There is some mild, temporary discomfort due to the initiation of strong suction and extreme cold. You may experience sensations of pulling, mild pinching, tingling, stinging or cramping. However, as the temperature falls, there is a numbing effect and most patients sit comfortably during the treatment reading, watching television, or even napping. There may be some hypersensitivity of the skin in the treated area post-treatment, but this general disappears in several days. There may also be some tenderness or soreness for about a week – similar to muscle soreness after a strong workout session. Patients are usually able to return to normal activities immediately post-treatment.

Results may be seen as early as 1 to 3 months after treatment. You will initially experience some mild inflammation and swelling to the treated area. This should resolve within one to two weeks, then it will take another few weeks to see a noticeable difference. Full results from that session should be achieved within 12 weeks. Many patients require more than one treatment session to achieve their desired results. So, we schedule a follow-up appointment (including before and after photos and weight) 3 months after initial treatment to assess results and schedule future sessions, if needed.

Following treatment, you may experience mild redness, bruising, swelling or numbness in the treated area. This should resolve within 1 to 2 weeks. The fat cell death is a small enough volume that your body breaks down the free fatty acids and triglycerides into harmless energy substrates, so there is no risk of elevated harmful lipids, heart disease or atherosclerosis as a result of CoolSculpting treatment.