Will CoolSculpting make my abdominal skin sag? I do have a little laxity along w/vertical and horizontal scar (cancer survivor.)

Question

I did have a consult but still the question is will CoolSculpting make my skin sag after treatment? I am not over weight but had two abdominal surgeries with slight laxity. I am not overweight but the surgery did cause a little laxity and some bulging. I wanted to try CoolSculpting to remove the fat pockets, but fear sagging.

Miguel Delgado, MD · Answer

CoolSculpting is excellent for removal of fat pockets, however if the skin does not have good elasticity it is possible that you will have sagging skin. Good luck.

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

CoolSculpting will not make your loose skin any worse. The skin should retract back into place as it is a gradual fat reduction. In some patients we have seen some slight skin tightening. Make sure you are under the care of an experienced physician provider. Best wishes.

Rosy Sandhu, MD · Answer

Thank you for the great question. We get asked this quite a lot in our practice, and depending on your personal body type Coolsculpting may be a great option for you, or you may need an alternate treatment like Trusculpt 3D, exilis ultra or vanquish which use Radiofrequency and/or Ultrasound energy for both fat loss and skin tightening. Coolsculpting would generally not cause skin laxity if you otherwise have tight skin, but as you mention in your case, that you've had some laxity after the abdominal surgeries, it is quite possible, that you will have some increased laxity after the 15-20% fat loss with Coolsculpting that most patients get. It is quite likely that you will need a combination approach with Coolsculpting followed by a radio frequency procedure for optimal results. You may be much better served with a treatment like Trusculpt 3D, Emsculpt, or Exilis Ultra combined with Vanquish ME for best results. I would recommend getting a consultation with a physician who specializes in multiple forms of body sculpting so you get the best personalized treatment plan for you. 
Best regards,
Dr Rosy Sandhu

Laura A. Katz, MD · Answer

Coolsculpting would be an excellent option to debulk excess subcutaneous fat pockets.  It does result in a small amount of skin retraction but not enough to compensate for significant skin laxity.  If you get CoolSculpting in an area of significant skin laxity, the removal of the fat might make the area seem even more sagging by leaving nothing to fill the loose skin.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! The good news is that CoolSculpting can permanently remove fat but the bad news, is that CoolSculpting will not help skin laxity. Although CoolSculpting will not further damage collagen which would cause more skin laxity, removing some of the underlying fat might make the skin seem saggier - think of removing stuffing from a pillow which makes the walls of the pillow seem more floppy. If I see a patient with skin laxity, I will commonly suggest LaserLipo since this has been shown to improve skin laxity since the heat stimulates collagen production. I would strongly suggest getting a consultation with a physician who is experienced with assessing both fat and skin laxity to help you determine the best the options to help you achieve the results you desire. Best of luck!

Aurora DeJuliis, MD · Answer

I have been using CoolSculpting in my practice for over 5 years and I have never seen a problem with sagging skin. Actually the CoolSculpting technology has the ability to slightly tighten the skin. If more tightening is necessary I combine the treatment with RF using Venus Legacy for better results.
Good luck.

Mary Beth Mudd, MD · Answer

Great question that is very commonly asked! The good news is that CoolSculpting can permanently remove fat but the bad news, is that CoolSculpting will not help skin laxity. Although CoolSculpting will not further damage collagen which would cause more skin laxity, removing some of the underlying fat might make the skin seem saggier - think of removing stuffing from a pillow which makes the walls of the pillow seem more floppy. If I see a patient with skin laxity, I will commonly suggest LaserLipo since this has been shown to improve skin laxity since the heat stimulates collagen production. I would strongly suggest getting a consultation with a physician who is experienced with assessing both fat and skin laxity to help you determine the best the options to help you achieve the results you desire. Best wishes, Mary Beth Mudd

Leonard Grossman, MD · Answer

CoolSculpting just like a liposuction device is not going to significantly increase the looseness of the skin unless there is a great amount of fat under the skin. To my patients I explain that they should see approximately 10% reduction of fat after each treatment. The majority of patients will actually fare better if they have liposuction since they will have an instantaneous result that may frequently cost less than having five or more treatments using CoolSculpting. CoolSculpting is a technique that is preferred by non surgeons because it pays the bills without the ability to provide a surgical procedure. Good luck from New York City

Rodolfo Farhy, MD · Answer

The only system that reduces sagging skin is Trusculpt 3D. All the other systems remove some fat, none of them corrects the sagging skin except for Trusculpt 3D.

Will CoolSculpting make my abdominal skin sag? I do have a little laxity along w/vertical and horizontal scar (cancer survivor.)

Answers (9)

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