Is It Common to Feel Itchy 5 Days After CoolSculpting (Abdominal Area)?

We have a long history with Coolsculpting... in fact, our practice did a fair amount of the research and development on the device with Zeltiq.  We have treated certainly over one hundred patients... probably closer to 250 or so.  Many of the patients have a variety of sensations afterwards, from itchiness to numbness to shooting pains.  Most resolve quickly, but some may take a few months to completely go away.

We haven't found any medicine to make it go away quicker,.... just tincture of time!

Hope that eases your mind!

Best - Dr. Kaufman

Itching is a normal side effect of Coolsculpting so don’t be alarmed. This may persist up to 2 weeks following your procedure. I recommend taking oral Benadryl for this. You can also try icing the area as some patients find this to help. 

Thank you for your question. Swelling, numbness, bruising and itching are all normal side effects from this treatment. For the swelling compression garments can help and the itching can be relieved from OTC Benadryl or other anti-histamines. All of these symptoms should only last around 10 days. Best wishes. 

The numbness eventually goes away. Mine took 3 weeks to dissipate. There is nothing you can do to make it go away faster. It just is what it is! The pain can be more or less with the second treatment... can't predict which it will be.My best,Sheila Nazarian

Itching can be a normal side effect a few days after having done a treatment with CoolSculpting. It is temporary and should resolve over the next few days. In the meantime, you may try applying a topical anti-itch cream or try a non-drowsy antihistamine. If it persists, you should always contact the person who performed your treatment for advice.

Itching may be a sign of the body digesting dead fat cells. Usually the antihistamines don't help this itching sensation. some people note lessening of the itching by using a compression garment such as Spanx, or greater compression with liposuction garments. massaging the area may also help. it usually is temporary and can last a few weeks or more, in some patients.