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I'd also like to add, that my experience…
I'd also like to add, that my experience with Ritacca Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa has been overall Very good. I've been a client for over 15 years for many different things. This particular treatment was a bad choice for me, despite being an excellent candidate. I think the provider did everything they could with the information they had, to provide a safe treatment. I believe it was the technology that failed me.
PLEASE DON"T DO IT!!!!! My body is ruined.
My first experience with CoolSculpting by Zeltiq was in November of 2011. I was 140 lbs, 5'5". I was also working out like crazy and dieting but still had that annoying little pooch that all women complain about. The procedure itself was excruciating! During the first five minutes, I thought I was going to pass out, the remaining 45 weren't bad. After the treatment, I drove home and waited for my new trim belly to appear.
The first four days I was a little sore but no big deal. Day 5, the shooting pains started. By the 6th day, the pains had gotten more intense. I was in SO MUCH PAIN bending at the middle was not an option, I couldn't even sit. I had to drive of course, but because of the pain my driving was limited, only leaving the house when absolutely necessary. I can only describe the pain as tiny lightning bolts of barbed wire constantly ripping through my abdomen. I couldn't take it and called the office, they phoned in a prescription for Neurontin to help with the nerve pain. I took this 3 times a day for the next 3 weeks and it did help tone down some of the pain, but I was really uncomfortable for 4 full weeks!
Let me also say that during this "no downtime" period I wasn't able to sit at my desk to work. I had a gardeners cushion that I kneeled on all day, so I also had knee and back pain during my month long recovery. Sitting and eating were both uncomfortable. I also had stopped working out and only able to walk on the treadmill. I lost 8lbs during that month. By December 28th my small belly pooch was almost gone and my skin was a little wrinkled from the belly button down. I thought it was cute, like a trophy I had won for all my pain. Honestly it looked like wrinkled, melted skin that others probably viewed as a flaw.
Dec. 29th, I left on my beach trip looking and feeling great.
I went back the following year for the same treatment, same area (large applicator, lower abdomen).
I had read through several posts that the treatments were easier the second time and it was (but before my appointment I took a Vicoden left over from a recent dental procedure).
I had a bad feeling when the girl was setting it up. She was obviously new and struggling with the application, it took three (painful) tries to get this treatment started. I kept waiting and at 4 months I realized I had just wasted my money. I thought it was probably the inexperienced staff.
I tried one more time a couple years later, it was offered again at a discounted price and this time I made sure I got someone that knew what they were doing to apply the applicator. The treatment was good, I felt like it was working. I was sore for a few days and had some pain beginning again at day 5, but nothing like the first time. I wondered if I had permanent nerve damage from the first treatment.
Once again, very little change. One side of my belly was slightly smaller, I had a disappointing result and an uneven and unnatural looking shape.
Wth, more money wasted - lesson learned!
It was about 4 months later I started noticing a change. I had grown used to the fact that I will never have an even shape, that was mentioned in the pre-treatment waiver. But now my little pooch belly had turned into a thick, hard shelf of fat exactly where the applicator had been placed. It's HORRIBLE! My gentle lady curve has turned into a deformed, lump of hard fat.
I am very careful when it comes to cosmetic procedures and I research everything before I try it. If I had know this could happen as a result of this treatment, I would NEVER have done it.
During my last annual skin cancer screening, my dermatologist grabbed it and said there was something new that may be able to help. (I have been complaining to her for years about the Zeltiq Coolsculpting disaster). She said there is now more information showing this is happens from Coolsculpting and that it's not easy to correct.
It's INFURIATING to me that this side effect wasn't mentioned before. I felt lucky to be one of the first to get this amazing new treatment, and now I feel like I was used as a laboratory research animal. Now seeing this huge media push for CoolSculpting everywhere, it's Disgusting to think they're on to a new batch of guinea pigs.
SHAME ON YOU ZELTIQ!!
The first four days I was a little sore but no big deal. Day 5, the shooting pains started. By the 6th day, the pains had gotten more intense. I was in SO MUCH PAIN bending at the middle was not an option, I couldn't even sit. I had to drive of course, but because of the pain my driving was limited, only leaving the house when absolutely necessary. I can only describe the pain as tiny lightning bolts of barbed wire constantly ripping through my abdomen. I couldn't take it and called the office, they phoned in a prescription for Neurontin to help with the nerve pain. I took this 3 times a day for the next 3 weeks and it did help tone down some of the pain, but I was really uncomfortable for 4 full weeks!
Let me also say that during this "no downtime" period I wasn't able to sit at my desk to work. I had a gardeners cushion that I kneeled on all day, so I also had knee and back pain during my month long recovery. Sitting and eating were both uncomfortable. I also had stopped working out and only able to walk on the treadmill. I lost 8lbs during that month. By December 28th my small belly pooch was almost gone and my skin was a little wrinkled from the belly button down. I thought it was cute, like a trophy I had won for all my pain. Honestly it looked like wrinkled, melted skin that others probably viewed as a flaw.
Dec. 29th, I left on my beach trip looking and feeling great.
I went back the following year for the same treatment, same area (large applicator, lower abdomen).
I had read through several posts that the treatments were easier the second time and it was (but before my appointment I took a Vicoden left over from a recent dental procedure).
I had a bad feeling when the girl was setting it up. She was obviously new and struggling with the application, it took three (painful) tries to get this treatment started. I kept waiting and at 4 months I realized I had just wasted my money. I thought it was probably the inexperienced staff.
I tried one more time a couple years later, it was offered again at a discounted price and this time I made sure I got someone that knew what they were doing to apply the applicator. The treatment was good, I felt like it was working. I was sore for a few days and had some pain beginning again at day 5, but nothing like the first time. I wondered if I had permanent nerve damage from the first treatment.
Once again, very little change. One side of my belly was slightly smaller, I had a disappointing result and an uneven and unnatural looking shape.
Wth, more money wasted - lesson learned!
It was about 4 months later I started noticing a change. I had grown used to the fact that I will never have an even shape, that was mentioned in the pre-treatment waiver. But now my little pooch belly had turned into a thick, hard shelf of fat exactly where the applicator had been placed. It's HORRIBLE! My gentle lady curve has turned into a deformed, lump of hard fat.
I am very careful when it comes to cosmetic procedures and I research everything before I try it. If I had know this could happen as a result of this treatment, I would NEVER have done it.
During my last annual skin cancer screening, my dermatologist grabbed it and said there was something new that may be able to help. (I have been complaining to her for years about the Zeltiq Coolsculpting disaster). She said there is now more information showing this is happens from Coolsculpting and that it's not easy to correct.
It's INFURIATING to me that this side effect wasn't mentioned before. I felt lucky to be one of the first to get this amazing new treatment, and now I feel like I was used as a laboratory research animal. Now seeing this huge media push for CoolSculpting everywhere, it's Disgusting to think they're on to a new batch of guinea pigs.
SHAME ON YOU ZELTIQ!!
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