Coolsculpting over 40. Will the skin be loose?

This is a great question. Thank you! Our patients over 40 express this concern frequently. Just so we all know, there is NO data on this, but there is a quite a bit of experience now in many centers across the U.S. and rest of the world. This is because the company did NOT use skin laxity (looseness) as a a study criteria or track it at all officially. They do not claim skin tightening as an “indication.” However, from the very early days of Coolsculpting (CS), it became apparent that there was a significant and noticeable skin tightening that occurred as a side effect.   Most patients have been very pleased with this positive side effect (including me :)).

Information on Skin Tightening and SEs with Coolsculpting

• Like the fat reduction, any skin tightening is SLOW. Think 3-6 months to see this effect fully.
• Yes – when we are older, we don’t get as much of that positive side effect as a younger person would.
• There are some patients who notice zero visible skin tightening, and it’s not possible to predict ahead of time if that could be you!
• The skin tightening when it occurs seems to be permanent, subject to the normal aging process and any weight gain or loss.

Some general considerations with Coolsculpting

• Because it uses a sound wave and not a light wave, every skin type and color does well with it.
• There are NO sun restrictions due to the above. This is not a laser.
• There is generally no bruising, but there is some post treatment swelling and some redness.
• Your doctor should go over all possible side effects with you. This is NOT a complete list.
• Most patients will lose about 20-25% of the fat in the treated area only with each treatment.
• Multiple treatments may be needed to achieve the results you want.

Patient satisfaction with Coolsculpting has been VERY positive overall. Like any technology, there are occasional nonresponders.

Hope this helps,  Dr. I