I’ve always wanted a flat belly but could never achieve even when I was at my ideal weight when I was younger. Now in my early 30’s on the Depo shot and had a C-section 18 months ago, I am within 10 lbs of my ideal weight and with a much flabbier belly. I am 4’11 and 110-112 lbs. I am hoping that Cool Sculpting will help me achieve a flat belly for good! I had this procedure done with Dr. Corrine Nelson in Makakin Sabot and was given a great package deal. I travelled an hour away to get this done instead of a spa down the road from where I live because they didn’t seem that credible and wanted a much higher price. I’m glad I went to Dr. Nelson, she made me feel so comfortable the entire time. The suction application of my upper abdomen was uncomfortable and made it hard to breathe the first couple minutes but then I got used to it. The lower 2 applications of my lower abdomen were painless. The most painful part of this procedure was the 2 minute massage afterwards, it felt like my skin was sloughing off but hey, those stubborn fat cells ain’t gonna go away without putting up a fight. I was able to drive myself home after without any problems. Day 1 and 2 were fine for me, I picked up my 18 month old easily and hula hooped the next day. Just some numbness and tingling which didn’t bother me at all. Day 5-6 there was a shearing, burning sensation in my lower abdomen. It reminded me of the time I had my C-section surgery. I press my hands against the site for some compression relief and wore underwear with tight waist band which helped. I did not take any pain meds because it was still tolerable. I would say the itchiness that came after that was more annoying than any pain I felt. After 2 weeks everything was back to normal and now I’m just waiting for results. I am at the end of week 3 so hopefully I’ll see something soon and will start saving up more money for future cycles. I did not take before pictures on my phone so I will use Dr. Nelson’s pics of my tummy when I go in for my 3 month post photos.
I'm a 40-year-old man and have struggled with up-and-down weight all my life. Three years ago I lost 80 pounds with an extreme diet, but even though I reached my lowest target weight, my lower belly still protruded considerably then. Due to a health issue which was caused by my low-cal dieting I had to increase my calories to a normal amount and over a year I gained 30lbs to my stomach and flanks. My body wants me to be around this weight, and dieting won't help with the way fat is deposited on my body. So I decided to do lots of coolsculpting. On Mon, Aug 29 2016 I went to Onsite Cool Body Sculpting for 2 coolmax on my lower abdomen and 2 smaller applicators for the flanks. Tomorrow I go back for more flanks and rest of upper abdomen. The first part of the procedure was done in they are nice, comfortable and homelike office. Dr. Nelson was good about explaining everything in advance. When they apply the small cool sculpting device, I felt it but is definitely not painful. The CoolMax I made sure to prep myself for the tugging of that much volume. I assumed the worst, and it was not anywhere near the worst. The doctor set me up with me up with many pillows and I was comfortable the whole time, she even had Netflix ready to go. The massage did not hurt with the smaller device. The massage after the CoolMax did feel uncomfortable and when it was done it began to ache a lot. The best way I can describe it is like an ice cream headache on your abdomen, and while I felt slightly nauseous for a few minutes as I got used to that ache (which was really post massage as tissue warmed up) after about 20 minutes of strong uncomfortable sensation (again, ice cream headache on abdomen) I was comfortable enough for them to reapply the coolmax to the other section of my lower abdomen, and the small applicator to my other side of flanks. BTW, using warm water in the restroom seemed to me to help the ache go away. I think it's the thawing that aches, so anything to speed that up. She did a mirror image to original placement and it hurt less the second time. Same person, same day, same areas but mirror image, and different pain results. I can see why it's very difficult to know who may or may not experience pain. I put my jeans and button down shirt back on, the jeans had to rest below my waist, and the shirt did not hurt. My abdomen and flanks are somewhat numb, and feel fairly bruised, but look fairly good. Definitely tolerable but you will not want kids or pets to jump on your area. When it comes to pain, I have a low pain tolerance, and this I would say is