The CoolSculpting device started as a tool to remove unwanted fat from large regions of the body, like the abdomen, chest, back and buttocks. However, incredible technological advances have been made, and there are now smaller devices that can efficiently and effectively remove unwanted fat from smaller areas. Today, our body contouring experts at Milford MD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in Milford, PA discuss CoolSculpting neck and body treatments.
How Many CoolSculpting Treatments Are Needed for the Neck?
How many CoolSculpting neck treatments you will need depends on how much excess fat you have in your neck. If you’re at or very near your ideal weight, you should only expect to need one treatment session. However, if you’re over 20 pounds from your goal weight, you may need two sessions to achieve your ideal aesthetic.
How Many Treatment Sessions Would I Need To Remove Unwanted Fat From My Abdomen?
Since your abdomen is larger than your neck, you can expect to need more treatment sessions to achieve your ideal abdominal contours. Again, how many sessions you will need depends, primarily, on how much localized fat you have.
If you’re at your ideal weight, you probably don’t have too much excess abdominal fat, so you may only need two or three sessions to achieve your ideal contours. Contrastingly, you may need up to six sessions if you’re overweight.
How Many Sessions Are Required To Treat the Upper Arms?
You can expect to need between one and four CoolSculpting sessions to remove excess fat from your upper arms. During your initial consultation, we will assess the amount of excess upper arm fat you have to give you a better idea of how many treatment sessions you can expect. How much fat each session can remove depends, among other factors, on how much excess subcutaneous fat you have.
However, you can expect that CoolSculpting will remove around 26% of your excess upper arm fat. Keep in mind, the size of the area targeted for treatment plays a significant role in how much excess fat can be removed. For example, if you were targeting your underarms or the backs of your knees, you could expect an 80% reduction in localized fat cells. Contrastingly, you should only expect around a 20% reduction of localized fat cells from larger areas.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
If you’re only targeting excess neck fat with CoolSculpting, you can expect the treatment to take around 35 minutes. However, sessions can take several hours if you are targeting several regions of your body. For example, it takes around an hour to treat the upper and lower abdominal region. If you targeted both the neck and abdominal region in the same session, you’d only have to wait for the device to cool down once, but it would still take around 85 minutes.
When you come in for your initial consultation, we will discuss all of your trouble regions with you. Depending on your schedule, it may make sense for you to schedule different regions of your body on different days. Alternatively, you may just want to leave work a few hours early and target several regions, like your inner and outer thighs, buttocks, neck and chin.
How Long Does it Take To Prepare for Treatment?
It doesn’t take long at all to prepare for a CoolSculpting session. Many people don’t have to do anything to prepare for their treatment sessions; most of the preparation required is leading a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy foods, drinking enough water and getting enough rest. In some cases, it can take 72 hours to prepare for treatment.
It’s important to avoid anything in the three days leading up to your treatment session that can thin your blood, such as fish oil supplements, NSAIDs and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. It’s also important that you don’t smoke or drink alcohol in the days leading up to your treatment; both nicotine and alcohol can elevate your blood pressure to a level that is unhealthy. We’ll give you a comprehensive list of what to avoid before treatment when you come in for your consultation.
How Long Does it Take To Recover From Treatment?
Since CoolSculpting is non-invasive, there isn’t much of a recovery period after treatment. You are free to return to work, but you may want to hold off on going to the gym. If you’re targeting a region other than your neck, you should avoid wearing tight clothing for the first few days following your treatment, and you may find that your gym clothes rub uncomfortably against the treated area.
Even if you’re only targeting your neck for treatment, you may want to avoid going to the gym for a few days. When you engage in rigorous physical activity, your blood pressure rises; you’ll want to avoid this. You should also avoid smoking and drinking temporarily.
How Long Will it Take To See the Final Results of Treatment?
It can take up to six months to see the final results of your CoolSculpting neck treatments. How long it takes you to see the final results depends on several factors, including how much excess fat was frozen and how efficient your lymphatic system is. Unlike liposuction, this treatment does not involve the unwanted fat cells being suctioned out. Rather, your lymphatic system sweeps away the dead fat cells, processes them in the gut and eliminates them as waste.
