SculpSure: What You Need to Know

Pros

• SculpSure is an FDA-cleared, noninvasive treatment, with no downtime and minimal side effects.
• Unlike fat-freezing treatments like CoolSculpting, heat-based fat reduction options, like SculpSure, don’t carry the risk of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), unpredictable fat growth that can occur post-treatment.
• A single treatment session of SculpSure can destroy up to 24% of fat cells in the treated area, according to clinical trial results.
• It can treat both pinchable and nonpinchable excess fat.
• Some patients report mild skin tightening benefits.
• The destroyed fat cells don’t return, so results are permanent (if you maintain a stable weight).

Cons

• As with other nonsurgical fat reduction treatments, you’ll have to wait for up to three months to see your full results.
• Many patients need two or more sessions, two months apart, to see their desired results.
• Not everyone is a good candidate. You’ll need to be within 30 pounds of your ideal weight or have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or less.
• Results are far less dramatic than those achieved with body sculpting surgeries, like liposuction.

• Average Cost:
• $2,006

• Range:
• $1,000 - $3,800

The price you pay will depend on how many treatment sessions you need, how many areas you have treated, your provider’s credentials, and their practice location.

See our complete guide to SculpSure costs

The SculpSure photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

The ideal candidate for SculpSure is active and healthy, with a few areas of excess body fat that have been resistant to diet and exercise.

The best candidates are within 30 pounds of their ideal weight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 for SculpSure body treatments and 49 or less for submental fat (aka a double chin).

Like other fat reduction procedures, SculpSure is not a weight loss treatment.

You’ll start with a consultation with your doctor, who will determine if you’re a good candidate and recommend a treatment plan that aligns with your desired results. This may involve two or more treatment sessions.

Here’s what to expect during each 25-minute treatment.

• You’ll recline, and special frames will be fitted on the treatment area.
• Then the SculpSure machine will be wrapped around you like a “body belt,” with applicators fitted to the frames. 
• In the first four minutes, you’ll feel immediate cooling and gradual warming from the laser.
• You’ll feel an interchange between heating and cooling sensations for the next 21 minutes. Cooling protects the surface of the skin from overheating as the 1060nm wavelength laser cycles on and off.

There’s no downtime afterward, so you could have the procedure done during your lunch break and go on with your day.

You will feel a pinching or tingling sensation during your treatment. The SculpSure laser heats fat cells to 107 degrees, so you’ll also feel heat.

This is tolerable for most people, but everyone’s pain tolerance is different. Some RealSelf reviewers say it was more uncomfortable than they expected it to be, likening the pain to getting tattoos or dental work.

If you are concerned about pain, discuss options with your doctor to help ensure your comfort.

Most patients don’t need any downtime after SculpSure, but here’s what you can expect in the days after your treatment:

• You’ll have some inflammation, bruising, and swelling in the treated area. This should start to resolve within a week.  
• You may also feel sore and tender in the treated area for up to two weeks. If the discomfort bothers you, try applying an ice pack and taking an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen.
• You’ll need to avoid sun exposure on the area that’s being treated for a week before and after the procedure, to prevent any risk of sunburn.
• Otherwise, you should be able to go about your normal activities. 

Your provider may also recommend doing a few things during that time to maximize your results:

• Hydrating especially well can help flush out the destroyed fat cells via urine.
• Regular cardio can stimulate your lymphatic system and help flush dead fat cells through sweating.
• Gently massaging the treated area for 10 minutes, twice daily, may help prevent lumps.

SculpSure is a low-risk procedure, but there are a few possible side effects.

• Bruising. To minimize this risk, lay off alcohol, fish oil, aspirin, ibuprofen, and anything else that can thin the blood and isn’t medically necessary for you to take during the week leading up to your treatment and for the first few days afterward. 
• Sunburn. Doctors recommend keeping the area to be treated out of the sun for a week prior to the procedure. You’ll also need to avoid exposing the treated area to sunlight for a week.
• Lumps of damaged fat cells. “It is possible to develop lumps after a SculpSure treatment, but this isn’t very common,” says San Francisco facial plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Echavez. Doctors usually recommend massaging the treated area twice a day, to help any lumps resolve on their own. “I haven’t seen a patient where the lumps didn’t eventually go away over time, but it’s possible that it could take several months,” says Dr. Echavez. Some providers pair SculpSure with Zimmer ZWave shockwave treatment, to prevent lumps and improve results.

