The Ultimate CoolSculpting Review: Procedure, Cost, Side Effects, Results, Regulations
CoolSculpting is a procedure that eliminates fat cells in stubborn places without using needles or surgical methods. It is nearly painless and very simple. Some candidates even elect to take a nap while getting the treatment done. After the treatment, targeted fat cells are removed from your body through natural elimination.
The easy and tolerable method is FDA-approved and used exclusively for body-contouring purposes. It works by freezing fat cells and destroying them, which means it works only in situations where there are stubborn pockets of fat remaining on an otherwise fit body. The treatment requires that you maintain a healthy lifestyle and sustain a reasonable weight, while it works to eliminate hip, arm, thigh, belly, jawline, and under chin, or submental, bulges.
This means that the process is not, however, for everyone. It is only for those that are fit yet struggle with tiny pouches of fat in particular areas. It is not like general weight loss surgery, such as a gastric bypass, which is a solution tailored specifically to those that are fighting obesity. It literally freezes and kills away up to 25 percent of targeted fat cells that cluster up to cause noticeable bulges in otherwise trim people. It is truly a non-surgical liposuction substitute.
If you are not sure if CoolSculpting is right for you, you should ask your physician, just as you would with any other medical procedure. They can go over the pros and cons of the treatment with you and ascertain if it is best for your needs.
The CoolSculpting Procedure
The CoolSculpting procedure is performed to eliminate any bits and bobs that tend to linger regardless of how much you work out. After the age of thirty-five, these little fat pockets can be nearly impossible to get rid of, however, not unlike liposuction, the treatment aids in the contouring of the body by destroying fat cells in these isolated spots.
The procedure takes starts at one hour, and may take up to six, depending upon how many areas of the body you are having treated at a given appointment. Some clinics may even have multiple applicators and systems that can be used to treat multiple areas of a patient’s body simultaneously. This can be much easier, and it can save you valuable time if plan to have the treatment done on a lunch break from work or between picking up the kids from school and making dinner.
Your CoolSculpting physician will consult with you and create a personalized plan to work on your specific goals. They will discuss what you plan to change about particular areas of your body and which specific parts you want to work on. Together you will tailor a treatment plan to accomplish these desires in the simplest and most cost-effective manner possible. However, you may need to schedule additional appointments or treatments in the office to achieve the results that you desire.
Many clinics will provide you with multiple pillows to keep you especially comfortable during the procedure. You should be able to read a magazine or book, get some work done on your laptop, play on your phone, or even take a nap. The treatment is comfortable enough that you can multitask or simply rest while you are getting it done.
First, you will have to remove your clothing and slip on a robe for modesty. Then, the attendant will apply a clear lotion-like substance on the area that is to be treated. This is done to protect the skin from damage.
Next, the applicator is positioned on the treated area. It will feel similar to a vacuum hose attaching to the skin. It will suck in the fatty bulge and you will feel a bit of pulling, but nothing that is too uncomfortable. Within a couple of minutes, the cooling process starts, and you will feel an increasing cold sensation that subsides almost immediately.
While it can be a bit painful, the feeling lasts for less than five minutes, and it never crosses the threshold into the unmanageable. It tends to be more annoying than anything. This is not necessarily true for everyone, however. Everyone’s pain tolerance is completely different, and some people may feel an excess of discomfort, while others may not feel anything at all. Typically, it is thought to be at least as uncomfortable as Botox, so if you can handle the pain that comes with that procedure, you should have no problem with CoolSculpting.
After the initial five to ten minutes of treatment, the area treated should become numb and any discomfort will dissipate. It is similar to pressing a frozen bag of peas against your bare skin in that it will feel cold, then hurt a bit, and then eventually go numb.
Once the area is treated, the machine will be removed from the area in question and the bulge will spill out, almost butter-like. You may experience some tingling as the technician then massages the area for two minutes, breaking up the dead fat cells still inside. Most times, the area will still be numb enough that you will not really feel much of anything.
You may have to return in a couple months to have the treatment performed once again, since each area of the body usually requires a minimum of two treatments to be effective. Of course, this all depends on the size and location of the area treated, as well as the amount of fat cells that you intend to destroy in order to meet your objectives.
The Cost of CoolSculpting
The cost of your CoolSculpting procedure depends on which areas you are treating, how many treatments you intend to get, and your ultimate body contouring goals. After all, many CoolSculpting patients choose to have multiple areas of their bodies treated in order to gain the shape that they want. However, that being said, the average cost of the procedure ranges from $2000 to $4000 for a personalized treatment plan covering a minimum of at least two bodily areas.
