This article has been medically-reviewed for accuracy by New York dermatologist Dr. Michele Green.
When cryolipolysis first caught on, it got a lot of attention. Reducing fat without a strict diet and exercise—and relatively quickly? It sounded too good to be true. Fortunately, body contouring treatments that use cryolipolysis, such as CoolSculpting, can indeed be effective for fat reduction. However, not everyone is a good candidate for them. CoolSculpting, in particular, works best for a specific type of patient, and certain factors may mean a different or more invasive option might actually be better. Aside from medical contraindications, here’s a breakdown on what does (and doesn’t) make someone the best candidate for CoolSculpting.
Who is the best candidate for CoolSculpting?
Someone with small pockets of fat
CoolSculpting is not a weight loss device, so the ideal patient should be within 10 to 15 pounds of their ideal body weight. The best candidate for CoolSculpting is someone with “a relatively small pocket of fat in the area of concern that is resistant despite a healthy diet and exercise,” says Dr. Elizabeth Rostan, a board-certified dermatologist in Charlotte, North Carolina. You may know it as “that one area that won’t go away,” she notes. Not only should the area in question be localized, but “it is also ideal if this area can be pinched or grabbed and is relatively soft, not firm,” she says. For that reason, her favorite target area for CoolSculpting is lower belly fat.
Someone with realistic expectations
Fat reduction isn’t as simple as a one-time procedure. Rather, someone who is a good candidate for CoolSculpting should be willing to adhere to a comprehensive treatment plan. “Each time we perform a CoolSculpting procedure, we anticipate about a 20–25% reduction in the pinchable fat. It’s not usually a one-and-done procedure for most patients,” says Dr. Jean Casello, a physician in Northborough, Massachusetts. “I can achieve results similar to [those of] liposuction with CoolSculpting, but the patient must be willing to follow the prescribed plan.” Not only that, but the final results from CoolSculpting may become visible only after several months.
Someone who wants body contouring
A common misconception is that CoolSculpting is a weight-loss method—more on that in a bit—however, CoolSculpting is ideal only for “the patient who is looking for body contouring,” says Dr. Casello. Someone who is a good candidate for CoolSculpting would want only to remove small pockets of fat, as Dr. Rostan described, to contour the body more subtly (versus a dramatic transformation).
Related: CoolSculpting vs. Emsculpt: What’s The Difference?
Who is not a good candidate for Coolsculpting?
Someone with major skin laxity
If skin is crepey, loose, or slack in areas, you may not be a good candidate for CoolSculpting. “Someone with excessive skin laxity—say, someone who has rapidly lost a hundred pounds—will not be a good candidate for CoolSculpting,” says Dr. Casello. “Even if the fat is reduced, the skin will still sag.” That being said, that doesn’t mean you can’t consider it at all. For more mild to moderate skin laxity, “we can combine CoolSculpting with a skin tightening procedure, such as microneedling with radiofrequency or ultrasound,” she says. The best results may mean combining a number of treatment modalities.
Someone looking for weight loss
The ideal candidate should expect (and need only) body contouring, not weight loss. Those with larger areas of excess fat aren’t the best candidates for CoolSculpting either. “While losing some stubborn fat can be a great motivator to start or continue on a diet and exercise plan—a jump start—outpatient tumescent liposuction is more ideal for areas of greater excess of fat,” says Dr. Raston. “Also, very thick and firm areas of fat respond less well.” Generally, someone who is a good candidate for CoolSculpting should already be at a healthy weight.
Someone with fat under the muscle
The best candidate for CoolSculpting has soft, pinchable fat in their target area—the subcutaneous fat layer, to be exact. That’s key for getting good results. “No method, surgical or nonsurgical, will work on the internal or intra-abdominal fat,” says Dr. Rostan. That’s the fat that lies under the muscle, which you won’t be able to pinch. It’s too deep to be drawn into the CoolSculpting applicator. “Only metabolic change via diet and exercise will work on that,” she says.
