According to a 2019 poll conducted by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, unwanted body fat has been the top aesthetic concern for patients—and over the past decade, numerous such patients have discovered a solution in CoolSculpting. As a frontrunner in the fat-reduction domain, CoolSculpting utilizes cryolipolysis technology to freeze and eliminate targeted fat areas while keeping the surrounding regions unharmed. Now, 10 years after entering the market, the manufacturer is introducing the second generation of its well-received device, CoolSculpting Elite.
What is CoolSculpting Elite?
“In my practice, there has consistently been an interest in safe, non-invasive, and efficient ways to address and get rid of undesirable bulges—with minimal to no downtime,” remarks Dr. Mathew Avram, a board-certified dermatologist in Boston. With CoolSculpting Elite, he opines, there exists a rapid and convenient option. The new system employs dual C-shaped applicators to eradicate up to twice the amount of fat, in nine distinct treatment areas. “The new applicators have up to an 18% larger cooling zone,” the dermatologist elucidates. “Among these new applicators, there are seven different shapes and sizes, [enabling] the treatment of a variety of body areas.” The C-shaped design is capable of conforming to the body's natural curves, providing a better fit compared to the previous generation of CoolSculpting applicators.
CoolSculpting Elite is currently FDA-approved to treat fat in nine areas of the body, including the thigh, abdomen, flank, upper arm, beneath the buttocks, and the submental and submandibular regions. Patients can also decide to treat two areas simultaneously with the new technology, which could halve the treatment time. “A cycle takes approximately 35 minutes per area. So, if you are treating the left and right flanks, traditionally, you would require two machines or double the time,” Dr. Avram states. “But CoolSculpting Elite gives us the capacity to treat twice the fat in the same duration as compared to using one Coolsculpting applicator. Thus, now, within one 35-minute cycle, I can handle your left and right flanks.”
The treatment procedure of CoolSculpting Elite is otherwise the same as that experienced by patients with the older CoolSculpting technology, and it, alike, demands no downtime or recovery period. “Depending on the treatment area, patients can anticipate seeing results as early as one to three months after treatment, but the final outcomes might take six months or more,” Dr. Avram suggests. “While you will observe [up to] a 20–25% fat reduction in the treated area after a single session, it hinges on the individual and the area being treated, and results can vary from patient to patient. But there can always be additional treatments to achieve the desired outcome.”
With numerous advancements in the new Elite system, it might appear not in your favor to choose the traditional CoolSculpting technology, but the Elite treatment does come with a marginally higher price. While the first-generation CoolSculpting has an average cost of $2,450, an Elite treatment plan ranges from $3,000 to $4,000, depending on individual requirements. Elite is already accessible in selected doctors’ offices, and patients can anticipate a full rollout within the next few months in 2024.
