Long-term Effects of Coolsculpting?

Coolsculpting is best when performed on an area that has an excess number of fat cells.  For example, women say, "When I gain weight, it goes straight to my belly."  That means that you were born with more fat cells in your abdominal area.  It would be great to perform coolsculpting in that area to reduce the number of fat cells there and make that are more proportional with the rest of your body.  Then, if you gain weight, it will be more evenly distributed over your body.  It won't just "go straight" to one area.We have our patients wait 2 months before re-treating the same area.  This allows enough time for the cells to becleared out.  Because we have so much experience with Coolsculpting, we can tell you before we treat how many times you can expect to have the treatment performed.  The fat loss is permanent after Coolsculpting.  You typically lose 20-25% of the fat in the area treated, each time you treat it.  I have done it to myself and my staff.  It is truly effective and has no down timeAll the best,

Sheila Nazarian

Fat cells freeze at a higher temperature than other types of cells, like skin or muscle. During the treatment, the CoolSculpting applicator can target a selected area of fat cells and destroy them without harming the other tissues surrounding it, while a protective pad guards your skin from the cold. This process hasn’t been shown to cause any long-term damaging effects. You can typically expect to lose about 20 to 25 percent of the fat in each area you target, and that fat loss is permanent. All body types can benefit from the treatment, but patients close to their ideal body weight with a specific target area of fat are likely to see the best results.

The best candidates for Coolsculpting are grown women and men who are interested in losing 10-15 pounds of fat without undergoing liposuction. A good majority of Coolsculpt patients will see a complete recovery by 2-4 months after their office treatment. Some patients can start to see the cosmetic improvements within weeks of their fat freezing session. But a majority of patients will see the cosmetic enhancements over a period of months following Coolsculpting.

Unfortunately, as you have probably read multiple treatments are often needed and this "surprise" might be hard on the pocketbook. A belt is strapped to parts of your body and you are placed in a room to sit for an hour or so. It takes months for the results to be seen. Traditional office liposuction that reduces cost (because you don't need an anesthesiologist or an operating room) is much more efficient as you can remove larger amounts of fat than coolsculpt and you can feather the edges for a smooth transition to the surrounding areas as it is not a "one size fits all" cup applied to the skin. Because coolsculpt only treats small areas these are great patients to treat with traditional lipo and local anesthesia. The incisions are 1/8 of an inch each and you need 1 or 2 for each area. RESULTS ARE IMMEDIATE the fat is gone when you leave 45 minutes later. So as you study the options pay attention to the fine print. Sometimes "invasive" means a lot better not a lot more risk.Good luck.

If one maintains a healthy lifestyle (diet and exercise) after their Coolsculpting treatment(s) there will only be positive long term effects. The fat cells in the area treated become frozen and permanently killed 2-3 months after your final treatment. Massage is very important for the next 4-6 weeks after your treatment to ensure the fat cells are broken down and there are no nodules. A patient who does not have enough excess tissue or loose skin is not a candidate for this treatment.  It is best to set up a consultation to make sure you are a good candidate!

Coolsculpting selectively "freezes" the fat by decreasing the temperature. Fat cells are more susceptible this treatment than skin cells. The fat cells undergo a controlled cell death called apoptosis over the next several months. The applicators should be applied by a skilled provider with experience because an applicator in the wrong location can lead to a poor result. But with experience and excellent training, the results can be fantastic. People with specific trouble spots and good skin quality have the best results.

Coolsculpting technology ONLY freezes fat cells because the applicator has a gel pad that protects the skin and the temperatures used ONLY destroy fat cells selectively sparing damage to the other soft tissue like blood vessels. If the applicator is placed properly, and the correct number of applicators are positioned over the area to sculpt, and finally if the area treated is rewarmed and massaged properly the fat reduction result is even and smooth. Unfortunately, many clinics that perform Coolsculpting do not have a Plastic Surgeon examine and discuss the patients history of fat deposition and their individual goals. This can often lead to indentations if the applicator is not positioned properly and often patients expectations and goals are not met. Many patients who come for a Coolsculpting consultation are not good candidates. During the consultation I explain why and offer other alternatives for fat reduction.  In my practice, I review ever Coolsculpting patients' anatomy, goals, past and present nutrition and exercise strategies. I design the Coolsculpting plan and review the 2 month post treatment followup photos with the patient. Most patients need 2-3 Coolsculpting sessions to successfully complete the areas fat reduction. Good luck

The newer CoolSculpting machines now provide permanent fat reduction up to 25% per treatment in areas of the body from the chin to the knees. CoolSculpting acts by freezing the fat cells which then die and are carried out of the body via the lymphatic system. Nerves and tissues may get cold, but they do not freeze or get "damaged." Fat cells, on the other hand, are very sensitive to cold. The results do not end up "lumpy" but in certain areas where the incorrect size or type of applicator is used, there may be permanent indentions where the fat is gone. The lumpiness you are describing is more common in liposuction surgery where the cannula may be placed in different areas resulting in more fat being removed in places than others. Results are fairly consistent among body types, but it may appear more dramatic in a thinner person depending on what area of the body is treated. For example, a thin person who has a pocket of fat on their stomach will probably notice the changes more than a heavier person who has a larger surface area of fat.

Thank you for your question. CoolSculpting is an outstanding treatment for those looking to reduce stubborn fat (resistant to both diet and exercise) in the abdomen, lower abdomen and flank region. CoolSculpting will permanently kill 20% to 25% of the fat cells permanently in the specific area treated. This procedure works best when you are at or near your ideal and stable body weight. Post treatment you should not have any 'lumpiness' but may experience some of the more common side effects such as; redness, swelling, mild bruising, tingling or numbness. All of these symptoms typically will resolve after a couple of weeks or more depending on the patient. I recommend contacting your physician or CoolSculpting specialist for a private consultation to go over these questions and address your personal goals to outline a successful treatment plan that is right for you. For more information regarding your question, please see the video below. I hope this answer was helpful. Best of luck to you!

Many of your questions have already been answered below, but in a nutshell, fat is selectively more cold-sensitive than other tissues, so it can be targeted at the specific temperature without damage to surrounding structures (skin, nerves, vessels, muscle, etc). In order to avoid contour complications, it is best to go to an office that performs lots of these procedures and under the care of a Plastic Surgeon or other core aesthetic professional (Dermatologist, etc).

The reason that only the fat freezes and not the surrounding tissues can be explained by a common finding in your kitchen.  If you have ever left a steak out on your counter after a BBQ you may notice that the fat in the juice of the steak becomes a whitish solid at room temperature or also the fact that butter is solid at room temperature, but water is liquid.  What this means is that fat freezes at a slightly higher temperature than water.  The skin and surrounding tissue in your body is mainly water and will not freeze when cooled by the coolsculpt applicator, but the fat will.  So there is a critical temperature at which the fat will freeze, but the surrounding tissue will not.  Coolsculpting hits that sweet spot. 
The results from coolsculpting are generally very uniform because the applicator affects the fat in a block and there is a slight overlap of the applicators when performing coolsculpting in the appropriate fashion.  This is an advantage of coolsculpting over liposuction, which can often times produce "lumpy" results. 
There are virtually no long term side effects from coolsculpting when performed by an expert practice, except permanent fat reduction.