Coolsculpting Pre & Post Treatment

Medically Reviewed by Mark Youssef, MD 5 stars from 103 reviews

What is Coolsculpting?

Coolsculpting is a non-surgical fat reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling and pressure to eliminate stubborn fat that will not shrink through diet and exercise alone. No general/topical anesthesia or pain medication is required. There is no downtime and you may resume normal exercise and activity immediately. Results will gradually develop over 2 to 4 months following your treatment. Coolsculpting will remove 20-40% of the fat from the treatment area. Areas can be retreated if necessary in the future. 

How to Prepare for your Coolsculpting Treatment 

Stop any medications that thin your blood as bruising in the areas of treatment is possible. If you are unsure about whether your medications are blood thinners please review this with our providers. Over the counter medications like aspirin, anti-inflammatories and fish oil supplements may also exacerbate bruising and should be discontinued. 

You may want to bring your own iPad, reading materials, knitting or laptop to entertain yourself. Total treatment times will vary from one to five hours. 

Your Coolsculpting Treatment Day 

1. Wear comfortable, loose clothing to your appointment. 
2. Wear inexpensive, loose fitting undergarments and clothes and bring an extra pair to wear home as gel pads will be applied with the applicator and will make any clothing you are wearing during the treatment wet.
3. You may eat prior to arrival but we recommend a light meal as rarely some patients may feel nauseated at the start of the session. We will provide snacks and beverages during the session if you begin to feel hungry. 
4. Prior to your treatment photography, measurements and weight will be taken for comparison on your follow up. 

What to Expect During the Treatment 

There are two types of applicators (vacuum assisted and flat applicators) which may be used during your session. 

1. Vacuum assisted applicators: The most commonly used applicators uses suction to draw the fat into the device. The vacuum pressure may cause sensations of deep pulling, tugging and pinching in the area being treated. This sensation will subside over the first five to seven minutes of each application and for the remainder of the session should be comfortable. 
2. Flat applicator “Coolsmooth”: The flat applicators do not involve suction but you will feel tingling and stinging for approximately ten minutes as the applicator cools the fat. 

Most patients experience very mild sensations; some patients experience more intense sensations at the beginning of each session but the symptoms will subside after the first 10 minutes. 

After one hour (two hours with the flat applicator) the treatment for that area is completed and the device is removed. Immediately upon removal of the device the tissue will be firm and massage is important to maximize the treatment result. During this 2-5 minute process it will feel like a deep tissue massage – uncomfortable but bearable. 

Immediately after the procedure the treated area may look or feel stiff, white (or red), bruised or swollen/bloated. 

You may feel a sense of nausea or dizziness as your body naturally warms and sensation returns to your treatment area. If you are experiencing these symptoms let the provider know and we will help you as necessary. 

In some patients, the skin may ache or sting for a brief period of time as sensation returns to the area. 

The skin will initially be pink and some evidence of bruising may be immediately visible. The pinkness will subside over the first several hours after treatment. If you have developed bruising it may remain for up to a week following the session. 

What to expect after CoolSculpting

You can expect none or some of the following symptoms immediately after the procedure. These symptoms may persist for up to several weeks. Most patients have very mild symptoms but, as with any medical procedure, each patient experiences it uniquely. 

Symptoms always subside over time and have NO long lasting complications. 

The treated area may be red for up to a few hours after the applicator is removed. This is an expected but temporary effect. 

Bruising, swelling and tenderness can occur in the treated area. This typically resolves within a week or two. 

Nausea, tingling, stinging and cramping in the treatment area are possible on treatment day. 

You may feel a temporary dulling of sensation or itching sensitivity in the treated area. Numbness at the site is common, resolving over 1-3 weeks. 

There typically is minimal recovery time after CoolSculpting. You will be able to return to your normal daily routine immediately after the procedure. 

It is common for the treated area to feel bloated and to look swollen for the first three weeks after CoolSculpting. Compression tights such as yoga pants or Spanx may feel good to wear during this period. 

You may experience a temporary dulling of sensation or itching/tingling/off sensation that can last for several weeks. 

4 to 10 days post Coolsculpting you may notice more intense sensations than during the first few days. This is due to the inflammatory response your body naturally mounts to remove the dead fat cells. For most patients the symptoms are mild to moderate and often are more apparent when trying to sleep. If you are having difficulty sleeping please notify the office and prescription medications may be helpful. 

You may experience: 

• deep itching 
• tingling 
• numbness, soreness, or tenderness to the touch 
• pain or aching in the treated area 
• cramping or muscle spasms 
• diarrhea 

Please notify the office if these conditions persist beyond two weeks 

Please notify your provider if your symptoms are severe or are interfering with your ability to perform activities or sleep. 

When Do I Expect to See Results? 

Following the procedure, a gradual reduction in the thickness of the fat layer will take place. You may start to see changes as early as three weeks after CoolSculpting and you will experience the most dramatic results after two to three months. Your body will continue to process the injured fat cells from your body for approximately four months after your procedure. 

How Do I Maximize my Treatment Results? 

Weight gain will prevent you from appreciating your full results. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine after your procedure can help prevent this. Just like liposuction, Coolsculpting kills and eliminates fat cells from the treated area. If you are eating more calories than you are burning off through normal activity and exercise, the extra calories will be stored as fat in other locations in your body. 

This is the perfect time to evaluate your eating and exercise habits and to make changes if merited to optimize your result. Our providers are happy to provide advice and counselling to help you make changes or assess proper caloric goals if you feel that you may benefit from them. 

Avoid the use of anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen and Celebrex for six weeks after the treatment. The inflammatory response in your body is the mechanism which removes the fat cells and inhibiting the body’s ability to mount a response may slow the progress of your result following Coolsculpting. 

Schedule a follow-up medical assessment to review your clinical results and discuss the option of additional treatments to achieve desired outcome for this treatment site and other treatment site

Please call if you have any questions along your Coolsculpting journey, we are here to help!

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark and the YOUnique Team