You may have heard of CoolSculpting® — the ground-breaking treatment that allows you to freeze away stubborn fat, sans surgery — but are now wondering what is CoolSculpting Elite? We’re here to prime you on all things CoolSculpting Elite, the latest FDA-cleared treatment designed to help you achieve your body-contouring goals.
While they both work in exactly the same way, the original CoolSculpting machine that first launched in 2010 (the OG) and CoolSculpting Elite are two different devices. The main distinction is that the CoolSculpting Elite model is now able to treat two areas at the same time — which not only is a major time-saver, but also proves incredibly efficient when you factor in its ability to target multiple areas at once. Ahead, featuring insight from facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Levine, M.D., learn everything you need to know.
What Is CoolSculpting Elite?
CoolSculpting Elite is a noninvasive treatment that features dual applicators with seven different shapes and sizes to treat two areas of the body at one time, using the power of extreme cold to target areas of visible fat bulges that don’t respond to diet and exercise. It’s FDA-cleared for use in nine areas of the body — including beneath the jawline, under the chin, on the upper arms, back fat, bra fat, love handles, abdomen, thighs, and under the butt, a.k.a. “the banana roll.” And when used as directed by a properly trained provider, it works: There are over 100 scientific publications to back up its efficacy. In addition to treating multiple areas of the body at once (such as the abdomen, inner and outer thighs) each applicator is also designed to fit along one’s natural curves for improved comfort.
How Does CoolSculpting Elite Work?
CoolSculpting Elite works via cryolipolysis, or fat freezing. (For a literal breakdown, "cryo" means cold, whereas "lipolysis" means breaking down fat.) It's a noninvasive — and therefore nonsurgical — method of fat reduction that allows CoolSculpting Elite to target and reduce visible pockets of fat in certain areas of the body from the outside.
While results can vary from person to person, improvement can occur after a single session. “Up to a 20 to 25% reduction in fat layer thickness can be seen after a single treatment,” says Levine. “Some of the areas that contain more fibrous fat, such as the thighs, may especially benefit from two treatments.” The bottom line? Many patients may need two or more treatment visits to reach their body contouring goals.
Who’s A Good Candidate?
As long as you don’t have a contraindication for it — meaning you don’t have a medical condition under which the procedure should not be performed because the risk of use clearly outweighs any possible benefit — CoolSculpting Elite can be a good option for anyone looking to achieve their own body-contouring goals without surgery. “CoolSculpting Elite is best for someone who has a healthy lifestyle and understands that eating right and exercising are important,” notes Levine. With that said, if you’re intrigued by body contouring and have seen no improvements in, say, your love handles despite eating well and working out, then it might be a good option to consider.
What To Expect During A Treatment
The first major plus? CoolSculpting Elite is relatively quick. In fact, a single treatment can be done in as little as 35 minutes — although that depends on the area you’re treating. A typical treatment session can be anywhere from one to three hours on average, depending on how many areas are being treated. You can also have two applicators treating two areas at the same time.
In terms of results, it typically takes one to three months to see an initial change, with full results taking about six months or longer. It’s also worth reiterating that most people need at least two treatment sessions to get the results they want (although it’s possible to do more). Even better: There’s little to no downtime involved, so you can get your CoolSculpting Elite treatment and go.
Intrigued? Find a provider near you to get started today.
Uses
CoolSculpting® and CoolSculpting® Elite are FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental (under the chin) and submandibular (under the jawline) areas, thigh, abdomen, and flank, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks (also known as banana roll), and upper arm. It is also FDA-cleared to affect the appearance of lax tissue with submental area treatments. CoolSculpting® and CoolSculpting® Elite are not treatments for weight loss.
Important Safety Information
These procedures are not for everyone. You should not be treated with CoolSculpting® or CoolSculpting® Elite if you suffer from cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease, or paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria.
Tell your doctor if you have any medical conditions including recent surgery, pre-existing hernia, and any known sensitivities or allergies.
During the procedure you may experience sensations of pulling, tugging, mild pinching, intense cold, tingling, stinging, aching, and cramping at the treatment site. These sensations lessen as the area becomes numb. Following the procedure, typical side effects include temporary redness, swelling, blanching, bruising, firmness, tingling, stinging, tenderness, cramping, aching, itching, or skin sensitivity, and sensation of fullness in the back of the throat after submental or submandibular area treatment.
Rare side effects may happen in 1 to 10 out of 10,000 CoolSculpting® and CoolSculpting® Elite treatments (between 0.01% to 0.1%). One such rare side effect is a visible enlargement in the treated area, which may develop 2 to 5 months after treatment, will not resolve on its own, and may require surgical intervention for correction.
Please see full Important Safety Information for CoolSculpting® and CoolSculpting® Elite on
CoolSculpting.com.
© 2023 AbbVie. All rights reserved. COOLSCULPTING ELITE and the Snowflake Design are trademarks of Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc., an AbbVie company. Allē and its design are service marks of Allergan, Inc., an AbbVie company.
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