Coolsculpting for Non-Surgical Body Contouring in Atlanta & Alpharetta

CoolSculpting is a noninvasive, body-slimming procedure; anesthesia, needles, and incisions aren’t necessary during this treatment. The effectiveness of CoolSculpting is based on the principle of cooling subcutaneous fat to the point that the cooling process destroys the fat cells, which are then absorbed by the body.

If you want a slimmer and smoother physique, contact The Spa at NAPS today to learn more about what Coolsculpting can do for you!

Atlanta Coolsculpting for thighs before and after
Coolsculpting before and after on abdomen - Dr. Alderman Atlanta

Coolsculpting 101 – What You Need to Know about Body Contouring

How does it work?

Coolsculpting technology uses controlled cooling to affect only the targeted fat cells. In the weeks to follow, your body eliminates dead cells through natural metabolic processes. Coolsculpting results are long-term; treated fat cells are gone for good.

Coosculpting for Atlanta and Alpharetta patients

What can CoolSculpting do for me?

Patients experience increased confidence in their appearance after CoolSculpting.  After a series of treatments, you should notice sleek curves and better-fitting clothing, and when you feel good about your appearance, you can go about your daily life with improved self-esteem.

Is it right for me?

Coolsculpting, like liposuction, is best for patients close to their ideal body weight but who have trouble spots that won’t change with diet and exercise.  For women, common problem areas are the abdomen, hips, and thighs.  For men, troublesome spots are usually the lower abdomen, flanks, and chin.  Most of us are genetically prone to store fat in certain areas, and these areas tend to be resistant to diet and exercise.  That is where CoolSculpting can help!

To see best results with Coolsculpting, you will want to be within 20 to 30 pounds of your ideal and maintainable weight.  While making changes to your lifestyle is not required, we encourage our patients to stay active and eat a balanced diet.  Finally, having achieved their ideal body, many men and women are motivated to live out an increasingly healthy lifestyle.

For CoolSculpting to work, the device must be able to latch on to the fat.  Thus, for your CoolSculpting treatment to be successful, you must have enough pinchable fat.  While not exact, one should have no less or no more than a couple inches of thickness for optimal results. 

Coolsculpting treatments in Atlanta and Alpharetta

Frequently Asked Questions about Coolsculpting

CoolSculpting, also known as cyrolipolysis, is the most advanced, effective method to remove fat without surgery.  The technology is one-of-a-kind, working to freeze the fat without harming the overlying skin. The procedure is performed in the office without the need for any type of anesthetic or pain medications.  After the procedure, which takes only a few hours, you can resume normal daily activities.

CoolSculpting uses very innovative technology that freezes the unwanted fat without harming the overlying skin.  Once the fat has been frozen, your body will naturally break down the dead fat cells and flush them out of your body through your liver over the next 2-4 weeks. Approximately 25-30% of fat is removed with each treatment. You can retreat problematic areas after a couple of months and expect to have a 25-30% reduction of fat with each treatment.  Once the fat has been frozen and then eliminated from your body, it is permanently gone.  Fat cells cannot regrow once removed from your body. 

This is a great question and an important one to understand.  You will harm your skin if you apply ice to yourself in an effort to freeze the underlying fat.  You will get frostbite and can have permanent damage to your skin.  CoolSculpting uses innovate technology that works to freeze the deep fatty tissue without impacting the overlying skin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved CoolSculpting as a safe medical treatment, and it has many advantages over more invasive treatments such as liposuction.  CoolSculpting is a relatively painless procedure with little to no downtime.  

Potential side effects include the following:

1.    Temporary discomfort

The area treated will feel sore for 3-10 days but rarely requires any pain medication other than ibuprofen or Tylenol.  Patients may describe the feeling after treatment as pain, stinging or aching.  However, the discomfort is minimal.  Patients can return to normal activities immediately after the treatment. 