Insurance providers unilaterally decide which services they will pay for, and CoolSculpting, which is considered a cosmetic procedure, and voluntary, is not typically covered. However, you can check with your company to see if they do offer payment assistance. If that is not an option, many CoolSculpting physicians do offer financing options that you can look into, such as flexible payment plans, special discounts, or package deals. Most doctors will do their best to work with you to ensure that you have access to the procedures you desire.
The Side Effects of CoolSculpting
While you are still undergoing the procedure, you may experience tugging, pinching, pulling, stinging, aching, cramping, intense feelings of cold, and tingling at the site of treatment. The area will then become numb, and all discomfort should end abruptly.
The area that was treated will remain numb for a couple of days to up to a few weeks. Showering and wearing tight pants may feel strange, though it will not necessarily be painful. You should see a bit of temporary redness at the treatment site, with a possibility of bruising, blanching, firmness, tenderness, cramping, aching, stinging, tingling, aching, and sensitivity of the skin. Some people have even reported short term bloating post-procedure.
All side effects are temporary and resolve by themselves after a few days to a few weeks. Other, rarer, side effects have been reported as occurring, including fullness in the back of the throat after receiving under-chin treatment.
However, because the CoolSculpting treatment is completely non-surgical, patients may fully return to all normal activities almost immediately, depending on personal pain tolerance. Many of those treated have returned to school or work the same day that the procedure was performed on them. Once numbness has subsided, you may also return to any and all physical activities, including working out, participating in sports, swimming, running, or leisurely walking.
Related article: Freezing Fat Away with CoolSculpting – How Does it Work
The Results of CoolSculpting
The dead fat cells that were destroyed by the CoolSculpting process will leave the body through natural elimination at the rate of approximately “four French fries per day,” according to some experts. You may even start to see some visible results as soon as three weeks after your treatment, though you won’t really start to notice dramatic changes until at least two months pass. With that being said, your body will flush out those dead fat cells for as long as four to six months post-procedure.
The number of fat cells that a person has stays pretty much the same after the stem cell capability of your fat cells shuts down at puberty. Even as a person gains and loses weight, these fat cells decrease and increase in size, but never in number. CoolSculpting, however, is designed to literally kill fat cells, sometimes as many as 20 to 25 percent of those targeted at each treatment. Once they are treated, they are permanently gone, meaning that the stubborn fat that just won’t go away can’t ever really return, resulting in long term effects. However, untreated areas will not differ in fat cell distribution.
Even without changing your daily routine, you will start to see treated areas flatten dramatically over time. You are never required to take any additional supplements after your CoolSculpting treatment, either. It is not considered a diet and exercise program, so changes to lifestyle and eating habits are not necessary for the procedure to work successfully. However, many patients do feel more motivated than ever to take care of themselves, since they feel that they have finally achieved the perfect body after years of trying.
Note, if you completely stop exercising and eating healthily after you partake in the CoolSculpting treatment, you may gain weight evenly all over your body. However, once you lose enough weight to get back to your starting point, you should be able to appreciate the results of your original treatment once again.
You can always schedule a follow-up appointment with your CoolSculpting physician to review your results and discuss your expectations and the possibility of additional treatments.
CoolSculpting Regulations
CoolSculpting is an FDA-cleared treatment approved for the reduction of visible fat pockets in the thighs, stomach, flanks, buttocks, upper arms, and under the chin, as well as what is referred to as “bra fat.” It has also been FDA-cleared to correct the laxity of tissue under the chin area and around the neck, as well.
In Taiwan, CoolSculpting is approved for the breakdown of fat in the area referred to colloquially as the “love handles,” while in China, it is cleared for the use of breaking down fat layers in the abdomen and flanks. Outside of the United States, Taiwan, and China, CoolSculpting is available worldwide as a non-invasive fat reduction treatment.
In conclusion, CoolSculpting is a quick and nearly painless method for fixing problematic fatty bulges that exercise and diet alone cannot eliminate, regardless of repeated effort. It has minimal downtime, side effects, and a fair cost considering how well it works to correct a problem that truly has no other solution other than an invasive and painful liposuction procedure. It has been approved for use as a fat cell eliminator around the world and is considered to be extraordinarily safe and effective. The results are long lasting and come to fruition pretty quickly.
At Canada MedLaser, we perform CoolSculpting procedures to help you achieve the results that you desire. We will get your body tight and fit by destroying any stubborn lumps that will just not go away no matter what you have done to eradicate them. We will meet with you and determine the best course of action to take based on your personal goals. You will never feel prouder of yourself, with a tight body and a flat stomach. So, call us today to find out more about CoolSculpting.
