I was told more pain means better results with coolsculpting. Is this true? How long does the pain last?

Hi,Coolsculpting is an excellent form of non-invasive  fat reduction for
the right patient. Some applicators take 1 or 2 hours but the new advantage
applicators take only 35 minutes and have significantly less risk for delayed
onset pain (especially in the abdomen). Results are seen at 2 months and
typically 1-3 treatments will be necessary on each area to achieve ideal
results. The number of treatments depends on the amount of fat there and the
patient's goals.  There is not downtime and the results can be impressive
in the right patient.  We also use the Zimmer Z-wave for improved patient
comfort and added results. The best candidates are those who are in pretty
good shape with areas of stubborn fat that won't go away no matter what.Experiencing pain or not does not mean that the treatment will be more effective.
My best,

Sheila Nazarian, MD, MMM

Beverly Hills,
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Thank you for your question. Pain does not indicate better results as some patients feel little to no pain at all. If you are uncomfortable, I would speak to your provider about tips that can help you with your recovery. Regards,

In my opinion, having pain after a CoolSculpting treatment is not an indication of better results.  Some people have pain and others do not.  It also tends to occur primarily after treatment to the abdomen and not other areas.  There is a prescription medicine that can help to alleviate the pain you are having so I would recommend contacting the physician who treated you to discuss this treatment option.  

Persistent pain following a Coolsculpting treatment is a good indication to call and request a follow up evaluation. While this may occur periodically, it is not a common occurrence. There are many factors which may contribute to post procedure discomfort and therefor a follow up and evaluation by a physician is not unreasonable.

Thank you for your question. No, more pain after treatment does not indicate better results. It is common to have some swelling after Coolsculpting treatment which can take a few weeks to resolve. It is common to have some swelling, numbness and tingling after Coolsculpting treatment and this typically resolves in a few weeks. If you are having any discomfort you can take Tylenol. I would give your body more time to heal before assessing your results. Please contact your treating physician with any concerns you may have. Best of Luck!

Pain does not indicate better results, but it also does not mean there is a problem.  Your symptoms are all very normal.  Almost everyone experiences some degree of discomfort for usually about a week but can be up to 2-3 weeks.  For many people, this discomfort is just that; annoying soreness that doesn't really get in the way of life. However there are some cases in which the nerve endings can become slightly inflamed and that can cause shooting, stabbing pain.  Although it is nothing to worry about, it doesn't mean you have to suffer alone.  Your provider can prescribe medication such as Gabapentin (Lyrica) to help calm the inflamed nerves.  Other suggestions would be to use a cold compress when you can, wear a compression garment (not too tight), take an Epsom salt bath and try to stay active, you may find it's worse when you are sitting or lying down.  The swelling you mentioned is also normal, in fact should be expected. It usually lasts 1-2 weeks, but it can last as long as 3 weeks in some.  The suggestions I just mentioned for pain can also help to lessen the swelling. Numbness is also expected, and will likely be the symptom that lasts the longest, often lasting a month or more.

More pain with Coolsculpting is not indicative of better results or any problems.  It's impossible to know who will have pain and who won't.  This can even vary from site to site on the same person or different treatment sessions.  (just because you had pain once doesn't mean you'll have it again)  When patients do experience discomfort a few days after treatment it generally only lasts about 3-4 days.  Swelling should resolve after one week.  Numbness may take a bit longer.  The majority of patients have no pain whatsoever and have great results.  Hang in there and know the pain will pass soon.

I
am sorry to hear that you are experiencing discomfort after your
CoolSculpting procedure. We perform hundreds of these treatments per year and it is
impossible to predict who will have discomfort and who will not.  Most people do not experience any discomfort, but late-onset feelings of pain can be treated with a medication that your provider can easily prescribe.  My best advice is for you to contact him or her to report your symptoms.

Thanks for your question.  I do not believe there any any scientific documentation that increased pain after Coolsculpting results in better results.  I have heard this from patients too, but I can not say that they have any better results than patients who don't experience any discomfort.  The symptoms you are describing are all within the normal range of side effects from the treatment.  Of course, if you are unsure of anything you are experiencing then you should return to the doctor at the office where your procedure was performed.  I find most all of these symptoms to be resolved by 2-3 weeks.  Best of luck!

These  symptoms are expected after CoolSculpting. The pain duration varies between patient to patient. It may take several days to weeks. Patients who experience this late onset pain tend to see their results earlier. Meaning instead of 2 months to notice results you may notice it within 1 month. If you want to do future CoolSculpting treatments you can talk to your physician about calling in a prescription for you.