Body contouring is an appealing option for people who aren’t good candidates for surgery, but still have pockets of fat they want to get rid of. CoolSculpting is one body contouring method, using a cooling technique to destroy fat cells in the desired area. But what happens after the treatment? Can fat cells come back? We reached out to Charlotte’s Book expert dermatologist Dr. Jennifer Chwalek for the answer.
Q—CHARLOTTE’S BOOK READER
Does fat really go away after CoolSculpting?
A—DR. JENNIFER CHWALEK
Studies with non-invasive body contouring treatments like CoolSculpting and UltraShape have shown a durable effect over time. Once fat cells are destroyed, they will not return.
What about in other areas?
Maintaining diet and exercise regularly following treatment is still important, as remaining fat cells in the treated area or fat cells in other areas can increase in size with weight gain. Having body contouring treatments is a good way to both physically and mentally commit to staying on track in the future.
Which patients have the most success with this type of treatment and why?
CoolSculpting has been a fantastic solution for my patients who have at least an inch of pinchable subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is that pesky outer layer—directly under the skin—that is often unaffected by even diet and exercise.
The patients who see the best results with CoolSculpting are those who are close to their ideal BMI, watch their diet, and exercise regularly but still have pinchable fat in areas such as arms, stomach, flanks, inner and outer thighs, chin, above the knee, or under the bra.
Patients who are obese or overweight are not good candidates for this device and are unlikely to see much improvement.
Is it too late to see results for summer?
Although it can take up to three months to see results, occasionally I have patients who will notice some improvement as early as one month!
My belly and love handles are my biggest problem areas. How many sessions do I need to see results?
In my 360-degree consultation, I evaluate each patient’s unique baseline, goals, vector shape and area size, body type, symmetry factors, and lifestyle to first determine which body contouring solution will work best between CoolSculpting, UltraShape Power, and TruSculpt.
If you want to reduce your belly and love handles, you would achieve the best results if I CoolSculpted both your stomach and flanks. By DualSculpting the areas surrounding your problem area, we’re improving overall circumference and contour. DualSculpting allows for me to treat two areas in the same amount of time using two machines.
Most patients will see improvement with 1-2 sessions. The number of sessions will depend on the areas treated and should be tailored to each individual. It’s important to have a consultation prior to any treatment with a board-certified physician experienced in body contouring treatments to ensure you’re a good candidate.
Read This Next
Here’s your complete guide to body contouring and the most popular treatment techniques.
Plus, Dr. Chwalek tells us how to balance holistic living with cosmetic dermatology.
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