Cool Sculpting

CoolSculpting Procedure

Cryolipolysis isn't surgery and doesn't use needles. The device holds the part of your body your doctor wants to target between two paddles. The paddles cool quickly and your doctor leaves them in place for about 35 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. During that time, the process destroys about 20%-25% of the fat cells in the area that's targeted.

The final results may not show up for a few months, but you may start to see some changes within a few weeks. Your immune system clears out the dead fat cells slowly over this time.

Who Is It For?

Cryolipolysis isn't a way to  lose weight. Your doctor might suggest it if you've tried diet and exercise and haven't been able to get rid of certain fat bulges.

You should also avoid cryolipolysis if you have:

  • Loose skin
  • Poor skin tone
  • Cryoglobulinemia (a condition where abnormal proteins in your blood thicken in cold temperatures)
  • Cold urticaria (a skin condition that causes hives on your skin when it gets cold)
  • Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (a type of anemia that destroys your red blood cells when you're in cold temperatures)
  • Raynaud’s phenomenon

You should also avoid it if you:

  • Can’t handle cold well
  • Are pregnant or nursing
  • Have obesity

Cryolipolysis should not be done on areas where there are:

  • Varicose veins
  • Nerve problems
  • Rashes or lesions

A doctor can use cryolipolysis to help you kill fat cells in areas of your body such as:

  • Under the chin and jawline
  • Thighs
  • Belly
  • Back and sides
  • Under the butt
  • Along the bra line
  • Upper arm

CoolSculpting Risks

You can get cryolipolysis done at your doctor's office, and you don't need to schedule recovery time afterward. It's OK to drive yourself home from the appointment.

There are a few side effects. During the process, you may feel a pulling or tugging on your skin and an intense cold. Afterward, you may feel sore, like you've been exercising. You may also swell a little.

Rarely, cryolipolysis can cause mild or moderate painafterward. You're also at a slight risk of nerve pain.

Sometimes your skin can look less smooth afterward. Less than 1% of people who get it done have a complication called paradoxical fat hyperplasia. When this happens, the number of fat cells in the area of treatment increase instead of decrease.