CoolSculpting: What You Need to Know, and Why You Should Go to a Pro

Disclaimer :: Local plastic surgeon and regular FWMB guest contributor Dr. Emily Kirby sponsored this blog post to share her experience and expertise on fat-reducing procedures. 

It’s everywhere! Well, almost. CoolSculpting® has been performed worldwide more than six million times and is quickly becoming the “Botox” of fat reduction. Chances are, you have seen this non-invasive fat-reduction option offered at a doctor’s office, spa, or clinic — perhaps you have even thought about trying it yourself.

From one mom to another, CoolSculpting has been a wonderful addition to the aesthetic world. Studies have shown that a 20 percent reduction in a stubborn fat pocket is possible after one treatment without surgery, needles, or downtime. For those who barely have time to shower (much less recover from surgery), CoolSculpting can be a fantastic option to address annoying diet- and exercise-resistant fat.

As a board certified plastic surgeon, however, it concerns me to see CoolSculpting portrayed as an easy treatment that anyone can perform. Though it is non-invasive, it is still a medical procedure, and who performs CoolSculpting matters in how effective the procedure is and how your results will look. If you are considering CoolSculpting in Fort Worth, there are some things you should know about who is qualified to perform it, and why it pays to choose a highly experienced medical professional.

Who Can Perform CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting must be performed in a physician-supervised setting, with an M.D. or D.O. involved in some capacity. In most states, CoolSculpting does not have to be performed by a formally trained medical professional. This is why CoolSculpting is available not only in plastic surgeons’ offices with medical staff, but also in spas and mall clinics with treatments performed by non-medical cosmetic providers.

How Providers Are Trained

If anyone from an aesthetician to a board certified plastic surgeon is allowed to perform CoolSculpting, then it must not take much training to perform it well, right? Not exactly.

With any aesthetic procedure, there is more to getting great results than simply knowing how to operate a device. A provider must have in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and understand aesthetic principles of proportion and symmetry to achieve beautiful results.

While a minimally trained provider might be technically qualified to use the CoolSculpting machine, limited medical knowledge could stand in the way of seeing optimal results. In contrast, a highly trained medical provider, who is well-versed in anatomy and has become a Certified CoolSculpting Technician from CoolSculpting University, understands what’s going on “beneath the surface,” so she can better predict your results and share important information with you before your treatment.

Where You Should Go

Your best bet? Go to a plastic surgeon’s practice for CoolSculpting. There are very good reasons for choosing a plastic surgeon’s office for CoolSculpting that can directly impact your satisfaction with the procedure — and your pocketbook.

1. You won’t save money at bargain CoolSculpting facilities. Bypassing the plastic surgeon’s office for a walk-in facility in hopes of saving money on CoolSculpting rarely pans out. The truth is that CoolSculpting sets minimum pricing, no matter who performs the treatment. CoolSculpting prices at Kirby Plastic Surgery are customized with your individual goals in mind. Some patients only need one or two treatments, while some patients want many more. The average number of cycles (each time one applicator is applied) is six. Package pricing starts with as few as three purchased cycles.
2. You’re more likely to get an honest, accurate recommendation. Plastic surgeons and their medical staff work day-in and day-out with plastic surgery patients with different needs. Kirby Plastic Surgery staff has the expertise to identify how well CoolSculpting might work for you. In some cases, CoolSculpting may not be the best option — for instance, if you have significant skin sagging or if you want to reduce a larger amount of fat than is realistic. A reputable plastic surgeon will only recommend a procedure that is likely to work well for you — but a provider without the training and experience to tell the difference may provide false hope.
3. You’ll have access to more than one option to reduce fat. CoolSculpting may be the only fat-reduction option that a skin clinic or spa offers, creating an environment that encourages staff to suggest it whether or not it’s the best option. (As they say, “when all you have is a hammer, EVERYTHING looks like a nail.”) A board certified plastic surgeon’s team can offer several fat reduction procedures and help you choose the best option.

What you do get from a plastic surgeon’s practice is peace of mind, knowing that you are in the most qualified hands. If you are curious about CoolSculpting, contact Kirby Plastic Surgery for personal consultation to discuss all your options to reduce unwanted, stubborn fat.

Dr. Emily J. Kirby is a plastic surgeon board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. She is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Texas Health Resources Harris Methodist hospital, the largest hospital in Fort Worth. Dr. Kirby specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive procedures as well as non-surgical treatments. For more information, visit kirbyplasticsurgery.com or read some of Dr. Emily Kirby’s reviews.