2.    Redness, Bruising or Swelling

For the majority of patients, there are no external signs of treatment.  In particular, there are no scars.  However, a small percentage of patients may experience temporary redness, swelling or bruising.  The temporary changes to the skin are a result from the cold temperature applied to the skin.  However, CoolSculpting is safe and will not cause frostbite.

3.    Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia

A very rare side effect of CoolSculpting is paradoxical adipose hyperplasia where the fat cells in the treatment area grow larger rather than smaller.  This occurs more commonly in men, although in general it is extremely rare.  There are no dangerous side effects from this phenomenon other than cosmetic related issues.

You will start to see the results of CoolSculpting as the body naturally starts to eliminate the dead fat cells from the body.  In most cases, you will see a reduction in fat within 3 weeks of the procedure.  However, in some cases, the final result won’t appear for 6 months.

It is important to realize that CoolSculpting is not a weight loss procedure.  It reduces 25% of fat in the treatment area with each application.  It is designed to reduce fat in a limited area that is resistant to weight loss options.  Ideal candidate for the procedure are patients at a stable body weight who have isolated areas of fatty tissue.  The best way to improve the results of CoolSculpting is to live a healthy lifestyle with clean eating and regular exercise.

Recent studies have shown that massage to the area treated by CoolSculpting improves fat reduction for the first 2-4 months after treatment.  Vibration therapy also helps enhance circulation and improve lymphatic drainage, which increases the elimination of waste and may facilitate your body’s natural removal of the dead fat cells.

Lastly, it is important to follow up with Dr. Joiner as repeat treatment is often necessary to provide optimal results.  A second or third treatment 6 weeks after the proceeding treatment can maximize results by targeting deeper layers of fatty tissue.

Fat cells can shrink when calories consumed are less than energy expended.  The cells are not eliminated from the body, and therefore, can become large again if caloric intake increases without an increase in energy expenditure.  For some, diet and exercise are difficult ways to sculpt the body, especially for individuals who may have a slow metabolism.  And some people can be at their ideal body weight and still have fatty areas on their body that are resistant to further weight loss. 

CoolSculpting will eliminate 25% of the fatty tissue in a given area permanently.  The cells are eliminated from the body and, thus, cannot hypertrophy again.  CoolSculpting is a great alternative to body sculpting when diet and exercise have been attempted and results have plateaued. 

Our healthcare professional will meet with you and discuss your concerns and goals.  The areas of treatment will be determined, and the expected numbers of sessions will be discussed. 

We have two CoolSculpting units, allowing us to provide twice as fast service to you since two areas can be treated at the same time.  Each treatment area will be meticulously outlined in order to create the best contour, and a cooling pad will be placed on the skin.  You will then be able to sit back and relax in a comfortable chair while the treatment is performed.  Most people feel some sort of a cooling sensation at the treatment area as the cool temperatures are applied.  Each area takes about 30 minutes to freeze.  The pad is then removed from the skin, and your healthcare professional will massage the treatment area for about 5 minutes.  The next area of treatment can then be started.

Common treatment areas for CoolSculpting are:

  • Stomach/Abdomen
  • Love Handles/Flanks
  • Hips
  • Under the Neck (Double Chin)
  • Back/Bra Area
  • Thighs (outer and inner)
  • Knees
  • Arms
  • Male Chest
  • Under Buttocks (Banana Roll)

The time required for CoolSculpting depends on how many areas are being treated.  It can take as little as 30 minutes if just one area is being treated.  However, most people have a few areas that they want addressed, so the time can vary.  At The Spa at NAPS, we have a dual CoolSculpting machine, which means that two areas can be treated at the same time to expedite your treatment process.

The fatty tissue under the skin is frozen by the patented CoolSculpting technology.  The freezing process kills the fat cells and they are naturally removed from your body with the help of your liver.  The fat cells cannot return, thus making the results of CoolSculpting permanent.

There is no downtime with CoolSculpting.  The treatment area may be sore to the touch for 1-2 weeks, but the discomfort is minimal and does not impact regular activities of daily living.  There are also no restrictions after the treatment.  Patients may engage in any type of physical exercise and lifting as desired.

