For reference - I'm 25, 5' 4", 114 lbs (before and after), fairly active (i exercise about 4-5 days a week). I wanted to target my excess lower and upper abdomen fat. I had CoolSculpting on my upper and lower abdomen about 5 weeks ago. One small applicator was used on both of the areas for an hour. As for the procedure itself, it's bizarre, and the massaging out of the frozen fat was by far the worst part (made me nauseous). I was incredibly bloated the next few days. I experienced no real "pain" after, but was tingly, numb, and sore for several weeks, far longer than I expected. I felt like I started noticing differences 3 weeks in, and now at about 5 weeks I feel like I can see a difference and while it's not huge to anyone else or even noticeable in clothes, I'm really happy to see a change! I had considered smart lipo before, and am happy I went this route. I'm going to have another treatment on both my upper and lower abdomen again in a few weeks, and hopefully won't need any more. My stomach isn't perfect or flat like I've always envied on other girls, but it's an improvement I think! While I HATE posting pics this revealing, I looked to the RealSelf community to help make this decision, so I thought I'd give back! Updated on 19 Dec 2015:
I had my procedure at DMH Aesthetics in Los Angeles and the staff so far has been extremly helpful and when I went into my consultation Athena was my Nurse for the consult. She answered all of my questions (because let me tell you ...I had a ton)..lol SO I decided to finally try get rid of belly and my saddle bags as well. But Athena suggested that I do the lower abs one time first and then come back 3 months later and do it one more time for more dramatic results. she said most patients come in a 2nd time for their lower abs. ANd Iam extremely active ..I workout 3 and 4 times a wk with bootcamp and I eat pretty healthy ..Im not 100% clean but pretty healthy overall. IVe just NEVER been able to get rid of my belly and have nice scultped abs.. well hopflly im well on my way !! So on procedure day the only discomfort was the suction of the machine and I read up on this site so I wasnt surpirsed there..but it really wasnt that bad..it went away after about 10 mins .. more of a really cold feeling and a little tingling and then goes away after 10 mns. So I also found out that when it first came out they were using the large applicator/Suction and this they said was causing more pain on post procedure bc its a LArge area thats suctioning at once. Now they use a smaller applicator and they break it up into 2 sections one on each side of the belly button. I took a pic of one side but then my ph died..but i wnt in wth red and outlined where the suction was bc the marker wore off .so you cud see it. And the one they used on my saddle bags is a flat machine and it didnt hurt as much bc its not a suction applicator like the one for the abs. I cannot wait to see my results but know it will be killling me to wait ..bc I know you have to wait a full 3 months to see full results. so hopefully I wont experience any of the pain like some describe on day like 5 or 7 on ---. So crossing my fingers but at least Iam prepared to know wht to possibly expect =-) ALl the pics are the day of the procedure ..b4 any applicator was applied .. and then after the applicator was applied. Later on I will post more pics so you can see the difference =-) I will say this ,...It was sooo hard to look at my pics bc I was so disapointed as much as I frking bust my butt in the gym. but cant wait to see the pay off from this procedure !! Oh and I prepaid for having my abs done twice and my saddle bags once SO I still have a balance of one more ab time procedure..(after 3 mos so I can see the full results) !! =-)) Updated on 20 Oct 2015: I didnt want to keep take redundant pics right after wast much change except the Massive swelling and bloated look ..these pics are from today ..OCt 20th and this is 5 days post procedure. I have had the numb feeling that was to be expected and the only pain so far is the pins and needles feeling that comes and goes but nothing so far thats very painful (crossing my fingers so hard tht im tht person that doesnt feel any bad pain) !!! lol Oh and also a few days b4 the procedure I started taking arnica (pills) not the gel ( I have tht one too but was told not to use it b4 but to save it for after if i had bruising ) SO i started taking the arnica b4hand as to avoid any bruising .. and I didnt bruise at all!! Not sure if its from the arnica or from just being one of the lucky tht doesnt bruise...lol Sorry for the quality of the pics ..its vERY h ard to take pics yourself and get good ones and good lighting ...lol I didnt have anything to set the camera/ph up on to get a decent shot..but did the best i could and trying to show the diff so far ..and rember Im still swollen and bloated so Iam super excited to more results further post =-) Updated on 26 Oct 2015: I havent taken anymore pics at the moment because I really dont notice a difference yet. still bloated but not sure if its from my period or from the procedure ? But I wanted to report my occasional pain ( every now and t hen) I get a burning sensation..kind of llike a burning kind of cramp. (best way I can describe) but What i also wanted to report . My period started when it was suppose to ..which was about a day after the procedure