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What is Coolsculpting®?

CoolSculpting® is an exciting fat removal treatment that has the ability to contour the body without surgery or significant downtime. This cutting-edge body sculpting procedure is often considered an alternative to liposuction for patients who wish to remove pockets of stubborn fat around the body, but cannot—or do not want to—undergo the invasiveness or recovery time of surgery. Thanks to the effectiveness and general ease of treatment, CoolSculpting® is favored worldwide by practitioners and patients alike and generally maintains a 90 percent satisfaction rate. Board-certified plastic surgeon Scott Miller, MD offers CoolSculpting® at his practice, giving patients in and around San Diego area the opportunity to smooth bulges in the abdomen, arms, thighs, flanks, and many other regions prone to excess fat buildup.

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CoolSculpting technology uses controlled cooling to target and kill only these fat cells.
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In the weeks to follow, your body naturally processes the fat and eliminates dead cells.
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CoolSculpting® results are long term,* because treated fat cells are gone.

How Does CoolSculpting® Work?

CoolSculpting® uses a technology called Cryolipolysis™ to remove fatty tissue, which works to “freeze” fat cells through a controlled cooling procedure. During CoolSculpting® treatment, cold temperatures are delivered to pockets of unwanted fat via a handheld applicator. The intense cold works to crystallize fat cells while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed, eventually causing the body to gradually eliminate the targeted fatty deposits through normal metabolic processes. CoolSculpting® generally yields as much as a 20 to 30 percent reduction of fat in the treated area, making it possible for you to slim and contour the body without needles, surgery, or recovery time.

With more than 7 million CoolSculpting® treatments worldwide, people everywhere are getting a better view of themselves, thanks to the one-of-a-kind CoolSculpting® procedure.

What are the Benefits of CoolSculpting®?

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As a non-invasive procedure, CoolSculpting® can treat excess fat accumulation without the commitment of body contouring surgery. Patients typically use CoolSculpting® to smooth and reduce fat bulges in the:
  • Abdomen
  • Inner or outer thighs
  • Flanks (“love handles”)
  • Upper arms
  • Mid-back (“bra rolls”)
  • Inner knees
  • Neck (under the chin)

Treatment Areas

Since Cryolipolysis™ is a technique designed to shed fat gradually over a period of weeks, CoolSculpting® also has the advantage of yielding results that often appear to have been achieved naturally.

If you are at or near your ideal weight and simply wish to remove select pockets of fat around the body, CoolSculpting® can be a highly effective procedure to contour your figure. Our certified CoolSculpting® specialist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your medical history before performing treatment to determine whether CoolSculpting® is the best technique to achieve your desired look.

Who is a Candidate For CoolSculpting®?

CoolSculpting® is most successful for healthy patients who have isolated fat bulges in regions of typical fat accumulation, such as the abdomen, upper arms, thighs, and hips, among other regions of the body. This treatment also requires good skin tone and elasticity to achieve the best results, meaning patients with loose, excess skin may gain better body contouring results with skin-tightening procedures like a tummy tucktummy tuck. It’s also essential that those interested in CoolSculpting® have no issues with cold-related diseases. Our team will evaluate your concerns and ask you about your medical history to confirm that you are a good candidate for CoolSculpting®.

CoolSculpting® vs. Liposuction

CoolSculpting® differs from liposuction in many ways— namely, in the non-surgical method of treatment and the nature of the results achieved. CoolSculpting® does not require anesthesia, incisions, or downtime after treatment, allowing patients to immediately resume their normal routines after their CoolSculpting® session. With that said, there are certain areas of the body that may be better treated with liposuction rather than CoolSculpting®. If a large amount of fat reduction is desired, liposuction can be a more effective method of body contouring, as the surgery can remove up to 80 percent of fat in a given area when compared to the 20 to 30 percent usually achieved with CoolSculpting®. Moreover, results from CoolSculpting® generally appear within the months following treatment; therefore, if you would like to see immediate results, or if you wish to treat multiple areas at once, liposuction may be better suited for your needs.

What is the CoolSculpting® Procedure Like?

CoolSculpting® is performed in our treatment rooms at our La Jolla-area practice. After discussing your goals and the area(s) you wish to treat, our team will develop an optimal treatment plan to achieve your desired results. Before getting started, a gel pad is placed at the treatment site so the handheld CoolSculpting® applicator never makes contact with your skin. As the cooling panels begin to deliver near-freezing temperatures to the underlying fat cells, you should feel intense cold, tingling, and mild stinging until the area goes numb. You can then browse the internet, watch movies, or simply relax for the remainder of treatment. After the applicators are removed, your CoolSculpting® provider will massage the treated area(s) to help break down the targeted fat cells. Your body should metabolize the destroyed fat cells over the following months for a very natural-appearing reduction of excess fatty tissue.

How Long Will My CoolSculpting® Results Last?

After the completion of your treatment plan, results from CoolSculpting® should be visible within two to four months. The most dramatic results are typically seen at the two-month mark, with the outcome often improving as the body continues to rid the treated area(s) of fatty tissue. Due to the fact that new fat cells cannot “regrow” once they die, CoolSculpting® results are designed to be extremely long-lasting. As long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle and a stable weight, you should be able to enjoy your new contours for years, and even decades, to come.

How Much Does CoolSculpting® Cost?

The cost of CoolSculpting® depends on many factors, including the number of areas treated, the number of sessions in your treatment plan, and the size of the targeted regions. As CoolSculpting® does not require anesthesia, a surgical facility, or post-operative care, this treatment is typically much more economical than other methods of body contouring. After your concerns are assessed, we will be happy to provide you with a personalized quote based on the details of your treatment plan. To help make the price of CoolSculpting® more affordable, Miller Cosmetic Surgery accepts plastic surgery financing through CareCredit®. This leading healthcare lending institution is utilized worldwide and offers qualified patients the ability to pay for their CoolSculpting® expenses through a series of low monthly installments. Many of the payment plans offered include low- to no- interest options, easily allowing approved candidates to select the most ideal arrangement for their needs. If you would like to learn more about the cost of CoolSculpting®, please don’t hesitate to call our practice to speak with a member of our team.

Questions? Learn more about CoolSculpting® and the range of other body contouring treatments available at Miller Cosmetic Surgery by contacting our practice today.

Are There Any CoolSculpting® Side Effects?

The most common reactions after CoolSculpting® include mild swelling, bruising, stinging, or numbness. These effects should resolve naturally within a few hours or days of your treatment. Over-the-counter pain medication is usually enough to manage any discomfort in the meantime. During the procedure, some patients may feel a twisting and tugging sensation before the targeted region goes numb, but anesthesia is typically not necessary.
Although CoolSculpting® can destroy fat cells permanently, this does not mean patients are immune to weight gain. Since your remaining fat cells can still shrink and enlarge, additional weight gain may change your body contour in other regions. For this reason, the key to long-lasting results is maintaining a healthy lifestyle balanced with a nutritious diet and regular exercise.

Is CoolSculpting® Safe?

As an FDA-approved treatment, CoolSculpting® is considered very safe and effective as long as you are under the care of a certified provider or a board-certified plastic surgeon. Our physician-led team has performed countless CoolSculpting® treatments for patients seeking non-surgical fat reduction and have the experience necessary to safely achieve elegant and beautiful results.

CoolSculpting Reviews®

I love the results of my surgery with Dr. Miller. Looks very natural and I could not be more happy. My recovery was also amazing. Dr. Miller and his staff are amazing !!

Priscylla Connelly

November 30, 2017

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