So I’ve had what kind of looks like a band of fat around my lower abdomen my whole life, even when I was running 5k+ per day. I’ve gotten a lot more sedentary since quarantine began, but began spinning with Peleton on the app after buying a bike on sale. I wanted to feel good in my body in a bathing suit for once, and quarantine wasn’t helping. I’d been looking at options to help, and this was the most-accessible, highest-reviewed option. I filled out a form on the web site and within 24 hours I had an appointment scheduled for two days from then. The woman who did my consult was very nice and we had a lovely conversation. We discussed my options and her experiences with CoolSculpting as well as my concerns about PAH (which has been shown to affect anywhere between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 200-ish patients depending on the study). She explained the financing options and she gave me advice as to how to best avoid the APR fees (which was sweet, though I didn’t need it). She offered to book me as far as the next Monday (it was Thursday) but I opted for a longer wait time, as I was going to be off of work anyway. My procedure took a while (6 hours for 16 cycles isn’t bad, though), but the room was comfy and I watched Marie Kondo and talked to friends on the phone. All of the staff were very nice. They took pictures of me every 45 degrees of a complete circle. There was almost an issue at one point that wasn’t their fault (they had ordered a card, which was supposed to show up on Friday and didn’t show up until Monday just before we needed it by about 30 min), but everything was settled and they had availability as soon as the next day. I walked the mile home afterwards feeling a little numb and fatigued, but nothing compared to any surgery I could have gotten. (I’ve had a double mastectomy, which the recovery for was a little brutal.) So far, I’m a week out and pretty numb where the applicators were attached, which is to be expected. After around 24 hours, I started getting mild pain from the nerves coming back online/healing (which again, is normal). I was told that tight clothing might help, but if anything it made me feel worse and caused extra bruising. I’ve been able to do basically anything I would do otherwise, though I’ve had to lighten up my workouts because of fatigue from for first five days or so. I’m back to normal now, though. I’m not sure much has changed, but it’s only been one week. I’m definitely not drinking as much water as I should, but I bought a bunch of lime juice to hopefully help with that over the next few weeks. I’m uploading a picture from 2/6 of the way through my procedure and 2 from this morning for comparison. I’ll post more next week, etc. as more changes happen. Updated on 22 Apr 2021: So I’ve been noticing that my body is constantly hungry. Most of the feeling in my stomach is back on the skin, but when I run it feels like I have saddle bags attached to be because the fat itself is numb. That’s not bad, just odd. I know it doesn’t look like much has changed; but I can already fit into my clothes a little better. I feel better in my body. Maybe it’s because I did anything at all. I’m starting to see small changes and it’s very heartening. I’m hoping I can be done with this after one round. However, I’ve also noticed some fat gain under my chin. Not a huge deal; but something to be aware of as fat redistributes. I can’t wait for summer :)
After having two kids in just over two years I felt like my midsection could use a bit of a pick-me-up. After a consultation the esthetician recommended one treatment with four small applicators--two upper abs, two lower abs. The process itself was painless for me, but the applicators were applied one at a time for 30 minutes each, so it was somewhat time consuming. Afterward I did bruise a bit and I had quite a bit of deep tenderness combined with superficial numbness. The tenderness was there for a couple of weeks and it was fairly pronounced by the third and fourth day. The superficial numbness has gradually receded, but I still don't have full feeling 5 weeks later. That being said, I've been very pleased with my early results! It will take about 12 weeks to see the full result, but I've already noticed a flattening of my stomach. I'm excited to see how it progresses and will continue to post pictures.This reviewer received a gift card from RealSelf in exchange for their review.
Hello! I had my consult yesterday for CoolSculpting and am scheduled for the procedure next Friday 1/27/17. My upper arms are the first place I put on weight, and the last place I lose it. I am close to my ideal weight, and the rest of my body looks proportional. The Dr. first said they didn't know if I had "enough" fat for the procedure, but once I held my arms straight, they saw it. It turns out I also have a lot more fat on my right arm than my left. I am including before pictures of both arms here. I'll also post the photos they take before my procedure and update as the weeks go on. Updated on 23 Jan 2017: Wanted to include this photo which I think shows the up per arm fat better. Will also post one or more of these 6+ weeks after the rice sure. Updated on 27 Jan 2017: Ouch! Waiting for arm 1 to get numb. Took the tech 30+ minutes to get the applicator placed, which was annoying. Updated on 27 Jan 2017: Updated on 28 Jan 2017: Arms are more sore than I expected. Feels kind of like a cross between a hard workout and being beaten up in the areas the applicator was applied. I do have some bruising. I was told I wouldn't, but it's not too bad. Looking forward to seeing results! I go back at 8 weeks for an assessment. Updated on 1 Feb 2017: Still numb and bruised. Getting pins and needles sensations sometimes, especially when exerting my arms. If I didn't know it was impossible, I'd say I see the *slightest* improvement already. I know it's just my eyes playing tricks, though. Updated on 3 Feb 2017: I swear I see a slight difference. Bruising is starting to go away and numbness has subsided a bit. Updated on 7 Feb 2017: I still definitely see a slight difference since before the procedure. Bruising is gone, and numbness is a tad less than before, but still there. No other pain or discomfort. Feeling very hopeful about longterm results. :) Updated on 9 Feb 2017: Updated on 15 Feb 2017: Updated on 21 Feb 2017: I'm going to go ahead and flip my rating to "Worth It". Results aren't dramatic, yet, but it hasn't even been 4 weeks! Can't wait to see the final results, but I am already very happy with the improvement. Updated on 2 Mar 2017: Updated on 9 Mar 2017: Updated on 16 Mar 2017: Updated on 24 Mar 2017: Updated on 7 Apr 2017: I think these are pretty much my final results, but I will post more updates in the coming weeks to see if the changes last or if I see more of a difference. I am still quite happy with the results, especially since I've actually gained 3-4 lbs since before Coolsculpting. I am scheduled to get my abdomen done on April 18th and will create a separate review for that. Updated on 14 Apr 2017: Still thrilled! Updated on 16 Apr 2017: As requested, here are some other photos showing how my arms look from other angles. I don't have "before" ones for these, but hope they help anyway. Updated on 21 Apr 2017: