Fibrous scar tissue/adhesions & crystallized fat CoolSculpting

Question

How long do the fat cells stay crystallized after Coolsculpting with CoolAdvantage? Do they continue to damage other fat cells? Would massaging the areas after coolsculpting damage more fat cells? Can massaging cause inflammation or more inflammation after treatment? I'm guessing massage would help with the lymph drainage.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

The crystallized cells begin to thaw as soon as the Coolsculpting treatment is complete, but it will take 3-6 months for final results.  Keep in mind, for best results, a combination approach is needed and some people need more than one treatment with Coolsculpting. I recommend adding radiofrequency treatments like Vanquish for skin tightening and with Z wave/Cellutone for skin smoothing. However, a Vaser with ThermiRF procedure is the best combination for a toned result, but requires more downtime. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

John M. Hilinski, MD · Answer

The fat cells start to normalize in temperature within minutes after the procedure is completed. But they have been frozen and damaged by the Coolsculpting process by this point. Cells that were not affected by the Coolsculpting (surrounding fat) are not damaged, therefore, they will remain. Massage has been shown to certainly help the final result from Coolsculpting. It doesn't necessarily cause more inflammation as much as it helps to break down the treated area and bring in more blood flow to 'wash away' the fat that was frozen.

Jean M. Casello, MD · Answer

The cells that have been treated with coolsculpting will form crystals and start to thaw after the procedure is completed. Immediately after the procedure massage is performed for approximately 2 minutes to use those crystals to puncture the cell and start the process of apoptosis (rupture  of the cell). In our office we use the BTL cellutone for this purpose but manual massage is often used.

Fibrous scar tissue/adhesions & crystallized fat CoolSculpting

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Everything you need to know about CoolSculpting

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Fibrous scar tissue/adhesions & crystallized fat CoolSculpting

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about CoolSculpting

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.