Could SculpSure applicators not work as well as others? Didn't feel heat on one side. Could it effect my results?

Thank you for your question. SculpSure applicators can be adjusted by the administrator. I suggest that you note your experience and follow-up with your board certified facial plastic surgeon in case you move forward with another round of SculpSure.
Best wishes,

It is true that sensation can be different between the sides, so it is not that unusual to feel more heat on one side versus the other on a SculpSure treatment.  I do think it is a bit unusual not to feel anything warm though.  If the applicator was not placed as tightly on one side, that could possibly make it feel less intense.  I have treated a patient on the flanks and he felt that one side was much warmer than the other as well.  I did not see any difference in result between the sides but I did retreat the side that he felt was not as warm because it made him feel better.  I would recommend waiting 12 weeks after your treatment to evaluate your results.  If you feel there is a difference between the sides, discuss this with the physician who treated you.  

The Sculpsure laser has multiple safeguards built in that insure that the device is operating correctly. It will alert the physician if an applicator is malfunctioning or if it slips out of the proper position against the skin. It is not uncommon to have different levels of sensation in different sites even during the same treatment.

After treating more than 600 patients with Sculpsure, we find it quite commonplace for patients to experience different sensations on different sides of the body.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First, the applicators on one side may be placed closer to nerve pathways and/or bundles.  Second, none of us are wholly symmetrical; your right side may have more fat.  Patients with more fat generally experience more discomfort both during and after the treatment.  
You should definitely share your concerns with your provider.  Allow your provider can evaluate you, provide you with an explanation and alleviate your fears and anxiety. 
We hope you have fantastic results!
Beautiful wishes,
Roberta Krueger, M.D.
Sculpt Away body shaping + beauty lounge
San Antonio, Texas 

 

What you are describing is not unusual. Don't worry. If the paddles weren't applied correctly, an alarm would sound. All should be fine. Best of luck.

There are 4 separate applicator heads that can be used during a SculpSure treatment session.  They can be independently controlled and yes the amount of heat is different for each applicator during a session.  We aren't quite sure why, I know when they are near bone, they heat up quicker and are more uncomfortable.  Also, the amount of fat varies from area to area and there seems to be MORE discomfort in thicker (fatter) areas then thinner.  The results should be the same though.  I recommend 2 sessions 6-8 weeks apart.Good Luck! 

It is not uncommon to feel more intense heat in certain areas of a treatment than others.  I have seen this with several of my patients and even experienced it when I was receiving treatments myself.  All of the applicators will be delivering the same amount of energy and thus should all be just as effective, even if it doesn't feel as hot in one area.  The difference in sensation could be due to nerve endings being affected differently for some reason or if the skin is thinner in certain areas.  The system is set up so that any problems with an applicator will be immediately reported to the person performing the treatment.

Hello and thank you for your question. No  need to worry. Having more sensitivity in certain areas is not uncommon. The same amount of energy is delivered to each applicators. Your provider can lower or raise settings to each applicator for your comfort . Changing the settings changes the amount of heat and cooling time in betweeen cycles.Best to you,

I find with our patients, that many people experience a more intense treatment on one side versus the other. The device is continually delivering energy to the treatment area.  How intense the treatment feels is not an indicator of the results that you will achieve.  I see many times during the first 4 minutes of the treatment that the nerve endings are confused by the hot/cold cycles and the brain is trying to register is the treatment hot or cold.  After that 4 minutes during the build up phase, the patient's anxiety level decreases and the body begins to acclimate to the hot/cold cycles resulting in a little less intense feeling treatment. Additionally, when we immediately follow with a second treatment, most patients tolerate the second treatment area better than the first. What you have experienced is completely normal.

We find that many people are more sensitive on one side versus the another.  It is very possible for you to have a treatment and it feel uncomfortable or intense on one side and be very tolerable or comfortable on the other side.  We find a lot of times that the first treatment the brain is trying to determine if the treatment is hot or cold while it is cycling back and forth, couple that with a little bit of anxiety and the first cycle can be a little more intense.  By the second treatment patients anxiety levels have decreased and the body recognizes that the treatment is in fact cycling back and forth between hot and cold.  The result many times is a more comfortable treatment.  The device is delivering the energy to the tissue regardless of how intense the treatment feels. So rest assure that you have had a treatment that will deliver results.