“Don't do Ultrashape, get Coolsculpting Instead - Ontario, Canada”

I have had both Ultrashape and Coolsculpting done on different parts of my body so I thought it would be valuable to let you know about my experience with each one.

First I had Coolsculpting performed on my lower abdomen about 3 weeks ago. I don't have a lot of fat there but there is a bulge that I didn't have before I had a baby and so I'm hoping to get a fairly flat tummy back. The main thing to expect during the treatment is a LOT of suction! Because it was my stomach being sucked in to the machine it was VERY uncomfortable (but not painful) for the first few minutes - I was actually afraid I was going to be sick! Then they turn on the cooling and the suctioned fat gets very cold to the point where it almost feels like it is burning. I would rate the pain at about 6 out of 10. The worst is over after about 5 minutes and the area basically goes numb for the rest of the treatment. I was actually able to fall asleep on the bed and before I knew it the treatment was over.

Immediately after it was done, she removed the handpiece and my stomach just sat there in a rectangle like a frozen block of butter. Also, the suction was so hard on my stomach that I actually had a slight hickey just below my belly button! She massaged the area to get the stomach back to its regular shape and again I felt like I was going to be sick. The "massage" was not pleasant but within 5-10 minutes the nausea went away and I just felt pins and needles and a bit tender for the rest of the day. I lost sensation on my skin for a few days and actually found the treated area to be quite itchy. 3 weeks out I am not seeing results yet but aside from the occasional itching or pins & needles, everything is back to normal.

I wanted to get Coolsculpting done on my outer thighs/saddlebags but my clinic would only treat stomach and flanks. So, in order to treat my outer thighs I decided to try Ultrashape. I just had the procedure done yesterday and I can tell you that the treatment is painful. It feels similar to laser hair removal or IPL when there is a repeated burning "zap" every few seconds. I would rate this pain about 8 out of 10. I asked the technician and she said she gave me 300 pulses on each other thigh. Also, she explained that the machine has 3 settings and that she treated me on the highest setting. Before and after the ultrasound portion of the procedure, the technician uses a handpiece over the treatment area that warms and suctions the skin to improve contouring. Although not quite as painful as the ultrasound part, the suction was so hard that my outer thighs are very sore today and bruised over almost the entire treatment area.

Obviously it is too early to see results, but I think Coolsculpting was the best treatment, not only because it was much less painful, but also because it only has to be done once. I am definitely going to have to work up the courage to go back for my 2nd and 3rd Ultrashape treatment. Also, I found that Coolsculpting and Ultrashape cost about the same per treatment but because only one Coolsculpting treatment is needed, it ends up costing about 1/3 the price.

I will keep you updated with photos once I see results.

Updated on 2 Jun 2011:
Here's a photo showing the bruising on my outer thighs one week after Ultrashape treatment.

Updated on 6 Sep 2011:
I am now 2 months post-treatment and I cannot see any difference in my outer thighs after having 3 Ultrashape sessions. Ultrashape is definitely NOT worth the pain or the expense. On the other hand, the stomach area I had treated with Coolsculpting has flattened out considerably. I would absolutely recommend Coolsculpting to anyone looking into the procedure.