Sculpsure - intense pain. Can you explain why?

Thank you for your question. SculpSure has Contact Cooling technology to prevent damage to the skin and keep the patient comfortable. Your technician can work with you to change the settings to a more comfortable and bearable level. Always work with a board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

Thank you for your question.

Sculpsure is a noninvasive 1060nm diode laser treatment that removes up to 25% of stubborn fat in the treated area in 25 minutes.It is FDA approved for the abdomen and flanks. It is safe if you get pregnant in the future.
The body contouring effects are seen in as quick as six weeks with final results at 12 weeks. 
The results are permanent as long as you maintain your weight and health.
The laser targets and destroys the fat cells only which are then naturally removed from the body. Since the laser does not affect the skin or muscle it can be used on all skin colors and there has been no reported incidents of burns when treated by a properly trained physician. It is protective since it alternates heating and cooling. 
It has four applicators that can be customized to treat the areas of stubborn fat. 
If a second treatment is needed we wait at least six weeks and usually closer to 12. 

If you notice lumps after (which I've never seen) I would recommend massage. You should also alert your surgeon.

There is no downtime and you can resume your normal activities right after the treatment. There may be some soreness in the area for a few days for which you can take ibuprofen or tylenol. A cold compress can also be used.

Sculpsure is not used for skin tightening however some of our patients have seen this. If more skin tightening is needed we have combined this with thermi or Ulthera for a complete treatment. Sculpsure is recommended for stubborn areas of fat that are not being lost by diet and exercise. It is not a weight loss treatment

Since I have both a coolsculpting and sculpsure I am working on protocols of utilizing both of these depending upon what areas need to be treated and the response to the treatment. 
I have used sculpsure on other areas other than the abdomen with very good results. 

I also use a Vectra 3D imaging system to try and show people what their treatment areas could look like.

Since Sculpsure outcomes can be based on technique and experience, please see a board certified plastic surgeon that specializes body contouring to see if Sculpsure or other treatments are available to meet your goals. 

Take care,

Dr. Schwartz 
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Thanks for your question and sorry to hear about your discomfort.  This reaction is very uncommon, but one possibility is that the energy has temporarily injured a sensory nerve in your abdomen.  I suggest you massage the area to try and desensitize the nerve.  I would anticipate that the pain will resolve in a few weeks.  Best of luck!

I myself have had this treatment on my stomach, back and buttock roll without any pain.  Actually it feels good.  It is likely they didn't use the machine properly.  There should not be pain this great from this device.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Most patients feel a tingling sensation intermittently throughout the treatment which is generally well-tolerated. Most people experience no pain with SculpSure. If you do feel any discomfort then adjustments are made to make the treatment comfortable.