I got CoolSculpting, but I’m feeling something strange in the muscle. Is it possible I got muscle damage with CoolSculpting​?

CoolSculpting lowers the temperature of fat cells so that they can’t function and begin to die, but it’s not cold enough to have an adverse effect on tissues such as skin and muscle. While there’s really no downtime with CoolSculpting, you may be swollen or tender after your procedure. That could have happened with you and you may have overtwisted and pulled a muscle at the gym. Don’t worry! You should recover quickly. Pay attention to your body and if you feel too swollen or tender to work out, let your body rest. Consulting with a board-certified dermatologist will get you the best results with CoolSculpting and also help you to understand the process more fully.

Thank you for your question.  Coolsculpting treatments are indicated for subcutaneous fat (or fat that you can pinch), and do not interact with muscle tissue.  Best of luck.

Hi! Thank you for your question. Coolsculpting specifically targets fat cells, without affecting the muscles. It is normal to have tenderness in the treatment area for several weeks after the treatment. That tenderness can sometimes feel like muscle discomfort, but is usually related to nerves. If the feeling continues to persist, follow up with your Coolsculpting provider would be advised. 

Thank your for your question. Coolsculpting only targets subcutaneous fat which rests above the muscle. Therefore the muscle is not affected during the treatment.  I suggest returning for your follow up and discussing your concerns with your Coolsculpting provider.

The CoolSculpting technology is created to only target the subcutaneous fat cells.The muscle underneath that layer will not be damaged. If there is concern I recommend following up with your Certified CoolSculpting provider.

Great question!  I can appreciate your concern since you are much more slender than some patients who have CoolSculpting done. The good news is that the CoolSculpting did nothing to your muscles so this is something that should just resolve over time. The cold from the CoolSculpting affects the fat layer and does not go deep enough to hurt the muscles sitting under the fat. The science of CoolSculpting takes advantage of the fact that fat, skin, and muscles cells have different amounts of water content so it takes a colder temperature to affect muscle cells than it does fat cells. Since the temperature is set to damage the fat cell, it did not get cold enough to damage the muscle cell even if the cold could reach it, so don't worry about the area. It takes 3-4 months to see the full effect of CoolSculpting and some patients will notice some soreness from the treatment so I am not surprised that you feel some sensations when doing twisting ab exercises. I would suggest seeing your physician if this sensation persists in a few months and of course, have your physician do 4 month photos so you can compare with your pre-photos and see your results! Best wishes, Mary Beth Mudd

Hello and thank you for your question. The Coolsculpting technology is only targeted to treat subcutaneous fat. The technology can treat no deeper than this layer under the skin and can not damage the muscles. If you have any concerns I would recommend following up with your Certified Coolsculpting provider. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question! CoolSculpting applicators are designed to target fat and do not damage skin or muscle. CoolSculpting works well to destroy fat cells because the fat is more sensitive to the cooler temperature of the applicators. Also, the muscle layer is below the fat layer, therefore it is not affected by the cold temperature. Best of luck!