Ask the Plastic Surgeon: Answers to Top CoolSculpting® Questions

Dr. Freeman consulting with a female patient

You may have heard of CoolSculpting® somewhere—in the news, magazines, or endorsed by public figures like Khloe Kardashian and Molly Sims. It’s the popular fat freezing treatment that offers results without any surgery. But if you’re like some of my CoolSculpting patients from Idaho Falls and Pocatello, Idaho, you may still have a few questions about the procedure, its results, and more.

I love getting my patients involved with my blog posts, so I’ve collected a few of their most common CoolSculpting questions and provided some honest answers about it in the hopes of giving everyone a better idea of what to expect from the treatment.

What areas can CoolSculpting treat?

CoolSculpting can be used on a variety of areas around the body, including the lower abdomen, love handles, back, flanks, hips, thighs, arms, and even under the chin! Recently, CoolSculpting released the CoolAdvantage® applicators designed for use on specific areas of the body and offer more precise, effective treatment than the original products. We’re excited to offer these applicators to our patients for even more targeted results.

How long is your stomach swollen after CoolSculpting?

You’ll likely experience some swelling in your abdomen after the treatment, but it will diminish within 2 weeks. When the fat in the treated area breaks down as the cells freeze, your body immediately begins working to remove those cells from your body. With the extra attention to that area, you’ll experience some swelling. Learn more about what to expect before, during, and after CoolSculpting in our related blog post.

Where does the fat go after CoolSculpting?

The frozen fat is broken and removed, cell by cell, through natural processes. Just like your body removes other types of cells every single day, these fat cells will be excreted from your body by natural waste. Remember that you won’t see the fat disappear all at once: It’ll be removed slowly over the course of several weeks. This means that your results will improve gradually over time.

What are the negative effects of CoolSculpting?

During the hours following the procedure (and for some patients, 2 to 3 days afterward), you will experience some soreness and discomfort in the treated area. However, you should be able to return to your daily activities immediately following treatment. Aside from this initial discomfort, there are no long-term effects. RealSelf offers additional CoolSculpting recovery information on its site.

How do I improve maximize CoolSculpting results?

This is a great question and one that I’m always enthusiastic to answer. Your results may be maintained through a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. Many patients may require at least 2 or 3 treatments to meet their goals. Make sure you discuss this treatment plan with your provider during your consultation, so you can achieve the results you want. Additionally, it’s important to note that weight gain, pregnancy, the effects of aging, and other health concerns may diminish your results.

What is better, CoolSculpting or a tummy tuck?

CoolSculpting works best on patients who want to smooth those tricky areas of fat that are not responsive to diet and exercise. It will slightly tighten and tone skin in a treated area. However, it will not be as effective on patients who have extra skin left from weight loss or pregnancy. This excess amount of skin will be best treated through a tummy tuck in the abdomen or a lift procedure elsewhere in the body. These procedures are designed to remove that skin and create a more contoured figure, as well as remove unwanted fat.

Do you have more CoolSculpting questions you’d like answered? I’d love to help! Use our online contact form to request a consultation or schedule a CoolSculpting appointment by calling (208) 881-5351.

0 Responses to Ask the Plastic Surgeon: Answers to Top CoolSculpting® Questions

Leave a Reply

Fields marked with * are required.

Back to Top