This and other noninvasive lipolysis treatments have not been shown to cause cancer.

Multiple studies have shown that SculpSure is an effective fat reduction treatment. 

• A 2018 trial of 49 subjects in Dermatologic Surgery found the device safe and effective for noninvasive fat reduction of the flanks. Results were confirmed by ultrasound imaging and 96% of subjects reported they were satisfied with their outcomes. The most notable side effect was mild to moderate tenderness, which subsided within 1 to 3 weeks.
• A 2016 study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology showed that 98% of SculpSure patients were satisfied with their fat loss results.
• Clinical trial results published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine showed that after a single SculpSure treatment session, “average fat volume reduction measured by MRI at 3 and 6 months was 24% and 21%, respectively.” This trial was funded by the manufacturer and involved only 12 patients.

However, SculpSure reviews on RealSelf are mixed: it currently has an 56% Worth It Rating. Those who rate the procedure Not Worth It complain of intolerable pain during treatment, extreme swelling after, fat nodules in the treatment area, and disappointing results, even after multiple sessions.

You should notice improvements in 6 to 8 weeks and see optimal results in 12 weeks.

The same area can be treated again after two to three months, if further fat reduction is desired.

The fat cells that are killed don’t regenerate, so your results will last as long as you maintain a steady weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise. 

If you do put on extra pounds, the remaining fat cells can expand and create contour irregularities. It’s also possible for adults who become obese to produce new fat cells.

	SculpSure nonsurgical	Liposuction surgical	Emsculpt & Emsculpt Neo nonsurgical	UltraShape nonsurgical	Vanquish nonsurgical	CoolSculpting nonsurgical
Worth It Rating	56%	88%	78%	83%	80%	65%
Average Cost	$2006	$8657	$3045	Not yet available	$2433	$2843
Downtime	No downtime	1–2 weeks of downtime	No downtime	No downtime	No downtime	Minimal downtime
Anesthesia	No anesthesia	Local or general anesthesia	No anesthesia	No anesthesia	No anesthesia	No anesthesia

• Liposuction is the most effective fat reduction procedure. A surgeon uses a thin tube called a cannula to suction out fat cells, so this procedure does require small incisions. It also costs more up front and comes with one to two weeks of downtime. There’s also the possibility of asymmetry, dimpling, and hard scar tissue, especially if your surgeon is inexperienced. But lipo has a high Worth It Rating and delivers dramatic results, much more quickly than any nonsurgical option.
• Emsculpt is a newer nonsurgical body-contouring treatment that uses an electromagnetic field to stimulate rapid muscle contractions. Originally used to burn fat in your butt and around your abs and obliques, Emsculpt is now approved for treating biceps, triceps, thighs, and calves. If you’re already fairly fit and want to firm up, Emsculpt might be right for you.
• UltraShape is another nonsurgical procedure that breaks up fat cells using ultrasound-frequency energy. Typically, UltraShape targets the stomach, hips, and thighs.
• Vanquish is another nonsurgical body contouring procedure that uses RF energy to heat and kill fat cells on the abdomen and thighs. Its hands-free device can treat large areas in a single session and has been proven to safely deliver RF energy to the entire midsection.
• CoolSculpting reduces unwanted fat by freezing fat cells. Like SculpSure, injured fat cells are excreted via the body’s lymphatic system.  While SculpSure carries no serious risks, Dr. Tanghetti points out that some CoolSculpting patients develop a side effect called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), in which fat cells react to the extreme cold by expanding. CoolSculpting’s manufacturer says PAH occurs after 0.025% of treatments, but a study reported in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2018 suggests that the rate might be as high as 0.72% (1 out of every 138 cryolipolysis treatments). “This side effect has not been seen in patients treated with SculpSure,” says Dr. Tanghetti. “This is an important reason why I prefer to offer SculpSure instead of CoolSculpting for my patients.”