CoolSculpting became an FDA-approved procedure almost 10 years ago, but it’s still one of the most popular ways to eliminate fat cells and achieve the body shape you’ve always desired.

That said, as CoolSculpting has risen in popularity among celebrities and the general public, the number of myths and misconceptions surrounding this approach has risen as well.

Today I will bust some of the most prominent myths about the CoolSculpting procedure so that you can make an educated decision when figuring out if cryolipolysis is right for you.

But first:

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is a noninvasive, FDA-approved, fat-reduction procedure that uses a freezing process to eliminate fat in problem areas of your body.

This procedure is a form of cryolipolysis and works by applying controlled amounts of cold to fat cells. As the frozen fat cells die, your body begins removing the dead cells, thus helping reduce problem areas.

If CoolSculpting sounds simple, that’s because it is. But, that hasn’t prevented myths from being created about this procedure. Let’s start myth-busting!

Myth No. 1: CoolSculpting can help you lose weight

I’m sorry to break it to you, but CoolSculpting results won’t show up on your scale. But wait! Before you run away, it’s important to remember that weight loss is not what CoolSculpting was created for.

CoolSculpting is designed to help people who have already lost weight through exercise and dieting or are currently on their weight loss journey but who are having trouble eliminating fat from problem areas like love handles, calves, double chin, or a muffin top.

If you have trouble areas like these, CoolSculpting can help you reduce fat cells by up to 25% per treatment per area.

Myth No 2: CoolSculpting results are immediate

While CoolSculpting results can be incredible, you’ll need to be patient in order to see them.

The cryolipolysis process takes multiple sessions in order to work effectively and these sessions usually take three months to complete. On average, you should see results after the first four weeks of treatment.

Why so long?

The CoolSculpting procedure kills fat cells. After each session, your body needs time to discard the dead fat cells, and this is why it takes a few weeks to see results. You’ll see your desired results once the fat cells are gone, so be patient and give your body time to clean out those dead cells.

Myth No 3: CoolSculpting is like liposuction, only cheaper

It’s easy for people to confuse body-shaping procedures like CoolSculpting and liposuction, but the reality is that these two procedures are completely different.

Liposuction is a surgical weight loss method, meaning you have to be put on anesthesia, get cut by a doctor, and spend multiple weeks recovering in order for it to work. Liposuction also has a lot of risks. For one thing, at $6,000 on average it’s more than twice as expensive as CoolSculpting; and for another, you also risk infection and other medical side effects as a result of the surgery.

CoolSculpting, on the other hand, is a noninvasive procedure — no knives, anesthesia, or surgery! It’s also considerably cheaper than liposuction, with the average CoolSculpting process costing around $2,500. And in terms of pain, let’s answer that as we bust myth #5!

Myth No 4: CoolSculpting is really painful

Unlike surgical fat-reducing procedures, CoolSculpting requires no anesthesia or pain killers because cryolipolysis isn’t painful.

CoolSculpting uses handheld devices to target small areas of fatty tissue, freezing and killing the fat cells. While freezing may sound painful, the cooling is actually delivered to the fat without freezing your skin. So while you may feel pressure from the CoolSculpting device and a slight cooling sensation as the procedure kills fat cells, you should not feel pain.

In fact, the majority of our patients are able to take a nap, read a book, or hold a conversation while the CoolSculpting procedure goes on.

For those patients who do experience some discomfort, this is usually at the very beginning of the cryolipolysis session and goes away as the region of skin becomes numb from the cooling.

Myth No 5: It takes a while to recover from CoolSculpting

This last myth is one that causes a lot of unneeded concern for people who are wondering: “Is CoolSculpting safe?”

While surgical procedures like liposuction can take weeks or months to recover from, CoolSculpting won’t affect your schedule at all. As an example, it’s not uncommon for some of our patients to have a CoolSculpting session during their lunch break and then go right back to the office!

The only after-effects you should feel are slight tenderness or itching in the area targeted during your treatment. This is normal.

In some rare cases, patients have experienced a sharp pain or bruising in the targeted area, but this is temporary and only means that the treatment was successful. If you experience pain in the days after your procedure, over the counter pain medication should take care of it for you.

Take The Final Step Towards Your Ideal Body Today

CoolSculpting is one of the highest-rated ways to tone your body and get rid of stubborn fat. It doesn’t use needles, chemicals, or incisions, and doesn’t require any downtime after your treatment.

When compared to other procedures, like liposuction, CoolSculpting has close to zero side effects and is able to help you achieve lasting change for your body.

To take the final step towards achieving your ideal body, contact us today.

Waterfront Wellness Blog

CoolSculpting 101: Myths and Misconceptions About Cryolipolysis