sweater material. Now, it's a burning sensation (like the one that is left behind on the skin when a bandage is removed from a hairy arm or leg) with some cramping. Really, all I want to do is yank out my skin.
I took two acetaminophen and there is slight improvement. I called the Center and was told a nurse would call me back to provide me with a prescription. I hope the pain does not increase, otherwise I'll take a day off from work.
Oh, the things I do for beauty...
Thank God for Medicines
Post-CoolSculpting Day 9 - I have no pain whatsoever. I've been wearing my Spanx at night and massaging the treated area for about 5 minutes. I have no medical basis for doing this but it gives me comfort knowing that I’m treating my belly with some TLC. The numbness and swelling in the treated area is subsiding.
Some final thoughts on the pain I experienced: Days 4-5 were atrocious for me and were made bearable by the medicines the RN provided me. I found a post on RealSelf by a doctor (Dr. Elaine Cook) who experienced the post procedure pain first hand. I liked her informative explanation so I’m sharing it with you:
“We perform CoolSculpting and I have had multiple treatments myself... I experienced it myself on my lower abdomen, one week after treatment. It is from small sensory nerve fibers firing abnormally...We have seen it in about 3-4/100 patients, it usually comes on 3-7 days after treatment, all have been on the abdomen and all have been treated with the large tip. It is a squirmy, tearing, stabbing, discomfort/pain that makes it impossible to sit still. I do think it is more common than is reported as I am sure some patients have been blown off. The good news is that all have resolved in 3-10 days…And so far, neither myself nor my patients have had a recurrence with subsequent treatments. That doesn't mean that you won't but it hasn't happened to us.”
All I can say is, "Thank God for medicines." I'm back to loving life again. Now, it’s just a waiting game to see how my body will respond to the procedure…
Some final thoughts on the pain I experienced: Days 4-5 were atrocious for me and were made bearable by the medicines the RN provided me. I found a post on RealSelf by a doctor (Dr. Elaine Cook) who experienced the post procedure pain first hand. I liked her informative explanation so I’m sharing it with you:
“We perform CoolSculpting and I have had multiple treatments myself... I experienced it myself on my lower abdomen, one week after treatment. It is from small sensory nerve fibers firing abnormally...We have seen it in about 3-4/100 patients, it usually comes on 3-7 days after treatment, all have been on the abdomen and all have been treated with the large tip. It is a squirmy, tearing, stabbing, discomfort/pain that makes it impossible to sit still. I do think it is more common than is reported as I am sure some patients have been blown off. The good news is that all have resolved in 3-10 days…And so far, neither myself nor my patients have had a recurrence with subsequent treatments. That doesn't mean that you won't but it hasn't happened to us.”
All I can say is, "Thank God for medicines." I'm back to loving life again. Now, it’s just a waiting game to see how my body will respond to the procedure…
Provider Review
Dermatologic Surgeon, Board Certified in Dermatology
3659 S. Miami Ave., Miami, Florida
I had my procedure performed at the CoolSculpting Center of Excellence by Bowes Dermatology. I found out through the web, and through my consultation, that this location is the largest in the U.S and second largest in the world for CoolSculpting procedures. Interestingly, Dr. Leyda E. Bowes is a dermatologist who also is the wife of one of the doctor's who pioneered the CoolSculpting technology, Dr. Manstein. My consultation was with a CoolSculpting associate, Carla. On the day of my first procedure, I was weighed and no measurements were taken. I was treated by a CoolSculpting technician and a RN, Maylen, who is associated with Dr. Manstein. After my procedure, I was given an appointment 3 months from the day of my procedure. I did not receive a courtesy check-in call, but rather I ended up calling the Center when I started experiencing pain for which a prescription was sent to my pharmacy. I did, however, receive a follow-up call three days after I went in again to have a second area on my body CoolSculpted.