very reasonable currently. Aug 30th. Day 1 Post 1st The next day I was sure to use a compression shirt. The compression for me seems to provide constant stimulus so any pain you may have by bumping into something is not a sharp spike up and down from no stimulation. Aug 31st. Day 2 Post 1st I'm either getting used to the minor numb ache, or it's getting better. But if this is the only post-pain, I'll be relieved. I've read day 5+ has the potential for lots of pain. So I will fill you in if/when pain comes. So far, so good. Tomorrow, another 2 coolmax, and I think 4 more smaller applications. That would make a total of 12 or 14 as I think each coolmax counts as 2 areas. More to come. Updated on 6 Sep 2016: So, I am SO happy to say no nerve pain. Yet. I'm still waiting for the "other shoe to drop". However, so far, so good comfort-wise. I found that wearing the compression shirt only caused general pain, so I decided not to wear it after a couple of days, and that felt best to me. LOWER AB: Fairly numb. You'd have to squeeze them more than a little, and then they might ache. But it would take effort. UPPER AB: Barely more sensitive than lower, but it's a few days newer in treatment. Basically the same FRONT FLANKS: Basically numb and no sensations unless squeezed SIDE FLANKS: My side flanks, at my current weight, are pretty sizable. Having said that, pretty numb and only ache when squeezed. BACK FLANKS: No numbness. As if untreated, but maybe I'm not feeling the right spot. All-in-all, since there's no pain to speak of, I'm very happy being a week-out. My measurements are about 1.5" wider around but close enough to my most recent size. I've been wearing comfortable standard jeans, and mostly rest them below my belly. When I rest them on my belly, I just have to be a little careful since I'm numb and I can make it ache if its too tight. When resting below, I completely forget I've had anything done. I have a small dog, and when he occasionally jumps on me to lay down with me, he's not hurting me like it was aching last week. So... so far, no regrets. BTW - Jogging, which I don't jog, but I was running after my dog for about 20 feet. You'll notice the strange sensation of your fat bouncing, and tugging against your torso but you don't feel the fat itself. Same with jumping in place. Still hoping no pain tomorrow. But none to speak of so far! Updated on 9 Sep 2016: Pale photos are before, then drawings of where they applied coolsculpting over two separate days. Abdomen had 4 coolmax size. By the way, the red area was not as painful as it looks. The marker drawing stayed longer than the redness. Today, September 9th I'm feeling fine. No improvement but it's way too early to see. Numb areas fairly reasonable, especially considering it's only temporary. Updated on 20 Oct 2016: I wasn't sure what improvement there was until I took some photos. Flanks not peaking as much as before. Seems abdomen is less bulky. It's still mostly fat but I think it looks better. I've gained about 5 lbs due to trying to eat more for metabolism reasons, but so far only weight gain. First photo is from the spring (before) Second photo is same angle in Oct (after) Note: I had coolsculpting around my waist all the way around plus upper abdomen. I think you can see a band going around where I had the procedure. Also, my waist measurement is the same as the day before the procedure, but my weight is more as of today.
Hello kpzr, Ideallly you should avoid Ibuprofen after CoolSculpting. The natural process of removing the dead fat cells is dependent on the immune system. Ibuprofen dampens the immune response and could delay the results but will not prevent them. It is better to take Tylenol however if you need the Ibuprofen for your shoulder pain, it's ok to take it. Typically your body should continue to remove fat cells for 3-4 months after your procedure after which time taking Ibuprofen will not delay your results.
I have personally experienced these nodules after a CoolSculpting treatment on my abdomen. It is one of the known possible side effects that typically goes away with time. My firm nodules are going away and yours will likely disappear with time as well.
I often tell my patients that waiting for your CoolSculpting results can be the most "painful" part of the process. It takes your body a good 2 months to naturally process and remove the fat cells and can take up to 4 months. The process happens slowly so it's difficult to "see" it happening, and for that reason the before and after photos are crucial. So be patient and make sure you follow up for your after photos.
