By Karen Seddon, Skincare Advisor
After having two children, my body has gone through a lot of ups and downs (if I’m being honest, more ups than downs).
So after some research and talking with other ladies I decided that CoolSculpting® just might be the ticket for me to jump start my new quest to becoming stronger and healthier.
At Project Skin MD, it’s important for us to understand what our patients are going through, so I thought I would share my full experience as we go along!
The Consultation:
Angela explained to me that the consult is two fold – firstly to determine if you are a good candidate for CoolSculpting, and secondly, an opportunity for information gathering.
Because this is a medical procedure, a medical history is key. She wanted to rule out any condition that would preclude me from having the procedure, and to confirm that I am a good candidate that would get a desirable result.
She used specific templates that coincide with the actual applicators, to measure the areas of concern, and determine how many cycles it will require to get the results I want.
It was a great time to get to know each other better and ask any questions. She wanted to make sure I was happy with my decision to proceed, and that we were on the same page when it came to expectations.
The 360 degree “before” pictures are key to assessing your outcome. Project Skin MD has a sophisticated photography system that allows us to take accurate before and after pictures. Experience has shown that this is the best way to assess success. We take post procedure photos at 4, 8, and finally 12 weeks. It’s a great way to track progress and compare your “before” pictures with your sequential “after” shots.
As I was having my baseline pictures taken I was thinking “Yikes! You want me to take my shirt off?”. I swallowed my pride and whipped my top off. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone when it comes to change!
The Beginning:
Now the real fun begins! Angela carefully marked the areas to be treated during the session, which I had a chance to view myself before climbing onto the treatment bed. A gel pad was placed over the first treatment area to protect my skin from the cooling device. The cooling applicator is then placed on the area, and a strong suction draws the tissue into the applicator. Once everything looks good, the cooling is applied.
As we began the treatment there was definitely a feeling of suction and then it felt as if I had an ice pack placed on my stomach. After a couple of minutes I didn’t feel any discomfort at all. As I was sitting there chatting with Jeannie and Angela I felt completely relaxed sipping my Starbucks latte. This is the best “me time” I have had in a very long time. I even thought about trying to catch up on some much needed sleep. Yes!! It’s that comfortable!!!
Once the hour was over, Angela massaged the crystallized fatty tissue for 2 minutes.
After this, I was free to go about my normal activity. No restrictions and virtually no down time.
After my treatment was done I felt pretty good, a little drained and a bit chilly. A few hours later I started to feel a little tender in the treated area. But nothing that required any pain medication.
Day 1, Post-Treatment:
I definitely felt sore this morning. My abdomen reminded me of what I looked like after having my children. I was a little swollen and the skin was (for lack of a better term) loose. It was suggested to me (by many) to wear a body shaper to kind of “hold in” my stomach. I have to say, that made a huge difference in my comfort level.
I’m feeling very excited to see how my body changes in the coming weeks!
Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3 while we follow Karen’s progress…