How To See the Final Results of Your Treatment Faster
There are several things you can do to see the final results of your CoolSculpting sessions faster. We can discuss this further during your initial consultation, but here are the most important points:
- Drink more water
- Walk more
- Eat plenty of produce
- Get a massage
- Get nine hours of sleep
- Be patient
Drink More Water
The simplest thing you can do to support the efficiency of your lymphatic system and see the final results of your treatments faster is to drink more water. An astonishing 75% of Americans aren’t just dehydrated, they’re chronically dehydrated. Among the symptoms of chronic dehydration is a sluggish lymphatic system. If your urine isn’t clear or extremely pale, you’re dehydrated, too, and need to drink more water.
A good starting point is to drink half of a gallon of water daily. If that’s not enough to make your urine pale, make an effort to get more hydration throughout the day. Contrary to popular belief, there is not enough caffeine in tea or coffee to dehydrate you, so you can add black coffee or unsweetened tea to your diet to help you get and stay hydrated. You can also eat water-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables and soups.
Walk More
Another incredibly simple way to boost your lymphatic system is to walk more. Your lymphatic system and cardiovascular system work closely together; the more efficient your cardiovascular system is, the more efficient your lymphatic system will be. You may not have time to squeeze in a 30-minute run or spin session before work in the morning, but you can park farther from your office, take the stairs and go for a walk on your lunch break.
To get the most out of a little time, make sure you get your pulse up when you walk. If you have 30 extra minutes for walking, you can walk at a moderate pace. You should be able to sing your favorite song while engaging in moderate exercise. If you can only squeeze an extra 15 minutes per day, bump up your intensity. You shouldn’t be able to hold a conversation.
Eat Plenty of Produce
To see the final results of your CoolSculpting treatment faster, eat plenty of produce. Your lymphatic system can’t operate at peak efficiency if it doesn’t have enough nutrients. Try to eat produce with every meal, incorporating fruits and vegetables of different colors daily.
Get a Massage
Immediately after your session, we will massage your neck to break up the blocks of frozen fat cells. This will go a long way in helping your lymphatic system sweep these cells up efficiently. However, for the fastest final results, you should massage the treatment area five times daily for five minutes at a time for the first five days after your treatment.
After that, we strongly recommend that you get a lymphatic massage from a certified masseuse who trained in lymphatic massages. A lymphatic massage is a special type of massage that boosts the efficiency of your lymphatic system. However, strongly consider scheduling this massage for the evening rather than on your lunch break. It’s not uncommon to feel very tired after a lymphatic massage.
Get Nine Hours of Sleep
Getting nine hours of sleep will also help you see the final results of your treatment faster. If your body is tired, your lymphatic system will not be operating at maximum efficiency. We all have different sleep needs, but you should aim to be in bed for at least nine hours. If you set your alarm for the same time every morning, your body’s circadian rhythm will start to regulate your sleep cycle. It will start waking up before your alarm goes off, and tell you when it’s time for bed.
If you have trouble falling asleep right away, practice good sleep hygiene. Don’t look at screens, like your phone, computer monitor or television two to three hours before bed. Take this time to re-read your favorite book, journal or spend some quality time with your partner or pet. You should also play white noise to keep your brain from focusing on other noises that can prevent you from falling asleep.
Be Patient
Surprisingly, being patient will help you achieve your results far faster than if you worried about not seeing any changes within the first couple of weeks. When you feel psychologically stressed, your body produces more of a hormone known as cortisol, or the aptly-named stress hormone. Unfortunately, cortisol slows down your lymphatic system drastically.
If you start to have negative thoughts, take a moment to distance yourself from those thoughts. Instead of thinking, I can’t believe I can’t see a change in my neck, say to yourself, I notice I am feeling frustrated that I can’t see any progress yet. If distancing yourself from your negative thoughts and feelings isn’t enough, meditate or go for a walk to stop the negative thoughts in their tracks.
Discover if CoolSculpting Neck Treatments Are Right for You
If you’re concerned about the appearance of excess fat in your neck, CoolSculpting neck treatments may be right for you. If you’re also concerned about excess fat in other regions of your body, we’ve got you covered there, too. To find out if CoolSculpting is right for you, contact our body contouring experts at MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in Milford, PA to schedule your initial consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.
