- Jeffrey Viscomi | M.D.
Why Your CoolSculpting Didn’t Work
Back in 2010, the FDA first cleared CoolSculpting as a safe, effective solution for unwanted fat pockets. It’s been wildly popular ever since as a non-surgical solution. CoolSculpting is one of the best treatments available for fat loss without the need for anesthesia, scarring, or downtime.
At Dōcerē Medical Spa and Laser Center, our specialists have successfully administered CoolSculpting treatments for years. We continue to stay up-to-date as technology evolves, and these solutions bring better results. That means if there is a problem with the efficacy of a treatment, we’re here to figure out why and how to get the results you’re looking for.
So, if you’ve tried CoolSculpting in the past and didn’t see a difference, let’s uncover the reason for it.
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6 Reasons For No CoolSculpting Results
As effective as CoolSculpting is (it’s incredibly popular for good reason), it’s not the solution for everyone. Here’s why your treatment didn’t take and what can be done moving forward.
1. Not a Candidate to Begin With
Some patients visit a medical spa for body contouring but don’t have the right body composition for treatment to be effective. You might have too much or too little fat. Or, it could be visceral fat, the wrong type that can’t be frozen like subcutaneous fat.
The challenge here isn’t whether you are a good candidate for CoolSculpting but whether the provider you choose is honest and is an expert in the field who can adequately assess your fat distribution.
Not everyone is a CoolSculpting candidate, and if you are not, a professional should educate you on why and help you find a solution that works for you. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and money on a treatment that won’t make enough of a difference to be worthwhile.
Why Somone is the Wrong CoolSculpting Candidate
If you have excess fat, or on the opposite side, not enough fat, then CoolSculpting won’t give you good results. This is due to how the technology works.
CoolSculpting uses different applicators to target areas of the body. These applicators work with a suction method, so each applicator has a different cup size and shape to suction fat depending on the location and amount of fat in the treatment area.
How Fat Impacts CoolSculpting Candidacy
Those with insufficient fat will have the applicators draw up the skin, which leaves no visible results. On the other hand, those with too much fat simply won’t see enough of a transformation to make it worthwhile.
Plus, as mentioned, providers focus on two main fat types for body contouring: Subcutaneous and visceral. Our muscles lay between these types of fat – above the deeper visceral fat and below the subcutaneous fat for protection.
The fat-freezing (cryolipolysis) technology of CoolSculpting cannot reach visceral fat, which means you won’t see results if that is what you predominately have.
What You Need to Be the Right CoolSculpting Candidate
When you visit a medspa for a CoolSculpting consultation, your provider should assess whether you are a good treatment candidate.
The ideal CoolSculpting candidate will have a few inches of physically pinchable fat. They are already at or very close to a healthy goal weight but with stubborn pockets of fat that are challenging to reduce.
If you have loose skin, maybe from losing weight or aging, laser skin resurfacing effectively reverses saggy skin. CoolSculpting may not be the solution in this case, but you have options!
2. Wrong Applicator Placement
Since there are applicator options for various areas of the body, it’s critical that the provider chooses the right one and places it properly. Body contouring devices are just that – devices. They’re highly advanced pieces of technology, but they need to be used correctly.
To get the best sculpting results, you need to know with confidence that your provider can accurately place the applicator according to your body’s fat distribution. This comes with training and experience. CoolSculpting won’t work well if the treatment isn’t completely tailored for the patient; you’ll either see minimal results or none at all.
3.Didn’t Do Enough Treatments
Many people think CoolSculpting can be a “one-and-done” treatment, but this isn’t always the case. Because of this miscommunication, not following through with enough fat-freezing sessions is one of the most common reasons people think CoolSculpting didn’t work.
The reality is that if you’ve done one session and you’re a good candidate, your results are in progress. It might just be time for the next step.
How Many Sessions of CoolSculpting Does it Take to See Results?
Your treatment plan will depend on how much excess fat you have and the area from which you want to eliminate fat. CoolSculpting results build upon themselves, meaning each appointment will bring an average of 20% fat reduction in the targeted area (up to 25% with CoolSculpting Elite, the next generation of cryolipolysis technology).
We recommend anywhere between two and three appointments to maximize your body contouring. Spread these apart with 6-12 weeks between sessions to give your body time to process the frozen fat cells.
The right provider will help you find a plan that works. So, if you haven’t seen the results you’ve been looking for, don’t give up.
4. Weight Gain After Treatment
Much like how you cannot be obese to quality for CoolSculpting, you cannot gain significant weight after treatment because it can undo your results.
Of course, the fat that has been frozen and processed through the body can never return. It is gone for good. But, fat cells in and around the area can still expand. If this happens, it can obscure the slim, contoured effects you were seeing.
That is why building discipline around your diet and exercise habits is so important. If you already eat well, exercise regularly, and get quality sleep every night, you can continue that routine after CoolSculpting treatment. This will prolong your results and amplify them for even more dramatic contouring.
5. Got a Knockoff Body Contouring Device
It is unfortunate but true that not all body contouring machines companies use are legitimate. Some will pass knockoff devices off as original CoolSculpting machines when, in reality, they are cheap, imported versions.
This is why you should not rely on pricing alone to decide – with medspa treatments, you truly pay for what you get. Many of these cheaper devices look similar to CoolSculpting, but if they are not actually CoolSculpting machines, they have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety.
An improper device or treatment administered by someone without enough expertise can lead to a frostbite-type burn.
6. False Expectations Were Set
Sometimes, the main issue with a treatment is how businesses market their services. When we hear that CoolSculpting didn’t work for someone, one of the first things we ask about is what that patient was expecting to see.
Unfortunately, some people are told different outcomes that are simply not true. For example, it’s false to expect results within a few weeks. It takes your body time to process the dead fat cells through lymphatic drainage, which means your results will gradually become more visible.
Another falsity is that you’ll lose significant weight or all the fat in an area. CoolSculpting is a fat loss treatment, not a weight loss treatment. That means it targets a specific location on the body where you want to remove excess fat. So, while you may lose some weight with your results, it is not the primary goal, so you need to be close to your weight before treatment. CoolSculpting also does not eliminate every fat cell in the treatment area but removes a portion (up to 25%) with each session.
Visit Your Local Cleveland Provider for CoolSculpting that Works
CoolSculpting is not a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why our team goes beyond what other providers offer to create individualized experiences for every patient. We are here to provide you with peace of mind and confidence moving forward with your treatment.
If you found yourself in any of the above situations and are still looking to reach your body goals, you’ve come to the right place. Our clean, cozy Strongsville medical spa offers top-tier CoolSculpting Elite services for stubborn fat in areas all throughout the body.
Give us a call at (440) 238-3331 to learn more about body contouring in Ohio!
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Important Safety Information
CoolSculpting® is FDA-cleared to treat visible fat bulges in 9 areas of the body. Some common side effects include temporary numbness, discomfort, and swelling.
CoolTone® is FDA-cleared to strengthen, tone, and firm the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs. Common side effects include muscle, joint, or tendon pain, muscle spasm, and skin redness.
Dr. Jeffrey Viscomi
Dr. Viscomi received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton. He then went on to graduate from Wright State University School of Medicine in the top 10% of his class. Following residency at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Viscomi began his Family Practice in Strongsville and quickly became a nationally recognized leader in primary care for his unique practice model. Dr. Viscomi is a member of the Aesthetics Practice Association and has completed extensive training in the use of laser in aesthetic procedures.