CoolSculpting: Stories

Tomorrow I am going to have the Coolsculpting procedure done on my lower abdomen with a large applicator. I will be doing my flanks another day with small applicators on each side which hasn't been scheduled yet. The cost to get my lower abdomen and two flanks done two times is $2700.

I am 5'6 and 134lbs and have always had extra fat around my flanks and lower belly. Even when I was a skinny teenager and obsessed with working out I always had that bit left over. I will post pictures pre-procedure and pictures every two weeks post procedure.

I stopped working out for two weeks so that my skin would be as loose as possible. The best results come from people with softer fat and looser skin for the suction to pull in as much fat as possible. I felt like if I worked out, my stomach would be harder to grab. After the the procedure done on my lower abdomen and two flanks, I will resume working out as soon as I am comfortable. I will update my progress as much as I can and when I experience any changes. I will try to be as informative as possible and answer any questions you might have!

My goal is to reshape my body to look like an hour glass figure, not an apple anymore. I first looked into getting Smartlipo done, but there are risks associated with the surgery and it's much more expensive. I thought, because I have a small bit of fat I need to get rid of, this would be the best option for me.

Yesterday I had my lower abdomen done with the large applicator. When the technician first put the applicator on, it winded me, I was overwhelmed with the pain and the pressure that I instantly became dizzy, sweaty and sort of passed out on the chair. It was awful! The tech gave me a granola bar and in a couple of minutes the pain and pressure went away and the rest of the time was a piece of cake. But wow, that initial start up was intense! I am not looking forward to reliving that moment. After she took the applicator off (an hour later), she started massaging my fat. This was very uncomfortable and felt like she was massaging a cold bruise.

When I got home, I noticed in the mirror that my belly is a bit red and swollen and it feels numb in some areas. I slept with a compression garment, this just makes me feel more comfortable having it on. Today it is still swollen and numb but not really red. It doesn't bother me at all and I feel no pain.... yet!

I am booked to do my love handles next Saturday, July 21, 2012. I will update on that experience. The tech said these are way less painful and there is less suction with the smaller applicators, so the worst is over!

Yesterday was day 4 and that is when I started feeling very intense sharp pains like pins and needles or as if someone was pinching me very hard. It was unpleasant and could not be ignored. Advil did not help, but I've been wearing a compression garment which helps a lot as well as placing a hot pack where the pain is which really helped alleviate it. Today, the pins and needles are still there but not as bad, and slowly, I'm starting to gain feeling again.

I look a lot less swollen but the swell bulge is still there. I'm going to do my flanks on Saturday so I will update next week!

Last night I had trouble sleeping because the stinging pain became much worse.I had my compression garment on and used a hot pack and that didn't even help this time around. I took Advil and that didn't help. It was awful! I think I got about two hours of sleep last night. This morning I'm still feeling pain but not as intense as last night. I hope it goes away soon! Everyday my stomach looks less and less swollen which is a plus. I don't think I see any results yet.

Last Thursday, I met with a doctor for a prescription to alleviate the nerve pain. I also rescheduled my Saturday appointment for my flanks to Saturday, July 28 because of the pain. Today, there is still pins and needles sensations but very faint and it does not bother me anymore. I'm still numb around my belly button and the swelling continues to decrease. I've only taken the medication at night, it made me very drowsy and super groggy in the mornings. I can't tell if it really helped or not because by that point, the pain was lessening more and more each day anyway. I don't want to take it during the day next time because it makes you so incredibly drowsy. You definitely can't drive on it, that's for sure! I will be taking photos this Wednesday, which marks 2 weeks post-procedure for my lower abdomen only!

I did had both flanks done on Saturday, July 28th with small applicators. This didn't hurt at all and the experience was fine. I slept on my stomach the whole time. When the tech took the applicator off and massaged the areas, I did experience a bit of discomfort. The areas that were treated are purple though! They look like giant hickies. I think these areas were harder to get a pull because my skin isn't as loose and the fat is harder in these areas. I wonder if the treated area will actually have results. It's been two days now and my skin is still purple! I hope it doesn't take too long for the marks to fade! I will post pictures soon, I was able to work out later just fine, I could run, do situps etc. I am still not seeing any results on the lower abdomen but it's only been about 3 weeks. I have been working out a lot more than usual so I have been losing weight but no noticeable change in the treated area. It looks exactly how it normally does when I am down to this size.

I have just posted 3 pics of my front, side and back in the black pokadot undies. This is 4-weeks post-procedure. I can't say I notice a difference in the area. Overall my body is smaller because I have been working out more intensely and frequently and watching my diet. The areas that have been treated do not look or feel relatively smaller in as of yet. Hoping that I will start to see my lower abdomen start to shrink soon. I'll post more pictures after at week 6. I'm finally no longer numb or itchy.

Today is exactly six weeks post-procedure on my lower abdomen (large applicator) and 3 weeks + 4 days post-procedure on flanks (small app).

Here are some photos. I see a small change in the areas. I've lost weight all around because of my increased exercise and watching what I eat. I say very little of it is contributed to the coolsculpting procedure. The area of focus for me has always been the pooch and I know the large applicator got a great pull on it. I still have a muffin top that's for sure! If this is the amount of fat I've lost from one procedure, I think I am going to need at least 2 or 3 more sessions to get my desired results, which is going to cost much more than laserlipo.

I definitely see a small change, but I'm not sure the price for this procedure is right. I could be wrong. Maybe in the next month, I might see a dramatic change. Two weeks ago, I didn't notice the slightest change at all and now I do. I will continue to post pictures every 2 weeks and let you be the judge. If my results are anything like what you see on www.coolsculpting.com after one procedure, I will be a happy girl! Will post in two weeks time!

Saturday, October 6th, I had my second treatment for my lower abdomen using the large applicator. This time it didn't hurt so much because I had a different technician and first she placed the device on my belly and then turned it on so the fat would gradually be sucked in. The last lady turned the machine on first and placed it on my abdomen full blast which caused intense pain for about 5 minutes and caused me to become very dizzy and pass out. I was pleasantly surprised this time around because i wasn't dying!

Today is day 3 since the procedure and i am feeling tiny little pins and needles. I'm sure it will be like last time where it hurt like hell! But im praying it will be better this time around and now i have my meds on hand! I will post a pic in 4 weeks. I'm going to do my flanks again with a small applicator. I haven't scheduled an appointment yet, first I want to wait until the nerve pain goes away.