You generally have a 25% reduction in the volume of fat in the treatment area per session.  The number of treatment will depend on the amount of fat you have and your desired results.  In general, patient will see the best results with at least two treatment sessions for a particular area.

CoolSculpting is a completely noninvasive procedure.   No needles and no incisions required for cryolipolysis.  And no anesthetic or pain medications are needed.  You can come in on your lunch break and return to work after the treatment.

Just like any body contouring procedure, the best candidates are patients near their ideal body weight that have stubborn areas of fat resistant to diet and exercise.  CoolSculpting is not a weight loss procedure.  But it is an ideal procedure for patients who desire a more sculpted figure or physique with little to no downtime.

A beer belly is usually an indication of visceral fat, which is located deep in the abdomen near your intestines and other organs.  Visceral fat cannot be removed with CoolSculpting or liposuction due to its location deep in the abdomen.  Fat removal procedures, such as CoolSculpting, can only target fat cells that are in a more superficial location under the skin.

There are some data to suggest that the skin at the treatment area tightens after CoolSculpting.  CoolScupting preserves the skin tone and texture and is often a better option for fat removal in patients with less than ideal skin tone compared to liposuction.  Liposuction is a more drastic method of fat removal and can result in skin laxity in patients with less than ideal skin tone.  CoolSculpting removes the underlying fat more gradually than liposuction, and as a result, is often better at preserving the appearance of the overlying skin.

CoolSculpting is not a treatment for weight loss.  In addition, you should not have the procedure is you suffer from any of the following….

  • cryoglobinemia
  • cold agglutinin disease
  • paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
  • known sensitivity to cold such as cold urticarial or Raynaud’s disease
  • impaired peripheral circulation in the area to be treated (diabetic
  • neuropathy)
  • open wounds in the area to be treated
  • recent surgery in the area to be treated
  • a hernia in the treatment area
  • an implanted device in the treatment area
  • pregnancy

The results of CoolSculpting and liposuction are very similar in that they both permanently remove fat from specific areas of your body, such as your abdomen, hips, flanks, legs and chin.  CoolSculpting is a more gradual process for fat removal, with a 25% reduction with each treatment compared to liposuction which removes the majority of fat in the specific area with just one treatment.  The advantages of CoolSculpting over liposuction is that it is non-invasive, does not require incisions or needles, has no downtime, and can be better for the skin in patients with less skin elasticity.  However, CoolSculpt often requires more than one treatment.

CoolSculpting and Sculpsure are both FDA approved devices for fat removal but work in different ways.  CoolSculpting eliminates the fat cells by precise, controlled freezing of the fat where as Sculpsure uses laser technology to melt fat cells.  When considering the two treatment options, first consider your pain sensitivity.  SculpSure® much reach fairly high temperatures for treatment effectiveness, which can be quite painful.  Temperatures need to reach about 107 degrees.  CoolSculpting is more easily tolerated since the cooling action will have a numbing effect.  Also consider the amount of fat to be removed.  Patients who have more fat to be removed would be better off with CoolScupting.

VelaShape is a FDA-approved device uses a combination of suction, massage, radio frequency energy and infrared light to shape the body.  It may be more effective for cellulite than CoolSculpting; however, CoolSculpting is more effective for fat removal.

Venus Freeze uses magnetic fields and radio frequency to tighten skin by heating the tissue beneath the skin, stimulating the production of fibrin and elastin.  It is not a fat reduction procedure and does not remove fat cells like CoolSculpting.  However, compared to CoolScupting, it is technology aimed to stimulate collagen and promote skin tightening.

The cost of ranges from $2,000 to $4,000 per session.  The smaller the area, the lower the cost.   The total cost varies by the amount of areas treated and the number of sessions required for optimal results

Request a Consultation

If you’re in the Atlanta or Alpharetta areas and have any questions about CoolSculpting or wish to schedule a consultation with The Spa at NAPS, please contact our office.

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