and i spotted the first couple of days..which I normally dont do The first two days of my cycle are usually VERY heavy flow.. and then it goes back to normal and the duration of my period only lasts for about 5 or 6 days. WEll I called the office to report that my period was VERY spuradiac and if this was something that was caused by my procedure and the nurse told me that they have never had any reports of such..so Im not sure why its so spuradiac .. just wished it would end already ITs now day 9 and Im STILL ON MY PERIOD ..which is very confusing and a pain in the butt ..especially when the flow which is usually heavy in the first two days of my cycle now the heavy flow came in the MIDDLE of it and has ruined a few of my undies and shorts .. =// I thought I would be in the clear with my period bc Im going on vaca tonight with my family to the bahamas and thought i would be done with it already .. for swimming and being in the pool and ocean =/ but I guess it could be worse ..Just wished I wouldve known b4 I did my procedure ..I would have waited to schedule it way b4 or way after to avoid the bloating and or cramps and paranoia of spotting in a swimsuit...lol I will post pics when I return and I HOPE THERE ARE RESULTS BY THEN !!! Iam anxiously waiting for something to happen !!! =-) Updated on 26 Oct 2015: Oh ....Also wanted to add that Iam still experiencing some numbness on lower abs and my saddle bags are really itchy at times..Which is to be expected .. Just wanted to report back =-) But I have been able to excercise all throughtout the post procedure just mainly its been my discomfort from my period =/ Updated on 5 Feb 2016: sorry its been so so long since my last post but I wasnt really seeing the results I had hoped for and the 25% change they tell you is more like a 10% change on my lower abs. I had done on OCT. 16th 2015 at (DMH Aesthtics in LA)... so thats well over 3 mos ago.. My lower abs and my outter thigs/saddle bags. I had those two areas done and the office told me that if I bought a certain amount that I would get a discount. so I prepaid for another area/the lower abs for the future after I saw the results from those two. The lower abs I had done were $500 per applicator/area--each side of the belly button and My saddle bags were $600 each leg/saddlebag/area. So that still leaves the other area/$1,000 credit- 2 get the other area when I decided to get the rest done. And I had planned on getting my abs done again because they said you see MORE of a result on the 2nd ti me wth the abs. WEll after I had the first procedure done .. it COMPLETLY messed up my period .. I had a 10 day period that month of Oct ..Then in Nov I also had another 10 day period and also another 9 or 10 day period in Dec as well. AND GUESS WHAT ..FOr the month of Jan ..I had TWO FREAKING PERIODS (JAN 13-22- for 9 DAYS) AND AGAIN ON JAN 28TH AND STILL ON MY PEROID NOW - Today is FEb 5thth!! I contacted the office after the first time in OCt and they said they never had any other person experience this problem and didnt know why and never offered any explanation or remedy or anything. I NEVER had a 10 day period in my life b4 this and I know its not Normal but nevertheless still continued to have irradic periods frm then on .. and alwys have accidents wth my underwear and ruin clothes etc. --- not knowing when i will start. On Jan 18th I went for my follow up for them to take pics and compare with the b4's etc. They said they would send me the after pics they took that day when i came in for the follow up ..its now FEB 4TH and NO PICS ..I called the office and asked them bc its been two wks and no pics .. thy said they wud call the home office and have them send them over .. that was at 11:30am earlier today ...still no pics and its 9pm. I told them I did not want to do my lower abs again because of the problem it caused b4 wth my period cycle etc. And that I wanted to use my $1,000 credit for my saddle bags again because thats the area that bothers me the most on my body besides my abs. They told me that I would have to pay $400 MORE to get my saddle bags done ..which I believe is OUTRAGEOUS especially since I wasnt thrilled wth the ONLY 10% change frm the b4.AND the problem im having with my period cycle now!! Not ONLY can I NOT get my lower abs done bc of the messed up period frm ths .. I cnt get my money back either.. Completly unable to compramise with me or give me my money back. ALL they said was what other area do you want done?.. and I replied "I DONT WANT another area done" .. I want my problem areas done and one of which i cant do anymore(lower abs) so theyre saying my only other option is paying $400 more for the saddle bags. SO Im totally REGRETING having this procedure done here ..I wished I would've just saved my $ tht I spent on coolsculpt and spent it elsewhere and gotten smart lipo instead bc there is more of a result than with coolsculpt. Updated on 6 Feb 2016: Updated on 6 Feb 2016: Feb 6th- 2015 Sorry not very good angles was hard to take these on my own Updated on 21 Mar 2016: Just disapointed overall ..was looking for at least a 25% change like they had advertised and what I actually got was more like a 10% change I felt like I could have spent ALL that money on smart lipo and gotten a more drastic change Updated on 21 Mar 2016: saddle bags b4 and after $3,200 for abs and saddle bags and VERY DISAPOINTED
