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,

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.

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.