On this page, you’ll find out more about CoolSculpting and the areas of the body it can be used on.
This page includes:
- What CoolSculpting is
- What the treatment involves
- How CoolSculpting differs from liposuction
- Which candidates CoolSculpting is ideal for
- Which areas of the body CoolSculpting can be used on
- Which areas of the body CoolSculpting can’t be used on
- How many CoolSculpting treatments you’ll need
What is CoolSculpting?
CoolSculpting is an FDA approved fat freezing treatment that naturally eliminates dead, frozen fat cells throughout the body.
The procedure can target the precise areas where you may wish to see a difference, without damaging neighbouring tissue. As a market-leading treatment, it’s proven to trigger fat cell death, reducing fat deposits by up to 25%.
CoolSculpting reduces the temperature of fat cells in the treatment area to 4 degrees. As fat freezes at a higher temperature than other body tissue, body fat can be frozen safely using this technique, without damaging any of the surrounding structures or the surface of the skin. When fat cell death is triggered, the fat cell is then metabolised by your body.
You can find out more about CoolSculpting here.
What is involved in the treatment?
During the treatment, a special protective pad is first applied to protect the skin. This is then followed by the CoolSculpting handpiece, which is curved to accurately target the individual treatment areas.
You won’t need to have any anaesthesia for the procedure as it’s virtually pain-free, although you might feel a firm pull and pressure. The procedure delivers precisely controlled cooling to target the fat cells underneath the skin. Treated fat cells are crystallised then destroyed, leaving your body to naturally processes the fat and eliminate the dead cells. This leaves you feeling more toned and sculpted.
After a few minutes of the cooling process, the area will feel numb. During treatment, you can sit back and relax. You can even do activities to keep you occupied, such as reading or working on your laptop.
How long does the treatment take?
One treatment usually takes around 35 minutes per cycle. At Health and Aesthetics, we have Dualsculpting, meaning we can treat two areas at the same time. This involves using two machines, reducing your treatment time by half.
What is the difference between CoolSculpting and liposuction?
CoolSculpting and liposuction are both procedures that remove fat from targeted areas. The main differences between the two is that CoolSculpting is a fairly non-invasive procedure and doesn’t require anaesthesia. Liposuction, on the other hand, is an invasive surgery and does require anaesthesia.
The liposuction procedure starts with a large amount of a dilute local anaesthetic being injected into the area. The more areas that are treated, the more anaesthesia or sedation is needed.
The surgical procedure removes fat through a hollow tube with the help of an aspirator (suction device) to contour the body. A small suction tube is then inserted through a tiny incision placed in an inconspicuous location on the skin. Using a high-pressure vacuum, fat cells are extracted through the tube, sculpting bulges into more attractive contours.
CoolSculpting is ideal for people who wish to avoid invasive surgery. You’ll begin to see results from CoolSculpting after a few weeks, but full results from liposuction may not be noticeable until after a few months. CoolSculpting offers a non-surgical alternative to liposuction that involves no needles, special diets or downtime.
Who is an ideal candidate for CoolSculpting?
CoolSculpting is the perfect treatment for people who want to get rid of stubborn fat, such as a double chin, flanks, saddle bags, bra fat, back fat and inner thighs.
To have the procedure, you should have pockets of pinchable soft fat. The procedure is not advised for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have the blood conditions Cryoglobulinaemia or Paraoxysmal Cold Heamoglobinuria.
Rather than a weight loss treatment, this procedure is designed for people with healthy lifestyles who are looking to target certain stubborn areas of the body. If you’re looking to lose larger amounts of fat, it may be beneficial to undergo our medically-led weight loss plan, Mediweight.
What areas can be treated with CoolSculpting?
As CoolSculpting requires pockets of pinchable soft fat to be effective, only some areas of the body can be operated on.
These include:
The belly
It can be difficult to get rid of excess fat cells in the abdomen, particularly as we age or after giving birth. Many people choose CoolSculpting to eliminate pockets of unwanted fat on the stomach.
Before and after CoolSculpting procedure on the stomach.
Arms
CoolSculpting can be used on the arms. After weight loss, it can often be hard to shift the extra weight that gathers around the arms. Upper arm and armpit fat are common places to be treated by CoolSculpting.
During the treatment, a gel pad is applied to protect the skin. The applicator is then applied to the arms, one at a time. Your practitioner will then move the device over your skin to administrate the cooling technology.
Before and after Coolsculpting procedure on the arms.
Back
Coolsculpting can be used on both lower back fat and upper back fat. It’s commonly used to reduce ‘love handles’, deposits of excess fat at a person’s waistline.
Before and after CoolSculpting procedure on the lower back.
Saddle bags
‘Saddle bags’ refers to excess fat around the hips and thighs. If you’re self-conscious about this area, CoolSculpting is a non-invasive solution to reduce the amount of fat in these areas.
Thighs
The thighs are one of the most common places to have CoolSculpting, as stubborn fat in this area can cause people to become self-conscious. Your practitioner will use a handheld applicator to treat the thighs.
Before and after Coolsculpting procedure on the thighs
Chin
Under chin fat, commonly called a ‘double chin’ often occurs when there’s a combination of a weak chin and a small jaw.
It can cause excess tissue to be visible under the jaw, making people look overweight or making them look older than they are. It also often occurs when excess weight has gathered around the chin and neck area.
