Coolsculpting on Abdomen & Love Handles - Miami, FL

I have always had a chunky midsection, it has always bothered me. At my fittest I was able to harden my abs but I never got rid of the fat layer above it. Granted my early 20's insecurities and dieting obsession are gone and nowadays I appreciate a good meal and glass of wine.

In general I have a good diet & lifestyle. Non smoker, moderate drinker. I have practised yoga for the past 7 years and have periods when I go daily and others were I can't make it out of the office in time. No matter, my midsection has always been the part of my body I like the least.

So when I read about Coolsculting on NEWBEAUTY magazine and how Harvard developped it I was intrigued and contacted the doctor that was featured in the magazine article. She was a Harvard grad. and seemed very serious, the problem was she was in Boston and it was too long of a stretch for me as I live abroad. Then I found the Real Self website were I read every single comment (thank you for the posts, so am doing my part in exchange) and decided to pursue my search. I found a clinic through the Coolsculpting website that was awarded a CS Certified Practice, Medical Advisory Board Member & Clinical Investigator, in their website I found that the MD is co-inventor of the Coolsculpting technology. So I felt at ease, same as I had felt with the Harvard graduate (sounds like I am very "title oriented" but I have never done any procedure and I am rather skeptic by nature).

So I went to the clinic on a Saturday, the nurse specialist Maylen took care of me. I made a million questions, the one that got me "that's a very good question" was: "Can I see skin sagginess after multiple CS procedures?" She said as the results take 3-4 months to show, the skin is able to go back to it's place but that it could happen. The skin can lose some elasticity, so she recommended exercise and heatlhy diet. This is why I hope not to go beyond one treatment in the same area, 2 at the very maximum and for sure space the procedures at least 6 months as I rather have tighter looking skin over a little fat than loose skin on muscle and bone.

So I decided to go for it. The procedure took 2 hours, first they gave me the large applicator on my stomach and then 2 medium ones on my side, which the applied diagonnaly to contour more gracefully my waist.

I was weighed, and prepared for super odd sensations and maybe pain. The only thing that was hard was the cold gelattin-y tissue they put on you, the suction feels just like pulling, I don't know how else to describe it it is just a strong suction, it didn't hurt me, not even in the beginning. The only worry I had was to keep the applicator in place, as when she went to get the pregnancy pillow, the applicator is so heavy that if it isn't straight on your skin it feels like it is pulling it and stretching your skin. Once the pillow was holding it straight I realxed and watched tv.

Time flew. When she removed it I was so grossed and intrigued by the frozen fat roll, when she gave me the massage -which I had read it was the most painfull thing ever- I was like "oh.. it's fine" but rapidely your frozen skin starts to gain consciousness and then it hurt, luckily she was almost over with the massage, so it was tolerable (pain: 7.5/10). The pain felt like a cold burn, it helped to press my warm hands against my skin and went away pretty quickly.

Then my sides were done at the same time. The applicators were placed diagonally (picture the V of a very hit-cut bikini). NO pain whatsoever. When I was done, then the massage hurt, from the beginning. I have to say I had much less fat in my sides than in my abdomen so I think I was more sensitive. (pain: 9.5/10).Maylen said typically the initial suction hurts more in the abdomen than the sides but the massage hurts more in the sides than in the abdomen. The massage lasts like a minute or so so you are not hurting for long.

When I was getting dressed, I felt like my waistline was foreign to my body, I couldn't feel it, like I was carrying dead weight. Very odd sensation, but it didn't hurt. If I pressed I felt my skin very tender (pain: 5/10) nontheless, I couldn't stop putting my hand on my stomach as I felt so weird.

That night I was very bloaded, my stomach and especially my sides, I had two bumps sticking outwards on my sides, I still am bloaded but it has gone down a tiny bit.

They prescribed me a pain killer (10 pills for 10 days) to take at night and a patch for the day in case of pain. I travelled home the next day, had two heavy bags, and sat on a plane and had no problems. I took the pain killer the first night, not because I felt pain but because I didn't want to risk been woken up by the pain and having a bad night before my trip. I haven't taken any pain killer nor used the any patch. I feel discomfort but not pain. (pain: 2/10)

So far I am good, am still waiting for the 5 or 6 day horrrible needles that everybody talks about that could last for a week, so that is why I have my little pain killers standind by just in case. Today is day 5 and I feel nothing. Maybe my skin is still so numb... ?

Thanks for reading,

So at day 6 I start to feel needles and by day 7 burning sensation around my belly button. Literally it feels like a bad sunburn, impossible to wear jeans or anything that rubs my stomach. Even the thinnest softest material feels uncomfortable. I am taking Tylenol 3 as prescribed by the clinic but it is only for night time. I had planned to exercise but I don't dare with this burning sensation.
The swelling has gone down.

I went to a Vinyasa Yoga class.

To my surprise it actually felt really good to exercise, the tight gym clothes helped to feel good as they compressed my skin against my abdomen.

The class was so strenuous that I didn't even think about my sensitive belly button, at no time did I feel pain or discomfort.

Highly recommend it.