CoolSculpting® recovery experiences vary, depending on how your body responds and how many areas you’ve had treated. You’ll be able to walk out of the office and carry on with your day, but you may feel sore or notice swelling. Many people choose to take the remainder of the day to rest and relax. 

It can be helpful to wear compression garments for the first few days, to help ease swelling and discomfort. 

One to two weeks post-procedure, it’s common to feel itchy in the treated area. This is a histamine reaction to the inflammatory process of clearing fat cells, and it can be treated with oral antihistamines. 

Numbness in the treated area typically resolves within three weeks.

Your body will flush out the damaged fat cells over the next three to four months. Drink plenty of water and take good care of yourself by opting for healthy food and exercise.

CoolSculpting®  isn’t a weight-loss solution. It’s a nonsurgical fat-reduction treatment that can help sculpt your body. 

It works best for relatively fit people within 20 pounds of their ideal weight, who just want to target pockets of unwanted fat that haven’t responded to diet and exercise.

Common immediate side effects include redness, firmness, tenderness, swelling, bruising, stinging, and tingling, all of which resolve within a few weeks of treatment for most patients.

In some rare cases, fat cells respond to CoolSculpting by enlarging rather than dying. This condition is called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH) and can only be treated with surgery. A 2014 study reported the incidence of PAH with CoolSculpting® is currently thought to be around 0.0051 percent.

The fat cells removed by the treatment are permanently gone, so results can be permanent—provided you don’t gain weight. A healthy diet and regular exercise will help you make the most of your investment.

If you gain weight, fat cells that remain in the treated areas will expand, so it is important to stay fit and in shape in order to maintain your results.