During Cool Sculpting on the neck, have patients complained of pain at the base of the skull?

Question

I attempted Cool Sculpting on my double chin & had to stop. Not because of numbing/coldness, but because of severe pain at the base of my skull- as if my spinal column & skull wanted to pull apart. I was positioned sitting w the head of the bed slightly reclined. Re-adjustment of position did not alleviate the intense suction/pulling sensation on my neck. Can different levels of suction be programmed in? I’m wondering if there is another way to get through the procedure minus anesthesia.

Brian S. Biesman, MD · Answer

Thank you very much for your question.  It is not at all typical to have pain such is you describe during CoolSculpting treatment.  Perhaps it was the positioning of your head during the treatment which led to your discomfort?  There are a lot of fine details and nuances associated with Coolsculpting..  It is extremely important to go to a highly experienced provider when it comes to even noninvasive treatments such as CoolSculpting.  I would recommend obtaining an opinion from a physician who is experienced in all methods of neck rejuvenation to determine your best options.  Best of luck.

Janet Allenby, DO · Answer

Hello, Thank you for your question. This has been reported by some. If it is too much for you to tolerate you may want to consider other options. Please consult with your physician to discuss what options are open to you. Good luck!

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

It can be normal to have some discomfort in the back of the head and neck during a CoolSculpting treatment of the neck and chin. This usually resolved after about 5 minutes or so into the treatment. The pain should not be severe and in thousands of treatments we have never had to stop the procedure because someone was having too much pain. There are things that can be done to improve the discomfort. If all else fails, you can consider Kybella instead. Make sure you are under the care of an experienced physician provider. Best wishes.

Deborah Kessler Hudak, MD, MHA · Answer

Yes, the suction can be adjusted.
In most situations, re-positioning of the CoolMini handpiece and its "scaffolding" will take care of that.  Alternatively, you could have Kybella (or the original formula, mesolipotherapy, which has 42mg/ml deoxycholate instead of Kybella's 10mg/ml, and has phosphatidyl choline to result in a smoother contour post-procedure, unlike Kybella).  Incidentally, the original formula, mesolipotherapy, is significantly less expensive.  (Hmmmm.  A better product, better results, at significantly less cost?  That is correct!  I have personally performed hundreds of mesolipotherapy treatments, and have had happy people 100% of the time with even just one neck treatment.)  There are cons: with Kybella or Mesolipotherapy, you will have a transient amount of moderately severe pain for 6-8 hours typically and huge amounts of swelling for two days.
Hope that helps!
Debbie Kessler Hudak, MD, MHA

Grant Stevens, MD · Answer

If this occurs it may be the placement of the applicator that is causing you tension.  Consider the alternative to freezing your fat and get Kybella injections to treat that area.  Hope this helps.

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear lindak12207:The pain you describe is not typical and may be indicative of nerve compression due to change in the alignment of your vertebrae. I recommend that you consider a Kybella instead of CoolSculpting with CoolMini. Thanks for sharing your experience! Dr. Clark

Melanie L. Petro, MD · Answer

HI,Thanks so much for your question. Unfortunately we have had some patients complain of neck/upper back pain. We have started adding a rolled up towel to the base of their neck between the patient and the head rest and so far this has worked with the discomfort.  Hope this info helps.

Quenby Erickson, DO, FAAD, FACMS · Answer

It is my experience that this can sometimes happen early during the treatment. It is probably related to positioning of the head and strap that attaches the hand piece to the head. It typically occurs early during the treatment and subsides after the cooling sets in. I hope this helps!Dr. Quenby Erickson

During Cool Sculpting on the neck, have patients complained of pain at the base of the skull?

Answers (8)

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