Some patients like to space out treatments of multiple areas to allow for time or budget management. Because CoolSculpting is so patient driven, you can opt to have one area treated or multiple areas, all in the same day! I do recommend to my tummy patients that if they are planning to treat both the upper and lower abdomen, they may want to treat both within a month of each other to keep the result time frame consistent, but again, it is personal choice.
A good way to understand the CoolSculpting procedure is that it only affects tissues above the muscles (specifically targeting the subcutaneous fat). So the procedure cannot treat fatty liver or visceral fat. We all have subcutaneous fat (underneath the skin) and visceral fat (fat within the abdominal cavity that surrounds internal organs). We are happy to CoolSculpt subcutaneous fat to give your body a more "sculpted" look by eliminating stubborn fat in the diet and exercise resistant areas, but visceral fat (a precursor to heart disease and diabetes) is diet and exercise dependent. Often fatty liver disease can be reduced through diet and exercise as well.
What I tell my patients is that CoolSculpting is a physical process...meaning, when we do a CoolSculpting treatment, we present trauma to the area, fatal trauma to the fat cell itself, and the body responds accordingly. You are correct that you likely are feeling added puffiness in the area from the treatment. Because of the trauma and the fat cells that have been killed, white blood cell armies come in and transport the dead cells away from the area. So for the first week or so, you very well may feel puffy because initially there is some inflammation and there are actually many more cells in the area by volume but be assured this physical process is temporary. By the third or fourth week following your treatment, those armies will have been tapering off and fat cells will have started to leave the area and you should start seeing the beginning of the changes from your treatments.
Though only 10-15% of patients experience the discomfort you describe, it is real and it is uncomfortable. Tylenol is usually effective in combating the discomfort. Of the few patients of ours who have described the "late onset pain" that you are experiencing, we have found that prescribed Neurontin is very effective in alleviating discomfort caused by the nerves rebounding from the CoolSculpting procedure. Our practitioner has performed close to 1000 treatments and has discovered that of those patients who experience this pain, it is from treatments with the very effective and great surface area large treatment applicator. It is possible the small applicators could produce the discomfort, but in our experience we educate our patients on the possibility of late onset pain especially with the large applicator. Rest assured that those nerves are not damaged, they are just angry and they will return to normal. It is a very temporary experience. Contact your CoolSculpting provider for options. For comfort, some patients prefer looser fitting clothes and some prefer more snug compression clothing (like exercise pants or Spanx). See what helps you to feel most comfortable. Either icing the area or warm therapy can be beneficial (protecting the skin with a towel as barrier) - again - one or the other with likely feel more preferable to you. A trained and experienced CoolSculpting practitioner would not place the applicator directly over the navel, but even treatments around the navel can make it feel hypersensitive because it is involved in the treatment area. If you have any concern about the area or possible hernia, do contact your provider for evaluation and peace of mind. A few more weeks and you should start seeing some change, but remember, the elimination of fat cells naturally is a gradual process, so the most dramatic results are a few months down the road. Good luck to you and thank you for asking this question. I hope the information is helpful to you.
Great question! In our practice, we have seen amazing results with CoolSculpting of the arms. The arm tissue is very responsive to the procedure and we have seen up to an inch loss per arm per treatment. From review of your pictures you included, it would appear that you would be a very good candidate for the arm CoolSculpting procedure. Our CoolSculpting practitioner has even had her arms treated with CoolSculpting, twice on one arm and only once on the other, and had a measurable inch difference in circumference between her left and right arms. She has since treated the other arm with a second treatment to even out. With no surgery, no downtime and no scars, CoolSculpting provides a great opportunity to eliminate stubborn pockets of fat in various areas of the body, including the arms. Find a certified and experienced CoolSculpting practitioner to evaluate your arm tissue and put together an individualized Treatment-to-Transformation plan just for you. Best of luck!