CoolSculpting is commonly used to treat a double chin. A Cool Mini applicator is used to treat the chin area, to destroy the fat cells and reduce the appearance of a double chin. You can read more about the causes of a double chin here.
Before and after CoolSculpting procedure on the chin.
Specific areas for men
Common areas for men to have CoolSculpting include the chest. Excess fat on the chest is known as gynecomastia and can cause the appearance of ‘man boobs’ It’s also common for men to have CoolSculpting done on their belly fat.
Specific areas for women
CoolSculpting can be useful for women who are self-conscious about bra fat. ‘Bra fat’ is a term sometimes used to refer to excess fat that’s pushed both under and over the bra. This overspill of fat can result in bulges which can cause women to be self-conscious about the area.
What areas can’t be treated with CoolSculpting?
CoolSculpting requires pinchable soft fat, and not all localised areas of fat are ideal for CoolSculpting.
Certain areas can’t be treated with CoolSculpting for the following reasons:
- the patient doesn’t have enough fat in the area
- CoolSculpting hasn’t been approved for use on the area
- the CoolSculpting applicators aren’t designed to be used on the area and therefore won’t fit correctly
The following areas of the body are not suitable for CoolSculpting:
The pubic area
The pubic area can’t be treated with CoolSculpting
However, if you are looking for a treatment for vagin*l laxity and dryness, you can read about our Femi Lift treatment. This treatment gently heats the tissue of the vagin*, tightening the vagin*l canal. You can read more about the causes and treatment for vagin*l laxity and dryness here.
Legs and ankles
While CoolSculpting can be operated on the thighs, it generally isn’t operated on the lower parts of the legs. CoolSculpting can’t be used on the ankles, this is because the applicator doesn’t fit the area in a way that it can be used correctly.
Accent prime treatment has Ultrasound and radiofrequency which will help to destroy fat and tighten skin on the legs.
Face and neck
Aside from the chin, we cannot use CoolSculpting treatment for face and neck fat. The procedure hasn’t been approved for this area and the applicator isn’t small enough to be used here.
If you’re looking for an appropriate treatment to remove stubborn fat from your face or neck, then we offer a variety of treatment methods for the following common conditions in the face area:
Jowls
‘Jowls’ is a term used to describe sagging in the lower part of the face. As we age, many changes take place in the layers of the skin which cause the face and skin around the jaw to sag. When these are combined, this can cause jowls to form. We offer the following procedures to treat jowls:
- Ultherapy– a non-invasive treatment that uses ultrasound energy to lift and tighten the skin. This procedure is often described as a facelift without surgery or a ‘lunchtime lift’, due to its speed and effectiveness. This treatment takes two hours.
- Dermal fillers– in this procedure, the treatment area is plumped to create a lift and rejuvenate areas that need more volume. This improves the structure of the face and skin texture. For more information on dermal fillers, you can read our guide Where on the body can dermal fillers be used?
Acne
Whilst there is no permanent cure for acne, the symptoms and side effects such as spots and oil can be controlled by effectively clearing the dead skin. You can read our full guide to acne here.
We offer the following treatments and products to help control acne symptoms:
- HydraFacials— HydraFacials clean and exfoliate the skin, ensuring all debris is removed from pores. This will diminish the appearance of scarring and help keep your skin pimple free.
- DermaLux LED Light treatment— this treatment is clinically proven to help with healing, promote collagen production and kill bacteria.
- ClearSkin— this is a laser that treats acne vulgaris safely by reducing sebum production and destroying bacteria.
- Peels— we offer a range of peels which are designed to kill bacteria, reduce sebum production, offer deep exfoliation, as well as stimulating collagen to improve the skin’s quality and function.
- Skinade Collagen Drink— Skinade contains marine collagen peptides with key vitamins and nutrients to boost your body’s natural collagen production.
Sunken cheeks
Sunken cheeks are a common sign of ageing, appearing to recede inward into the facial bones, rather than project outward. You can read more about the causes of sunken cheeks here. Our treatments for sunken cheeks includes dermal fillers and Profhilo, a pure hyaluronic that treats skin laxity and improves skin health.
Rosacea
Rosacea is an inflammatory condition that mainly affects the cheeks, chin, nose and forehead. This condition can cause itching, burning, flushing of the skin, breakouts and thickening and inflammation of the skin. We recommend using Rozatrol, a normalising product which reduces excess oil and provides an enzymatic exfoliator. You can combine this with our HydraFacial, a skin detoxifying and deep cleansing experience.
Knees
CoolSculpting can’t be used on the knees. Our Accent Prime treatment can target cellulite, tighten skin and contour skin around the knee area.
Buffalo hump
A buffalo hump refers to the bulge of extra fat around the neck and upper part of the back. The condition is a common symptom of Cushing’s syndrome. This area is very difficult to treat with CoolSculpting and isn’t recommended.
Weight loss
Coolsculpting should not be treated as a weight loss solution, and is instead designed to get rid of body bulges. If you’re struggling to lose weight, you could consider our medically-led weight loss program.
Skin tightening
Although CoolSculpting gets rid of extra bulge, it’s not a skin tightening procedure. If you’re looking for a skin tightening procedure, our Accent Prime procedure is an approved treatment which targets cellulite, skin tightening and body contouring.
How many CoolSculpting treatments will I need?
The number of treatments you require is dependent on the area and the desired result.
If you are interested in having CoolSculpting, you can book a consultation here. You can also call us on 01252 905 296 to find out more about CoolSculpting.
