CoolSculpting®

A common concern for our patients from Houston, Texas, is stubborn fat. It can hang around for years, refusing to budge despite our best efforts at diet and exercise. With CoolSculpting, available here at SBA Dermatology & Plastic Surgery, you can now freeze away unwanted fat without surgery or recovery time. Developed by scientists from Harvard University, CoolSculpting relies on a patented process called Cryolipolysis®. This process freezes unwanted fat cells, effectively breaking them down without harming the skin or nearby tissues, as liposuction can.

Shaping Your Body

Since the device was introduced, we've performed hundreds of CoolSculpting procedures. SBA Dermatology & Plastic Surgery is an official CoolSculpting Certified practice, and our physicians have a deep understanding of the procedure. We use that expertise to give you the best results possible.

A Full Range of Applicators

We're proud to carry all of the CoolSculpting device's available applicators so that we can give all our patients the most effective and efficient treatment. With a variety of applicator heads, we can treat "pinchable" bulges of fat around the midsection and flanks (such as "muffin tops" and "love handles"), in addition to "non-pinchable" areas such as the outer thighs. Generally, a single treatment of one pinchable area takes about an hour to complete and a non-pinchable area takes about 2 hours.

Shorter Treatment Times With DualSculpting®

As an added benefit, SBA Dermatology & Plastic Surgery offers DualSculpting to treat 2 areas at once. DualSculpting simply means we can use 2 CoolSculpting machines at the same time, thereby reducing your overall treatment time by half. We perform DualSculpting on non-overlapping areas, such as the thighs (inner and outer), arms, or bra area of the back.

To get the best fat reduction outcome, we highly recommend scheduling a second treatment session within 30 days. We price our treatments with this schedule in mind to help patients attain the best results possible.

CoolSculpting for a Double Chin

The appearance of a double chin can be among the most frustrating cosmetic concerns for both men and women. That's why we're excited to offer CoolMini™ treatments, which we perform using a CoolSculpting applicator that's designed specifically to treat smaller areas, including the neck below the chin. It is the only noninvasive treatment approved by the FDA to reduce unwanted submental fat.

CoolSculpting using the CoolMini applicator creates a more contoured, sleek neckline through the same "fat-freezing" process that reduces fat in other areas of the body, and most patients see the desired results after 1 or 2 treatments. Treatment with the CoolMini takes about an hour, and there is no anesthetic or downtime following the procedure. It's an excellent treatment alternative to consider alongside KYBELLA® injections to reduce fat below the chin.

Your CoolSculpting Treatment

One of our doctors consults with you and determines whether you are a good candidate for CoolSculpting treatment. If your goal is to reduce a "belly pooch," for example, your practitioner marks the area and positions the device on your lower abdomen. The device then draws the bulge up and a precisely controlled cooling begins.

As the panels go to work, you initially feel a sensation of intense cold. This soon dissipates, and the area begins to feel numb. The procedure does not require anesthesia or pain medications, and most describe it as quite comfortable.

By the end of the treatment, your fat cells crystallize without affecting your surface skin tissue. Over the next 2 to 4 months, these crystallized fat cells break down and are naturally flushed from your body, resulting in a noticeably flatter abdomen.

Because CoolSculpting treatments are noninvasive, you can immediately resume your daily activities, including work and exercise. You may experience post-procedure redness, minor bruising, tingling, or numbness in the treated area, but these conditions are temporary.

After a procedure, the treated fat cells are gone for good. Your long-term results should remain stable as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Additional treatments of the same areas can result in further fat reduction.

You can also combine a CoolSculpting treatment with our other body contouring options, including VelaShape™ and Thermage®.

Common Questions

Am I a good candidate for CoolSculpting treatments?

Many people make good candidates for this innovative procedure, as the most important prerequisite is an unwanted area of fat.

It's important to keep in mind, though, that CoolSculpting is not appropriate for all-over, large-volume weight loss. In fact, it's best not to think of CoolSculpting as a weight loss procedure. Instead, the best candidates for CoolSculpting treatments are at or near their ideal weights but still have localized areas of excess fat. CoolSculpting can reduce the size of these bulges for a sleeker, more streamlined physique.

What happens to the fat once it's been frozen?

Once CoolSculpting treatments freeze fat cells, those cells break down and eventually die off in a natural process called apotosis. The remnants of the fat cells are naturally filtered out of the body by the kidneys. This is why the results of a treatment develop gradually over the course of a few months. Many patients appreciate the discreet and gradual nature of the process.

How long do CoolSculpting treatments take?

Treatment times vary with areas treated, applicators used, and whether your treatment includes DualSculpting. Treatment of a single area generally takes 60 minutes; our CoolAdvantage applicators (CoolFit, CoolCore, CoolCurve) can reduce it to 35 minutes. CoolSmooth Pro, used for the outer thighs, takes 75 minutes for each leg. With DualSculpting, both outer thighs can be treated in 75 minutes instead of 2.5 hours to have them treated individually.

Is there downtime after a CoolSculpting treatment?

Recovery time is not needed after CoolSculpting treatments. Most patients return to work, exercise, and other normal activities right away. It is normal to feel itching or numbness in treated areas that typically fades within 1 to 3 weeks.

Will CoolSculpting help me lose weight?

While you might look like you've lost weight, you will actually lose fat cells instead of weighing less. Losing weight makes fat cells shrink, leaving them in place to get bigger with future weight gain. With CoolSculpting, treated fat cells freeze, die off, and are gradually flushed out of the body, so you end up with fewer fat cells.

Which is better, CoolSculpting, liposuction, or a tummy tuck?

These are all effective body contouring treatments when you are at a stable, healthy weight, so the "best" one depends on your goals and needs. For fat reduction only, CoolSculpting and liposuction are good choices. With liposuction, results are immediate and more precise, but anesthetic and recovery time are required, and small scars will remain after. With CoolSculpting, results take some time to develop and more than 1 treatment may be needed, but there is no anesthesia, recovery time, or scars involved. A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that removes excess, lax skin and repairs stretched and separated abdominal muscles. It may include liposuction or CoolSculpting for additional fat reduction.

How long will my results last?

That depends on you. Although the destroyed fat cells don't typically grow back, your remaining fat cells can still enlarge, leading to weight gain. Therefore, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle after CoolSculpting treatments by sticking to a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise. By keeping your weight steady, the results of your CoolSculpting treatment can last for a long time.

To find out more about CoolSculpting treatments and other liposuction alternatives in our Houston office, request a consultation or call our office at 713-850-0240.