Do CoolSculpting® Results Last?

Patients hoping for more balanced, proportional contours without surgery, scars, or down time for recovery were excited when non-invasive fat reduction techniques made their goals possible. But many women and men considering the fat-freezing treatment for themselves have a common question: Does CoolSculpting^® last? Thousand Oaks’ Dr. Peterson Pierre has a short answer for anyone wondering whether the fat that goes away after a CoolSculpting^® session is gone for good: Yes.

Here’s why non-surgical fat reduction can be an effective treatment for the right patient:

When you lose weight through lifestyle changes—typically creating a calorie deficit by burning more with exercise and eating less through dieting—fat cells don’t actually go away. Instead, they shrink as some of their contents deplete. While this reduces volume, it’s always possible that the fat cells can become enlarged again if you start burning fewer calories than you bring in.

In addition, many people have a few stubborn areas they find challenging to reduce—even when they’re close to their ideal weight. Whether due to their genetic predisposition to lose fat in certain areas or their natural body shape, a double chin, belly fat, love handles, bingo wings, or a banana roll can remain as a frustrating reminder of a lack of control. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that it isn’t possible to “spot reduce” fat from isolated spots through exercise. In other words, you can’t control the areas where you lose fat, which is why many people have trouble reducing specific small problem areas, even as their overall body contours slim down.

CoolSculpting^® works very differently. The process of cryolipolysis (fat freezing) applied during a treatment session involves cooling fat cells to a temperature that induces natural cell death. After this, they are flushed out of the body over time. While a single session can reduce pinchable fat from isolated areas, gradually improving body contours while leaving skin and surrounding tissues undamaged—and results continue to develop over the following months—some people may require multiple sessions to achieve their ideal outcome. The fat cells that go away throughout this process are gone for good.

As with any fat-reduction treatment, however, CoolSculpting^® won’t prevent you from gaining new weight, so it’s important to maintain a stable number on the scale to best maintain your results. If you go back to unhealthy habits and gain significant pounds, the change can lead to a buildup of new fat cells in the treatment areas and other parts of the body as remaining fat cells grow in size.

Learn more about CoolSculpting^® and other cosmetic services from our Pierre Skin Care Institute practice based in Thousand Oaks, California. Reach out to us by calling (805) 496-9190 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation.