An Insider’s Guide To The Non-Invasive CoolSculpting Elite Treatment

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already familiar with CoolSculpting® — the innovative, FDA-cleared treatment famed for freezing away stubborn fat without surgery or excessive downtime. With that said, not everyone has heard of CoolSculpting Elite just yet, and that needs to change. So, we did what we do best and tapped an expert, Dr. Jennifer Levine, M.D., a facial plastic surgeon based in New York City, for her professional insight on the updated body-contouring treatment.

What Is CoolSculpting Elite?

Like the original CoolSculpting, which was first introduced to the market in 2010, CoolSculpting Elite utilizes the same fat-freezing process known as cryolipolysis to reduce visible fat bulges in different areas of the body. One upgrade that makes CoolSculpting Elite so — well, elite — is the fact that it features dual applicators that can treat two areas of the body at the same time, thereby cutting your treatment session in half compared to one applicator. The revamped, C-shape dual-applicators also include seven different shapes and sizes, allowing for a wide range of different areas of the body to be treated.

In terms of CoolSculpting Elite’s results, Levine says a person treated may see up to a 20 to 25% reduction in fat layer thickness after just one single session. However, for most patients, two or more treatment sessions are recommended in order to reach their body contouring goals, so definitely plan for the possibility of multiple treatments.

What Areas Of The Body Does CoolSculpting Elite Target?

There’s a whopping nine different areas of the body that CoolSculpting Elite is FDA-cleared to effectively treat. These include underneath the chin (aka the submental area), under the jawline (or the submandibular area), back fat, bra fat, upper arms, thighs, abdomen, the flanks (known as love handles), and under the buttocks, also known as the banana roll. So needless to say, you’ve got options.

Who Is A Good Candidate For CoolSculpting Elite?

Anyone who’s interested in getting a CoolSculpting Elite treatment will need to first be evaluated by a licensed healthcare professional to ensure they’re an appropriate candidate. This goes for any prescribed aesthetic treatment in the book. “CoolSculpting Elite is best for people committed to a healthy lifestyle,” explains Levine. “As a provider, I meet with each patient individually to discuss their goals and decide a treatment plan that is best for them.”

As for those who shouldn’t try CoolSculpting Elite, Levine says patients with hernias in the treated area, cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease, or paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria are not suitable candidates. Additionally, people with recent surgery, pre-existing hernias, or known sensitivities or allergies should consult with their provider, and make them aware of these conditions too. “CoolSculpting is very well-studied and with a well-known safety profile,” notes Levine. “There are over 100 scientific publications.”

What Should Someone Expect During Their CoolSculpting Elite Journey?

As mentioned by Levine, the first part of a CoolSculpting Elite journey involves a 1:1 consultation with a licensed healthcare provider in order to determine candidacy. “If CoolSculpting Elite is the right treatment for them, a specific treatment plan is designed for the patient based on their individual goals,” she explains. The provider will also document and take clinical photographs throughout the process in order to track progress.

At the beginning of the treatment, the targeted areas will be outlined, and a gel pad will be applied as a barrier between the C-shaped applicators that are placed on the body. These consist of seven different shapes and sizes in order to provide a custom fit. “Most patients will experience a cold sensation before the area goes numb for the remainder of the cycle,” says Levine. Depending on which areas are treated, a CoolSculpting Elite treatment can take little as 35 to 75 minutes. Depending on how many areas are being treated, a treatment session may take one to three hours on average. “After the treatment, there is a massage to help break up the fat cells. Some patients share that this is generally the most unpleasant part of the experience,” says Levine.

Are There Any Side Effects?

As with any aesthetic treatment, potential side effects can occur, but you’ll be happy to learn most people don’t find it to be a painful experience. What you’ll feel at first — for the first ten minutes or so — can be described as a light vacuum-like pressure combined with extreme cold at the treatment site. However, as Levine mentioned, these sensations will subside once the area becomes numb.

Afterward, you may experience temporary redness, swelling, bruising, stinging, tenderness, cramping, or itching at the treatment site. And for those targeting the submental (under the chin) and submandibular (under the jawline) areas, there may also be a temporary sensation of fullness in the back of the throat. All the aforementioned side effects will dissipate with time though, so you don’t have to worry about getting back to your life post-treatment.

What Happens After Getting A CoolSculpting Elite Treatment?

One of the major benefits of CoolSculpting Elite is that it requires little to no downtime, so many patients resume their usual activities following the treatment. Since at least two sessions are usually recommended, patients can go back for additional treatments in six to eight weeks. It usually takes one to three months to start seeing results, with full results taking six months or longer.

If you’re interested in seeing whether you’re a candidate for CoolSculpting Elite, find a provider nearby and make an appointment for a consultation. You can also visit CoolSculpting.com for more information.

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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