CoolSculpting Elite is a noninvasive body-contouring treatment that uses controlled cooling, also known as cryolipolysis or fat freezing, to reduce visible bulges of subcutaneous fat.
CoolSculpting and CoolSculpting Elite are FDA-cleared for visible fat bulges in nine areas of the body:
CoolSculpting Elite is also FDA-cleared to affect the appearance of lax tissue when treating the submental area beneath the chin.
However, FDA clearance for a body area does not mean every person with fullness in that location is automatically a good candidate.
The abdomen is one of the best-known CoolSculpting treatment areas.
Treatment may be appropriate for localized, pinchable subcutaneous abdominal fat that remains despite relatively stable weight and healthy lifestyle habits.
But not every protruding stomach is caused by subcutaneous fat.
CoolSculpting does not treat deeper visceral fat surrounding internal organs. It also does not remove significant excess abdominal skin or repair abdominal muscle separation.
That distinction makes an abdominal assessment particularly important.
The flanks are the areas along the sides of the waist commonly called love handles.
Localized flank fat can affect the transition between the abdomen, waist, and back.
When planning CoolSculpting for love handles, treatment should consider the overall torso rather than treating each visible pocket in isolation.
The goal is body contouring and proportion—not simply placing an applicator wherever fat can be pinched.
CoolSculpting can be used for appropriate fat on the thighs.
Inner thigh fat may create fullness where the thighs approach one another.
Outer thigh fat can affect the contour between the hips and upper legs.
These are anatomically different areas, so treatment planning and applicator selection may differ.
CoolSculpting can reduce appropriate thigh fat, but it should not be marketed as a guaranteed way to create a thigh gap or eliminate cellulite. Learn more about CoolSculpting Elite for inner and outer thigh fat.
Localized fat on the upper arms can persist even in people who exercise regularly.
CoolSculpting Elite can treat appropriate visible upper-arm fat bulges.
However, it is important to distinguish upper-arm fat from loose skin.
CoolSculpting reduces appropriate subcutaneous fat. It does not build the biceps or triceps and should not be presented as a universal solution for sagging upper-arm skin. Learn more about CoolSculpting Elite for upper-arm fat.
CoolSculpting can treat visible submental fat beneath the chin.
This area is commonly associated with a double chin, but fullness beneath the chin isn't always caused entirely by fat.
Jaw structure, chin projection, loose skin, muscle anatomy, age, and genetics can all influence the appearance of the chin and neck.
Reducing an appropriate pocket of submental fat may improve contour, but CoolSculpting cannot reshape the jawbone or create chin projection. Learn more about CoolSculpting Elite for double-chin fat.
The submandibular area beneath the jawline is also an FDA-cleared CoolSculpting treatment area.
This can be particularly relevant when fullness extends beyond the center of the chin and along the lower jaw.
As with double-chin treatment, careful assessment matters because jawline definition is influenced by much more than fat alone.
Localized back fat can create bulges that remain noticeable even when overall body weight is relatively stable.
CoolSculpting is FDA-cleared for visible back-fat bulges.
Treatment planning should consider how the area transitions into the flanks and surrounding torso so that the overall contour—not merely one isolated pocket—is evaluated.
CoolSculpting can also treat visible bra fat.
This generally refers to localized subcutaneous fat around the upper back or bra-line region.
However, the appearance of this area can also be affected by clothing fit, skin laxity, anatomy, and surrounding fat distribution.
An assessment can help determine whether there is an appropriate fat bulge for treatment.
The banana roll is the pocket of fat that can appear directly beneath the buttocks where the buttock transitions into the upper thigh.
CoolSculpting is FDA-cleared for this treatment area.
Because the contour of the buttocks and thighs is anatomically complex, treatment should be planned carefully rather than simply attempting to remove as much fat as possible.
The objective is improving contour while respecting the natural shape of the area.
No.
This is an important misconception.
CoolSculpting should only be used in areas for which the device is appropriately cleared and according to the manufacturer's treatment guidelines.
The manufacturer's current safety information states that safety and effectiveness have not been established for areas outside its cleared treatment sites.
Being able to pinch fat somewhere on your body does not automatically make that location a CoolSculpting treatment area.
There isn't one universally “best” treatment area.
A successful outcome depends on factors such as:
A good candidate with an appropriate localized fat bulge may obtain meaningful improvement in several different FDA-cleared areas.
Yes, a treatment plan may include more than one appropriate area.
For example, someone may want to address the abdomen and flanks together, or several areas involved in the overall torso contour.
CoolSculpting Elite can also operate two applicators simultaneously in appropriate treatment plans.
However, treating more areas does not automatically produce a better result. The treatment plan should be based on anatomy and goals.
This depends on the individual.
Sometimes evaluating neighboring areas together makes aesthetic sense. Examples can include:
This doesn't mean every patient needs all of these areas treated.
Treatment planning should look at the overall contour and proportions rather than simply counting fat pockets.
CoolSculpting may not be the right treatment when the primary concern is significant loose skin.
This is particularly important for the abdomen, upper arms, thighs, and back.
Reducing fat underneath loose skin does not necessarily tighten that skin enough to produce the desired result.
An assessment should distinguish among fat, skin laxity, cellulite, and muscle tone before deciding which technology makes sense.
Cellulite is not the same thing as a localized fat bulge.
It involves the relationship among skin, connective tissue, and underlying fat.
CoolSculpting should therefore not be chosen primarily as a cellulite treatment.
Someone whose main concern is dimpling or skin texture may be better suited to a treatment designed specifically for those concerns.
CoolSculpting reduces appropriate localized fat but does not build muscle.
If your goal is greater abdominal definition, stronger glutes, or improved muscle tone, a muscle-focused treatment such as Emsculpt Neo serves a different purpose.
Some patients have both fat-reduction and muscle-definition goals, but those goals should be evaluated separately.
No.
CoolSculpting and CoolSculpting Elite are not weight-loss treatments. The manufacturer explicitly distinguishes them from weight loss and from traditional approaches such as diet and exercise.
The treatment is intended to reduce visible localized fat bulges.
Someone seeking substantial overall weight loss has a fundamentally different goal.
Every treatment area requires appropriate patient selection, applicator placement, and knowledge of the underlying anatomy.
Side effects can include redness, swelling, bruising, discomfort, numbness, and other temporary treatment-area changes.
Certain complications can also be specific to anatomy. For example, the FDA notes the possibility of temporary nerve-related effects when fat freezing is performed under the jawline and a temporary sensation of fullness at the back of the throat following treatment under the chin.
A rare but important complication of fat freezing is paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH).
With PAH, fatty tissue in the treated area grows rather than shrinks. The FDA states that it generally develops months after treatment, does not resolve on its own, and may require surgery.
This risk applies to CoolSculpting treatment generally and should be discussed during informed consultation.
Start with the problem, not the applicator.
Ask:
A good CoolSculpting consultation should answer these questions before creating the treatment plan.
If you're considering CoolSculpting Elite in Brooklyn, an individualized consultation can help determine which areas—if any—are appropriate for treatment.
At Park Slope Laser Aesthetic Center, treatment planning can take into account your abdomen, flanks, thighs, upper arms, back or bra fat, chin and jawline, banana roll, overall anatomy, medical history, and body-contouring goals.
The goal isn't to freeze every area where fat exists. It is to identify the right treatment areas for the right patient and create a body-contouring plan with realistic expectations.
