March 14, 2019
This week we sat down with our Lead CoolSculpting technician, Linda, to discuss the fat loss treatment and why it’s so effective. This Q&A assumes a basic knowledge of what CoolSculpting is, and how it works. If you are unaware of the science behind CoolSculpting, learn more here before diving into this Q&A.
You need to be properly assessed by an expert CoolSculpting provider at a certified CoolSculpting practice. A certified CoolSculpting practice basically means that your CoolSculpting expert has gone to CoolSculpting University.
The consultation process is so important if you’re thinking about getting CoolSculpting treatment. Choosing your provider is really key. Visit someone who will design a personalized, individualized treatment plan for you. You want someone who can do a treatment transformation, in other words, when I do a consultation with my patients I look and assess all areas, not necessarily just the areas that are bothersome to the patient.
I look at the whole area in order to assess how many treatments the patient might need so that together we can achieve the results the patient is looking for.
We then put together a treatment plan or package that fits the needs of that patient, and this could mean more than one treatment. It’s really important that a patient is set up with realistic expectations on how many treatments they might need. It is very normal to treat one area anywhere from 1-3 times. So the patient needs to know how many treatments they should realistically expect in order to achieve what they’re looking for.
The other thing you want to look for in a clinic and a provider is follow-up. Here at The Plastic Surgery Clinic we invite our patients back for follow-up appointments, we track them every month following the procedure, we take before and after pictures and compare them in the months following in order to make sure we are achieving the results that were discussed at the outset.
Technique. You want a provider who can properly assess and properly mark a patient. These are permanent results, so if an applicator is put where it shouldn’t be you could end up looking a lot worse, not better. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the shark bite, but that kind of disastrous result happens by putting an applicator where there is no fat or not enough fat, and it looks awful.
There’s no prep, so you don’t need to worry about any pre-treatment guidelines.
During the treatment process patients can expect some pulling (because it’s a vacuum applicator so it feels like a vacuum is pulling on your skin) and patients can expect the area being treated to feel cold. Anything you feel is tolerable, and you basically feel the pulling and cold for about 5-10 minutes and then you don’t feel anything because the area will be numbed.
I typically treat via dual sculpting, which means that I will treat two areas at a time, if necessary. We are one of only a few clinics that have a dual sculpting capability.
The procedure can take anywhere from 35-75 minutes depending on what area is being treated, and we treat most areas from the knee to the chin. You can expect to see results anywhere between 1-3 months, but you need to give your body time to naturally eliminate the fat.
It’s important to know that CoolSculpting has been available in Canada for over 10 years, is FDA and Health Canada cleared, and is voted the #1 non surgical fat reduction treatment in the world.
It’s a comfortable treatment. Patients are usually on their phone, or doing work, eating and drinking, taking a nap, watching Netflix, listening to music. You can do whatever you like. We encourage our patients to take it as a time to just sit back and relax.
Bruising and swelling is very normal following treatment, and you can expect to feel a dull numb sensation for a few weeks following. Otherwise, there is really no recovery time and no restrictions after CoolSculpting. You can get on with your daily activities, go to work, exercise, run after your kids, whatever, right after your treatment.
If you feel achy following the treatment it’s good to massage the targeted area and some patients like to wear a compression garment if they’ve had treatment done on their abdomen for instance. They say it makes them feel a lot more comfortable.
Yes, 5 years ago I was one of a few selected CoolSculpting providers to go to CoolSculpting University (CSU) in Pleasanton, California. At CSU we received theoretical and practical training in CoolSculpting. And last July I was also invited as one of a selected few to attend a Master class on CoolSculpting in Washington where we learned a variety of things, but probably the most important being advanced techniques with CoolSculpting applicators.
I love being able to achieve permanent results for my patients. I also love the care we put into our patients here at the clinic. We always make sure our patients have follow-up appointments. And I also love that this is a clinic where we have an advanced education. Being educated about what we do is so important and we are a clinic that is always in the know, we are up on all the new research, all the new technologies, the risks the benefits, you name it.
A treatment like CoolSculpting can be a very personal and sensitive thing in someone’s life and I’m so happy to work in a place where we can offer our patients the highest level of care and support.
Did we answer all your questions? Our goal is to ensure you have the best information possible to make your decision. If you still have questions, we’re here to help.
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