Condidering CoolSculpting. How long does the skin redness last?

Question

How long does the skin redness last from Coolsculpting? Also, how soon can skin in areas that had Coolsculpting be exposed to sunlight/sunbathing?

Kimberly Butterwick, MD · Answer

Not everyone who
receives permanent fat reduction with CoolSculpting experiences
redness of the skin on the treatment areas. Those who do generally
find that the redness disappears after a few hours.
As
a board certified dermatologist, I can’t help but state that you
should not sunbathe. Ever. Not even with sunscreen. UVA and UVB rays
damage the skin, causing premature aging and substantially increasing
your risk for skin cancer. Immediately after CoolSculpting, ordinary
sun exposure with sunscreen is possible.  You should know that
sometimes after any treatment, the skin is more sensitive to sun
exposure and may burn or tan more than usual for a few weeks.  If
your skin is olive or darker and you usually tan, the areas of
CoolSculpting could become darker and tanner than the adjacent
untreated area.  This would certainly look strange, but would be
temporary. A month after CoolSculpting, this risk is minimal, but I
would still advocate to always wear sunscreen and protect your skin!
Please find a board-certified dermatologist to find out if you are a
candidate for CoolSculpting and to receive recommendations for
effective sun screen and skincare products to keep your skin healthy
and young looking for as long as possible.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Redness from coolsculpting can typically last from a couple of hours to a day. Exposure to sunlight is fine. You can go about your daily activities as usual following treatment. Regards,

Janet Allenby, DO · Answer

Hello,Thank you for your question. The redness from CoolSculpting does not last long. It is usually gone within a couple of hours, and you don't have an restrictions for sun exposure (always wear sunscreen). However some may experience some mild bruising and swelling in the treatment area. Good luck!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Redness can be variable, but generally resolves after a day. There is no down-time or limitation on sun exposure, but sun protection is essential. Keep in mind, for best results with Coolsculpting, a combination approach is needed. I recommend adding radiofrequency treatments like Vanquish, Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra for skin tightening and with Z wave/Cellutone for skin smoothing. Vaser with ThermiRF is an alternative and gives great results for body shaping and contouring. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Nicholas Husni, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

Thanks for your question. Downtime from CoolSculpting is very minimal, truly zero down time. Redness can last for a few hours, or even up to it day. If you get a bruise, which is possible, this can be visible for up to a week. You can expose the areas to Sun at any time. Enjoy your procedure and the results!

Karen Beasley, MD · Answer

Most of my patients don't experience much redness with
CoolSculpting, and those who do see it disappear within an hour or two. It's
very temporary. I wouldn't advise sunbathing, though. UVA and UVB rays from the
sun or tanning beds are behind almost all of the signs we associate with aging
skin. Wear hats and sunscreen any time you go outside. Consulting a
board-certified dermatologist will determine whether you are a candidate for
CoolSculpting.

Jennifer Harrington, MD · Answer

One of the biggest benefits of CoolSculpting® is that it requires very little to no downtime afterwards, so you can get right back to your normal plans immediately following your appointment. Some redness may stick around for the first few hours, but this shouldn’t keep you from performing your daily activities. As for sun exposure, while there is no reason that you can’t go out in the sun after this redness diminishes, keep in mind that there are other potential risks associated with the sun’s UV rays, so just be sure to always use sunscreen!

Jill C. Fichtel, MD · Answer

Skin redness resulting from CoolSculpting is usually mild and resolves within hours for most patients.  It's almost always gone within one day.  One of the benefits of CoolSculpting is that it is a procedure with minimal downtime.  You can spend time outdoors on the same day as the procedure.  Remember to wear your sunscreen!

Paul Pietro, MD · Answer

Hello kargean,Thank you for your question. We have found the skin redness typically will only last a couple of hours after the treatment cycle. In fact when multiple areas are done on a single appointment the initial areas treated are back to normal skin tone at the time of finishing the last cycle. Once redness and if present bruising are gone any time you would like regarding sun exposure.

Harpreet Lotay, MD · Answer

The redness from CoolSculpting is transient and usually lasts a couple of hours or so.   There is no reason to avoid sun exposure once the redness has subsided.  Remember that sun exposure accelerates skin aging and increases skin cancer risk so we always advise use of sunscreen.

Condidering CoolSculpting. How long does the skin redness last?

Answers (10)

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