A physician or a healthcare professional trained in CoolSculpting® will perform the procedure. Since fat reduction is considered a medical aesthetic procedure, only properly trained and qualified providers can perform it. An in-person exam by either a doctor, a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant should be conducted prior to the initial treatment. According to the American Med Spa Association, most states will allow med spa professionals (including those who are not licensed RNs or doctors) to perform CoolSculpting® procedures as long as they have proper training, education and supervision.

Someone considering a CoolSculpting® treatment is likely to have several questions that they know they want to ask, and some that they don’t know they should ask. Some good questions to ask a CoolSculpting® specialist are:

– Is it safe for me to do?
– Am I a good candidate?
– How many sessions will I need?
– How much fat will I lose?
– How long will it take to see results?
– How many procedures has the practitioner performed?
– Are there before and after pictures I can see?
– How will I maintain my results?

Although CoolSculpting® is touted as a safe and effective fat reduction treatment suitable for all skin types, tones and ages there are still some requirements that must be met before someone can be considered a good candidate:

– Pinch at least an inch – there has to be enough “pinchable fat” (approximately one inch) for the CoolSculpting® panels to make contact. This is subcutaneous fat i.e. the fat that lies just beneath the surface of the skin and is typically found at the love handles or on the upper arms.

– Close to ideal weight – according to the American Academy of Dermatology a good candidate is one whose weight falls within the normal range for their height. CoolSculpting® is a body contouring treatment, not a weight loss option, and a body mass index (BMI) score of less than 30 is advised for most body areas.

– Targeting a trouble spot – there are specific areas of stubborn fat that won’t budge with normal diet and exercise, and that can be specifically targeted in a CoolSculpting® treatment.

– Realistic expectations – it must be understood that CoolSculpting® is not designed for weight loss or for the removal of significant amounts of fat.

– Healthy Diet and Lifestyle –the patient should be prepared to commit to a healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition and regular exercise in order to maintain the results.

CoolSculpting® is cleared by the FDA to treat nine different areas of the body:

– Flanks (love-handles or muffin top)
– Abdomen
– Inner thighs and outer thighs
– Excess fat under the chin, also known as submental fullness or a double chin
– Bra fat
– Back fat
– Fat underneath the buttocks (“banana roll”)
– Upper arms
– Below the jawline

One round of CoolSculpting® is effective in treating small areas of stubborn fat, but for larger areas multiple treatments will likely be required. Each treatment will be a few months apart, to give the body enough time to respond naturally and dispose of the fat cells through the normal processes. The ideal time to wait between treatments is four months, but repeat sessions can be done after one or two months if required. In theory, there is no limit to how many procedures a patient can decide to have.

In order to speed up the process, it is possible to have two or three different areas treated at the same time, but this is reliant on there being two or three machines available that can be used simultaneously. If you are looking to have more than one area treated in the same session, you will need to check that your location of choice is able to facilitate this. Again, time has to elapse before these areas can be treated again to ensure that any possible side effects have diminished.

If you would like to know more about CoolSculpting® and the way it can rid yourself of stubborn body fat and give you a more contoured look, then Rêvée can help. Please book your appointment with us through our website or call us. We serve patients from Richmond VA, Glen Allen VA, Mechanicsville VA, Midlothian VA, Goochland VA, Chesterfield VA, Powhatan VA, Fredericksburg VA, Williamsburg VA, and Charlottesville, VA.