How much does CoolSculpting cost?

Fat freezing with CoolSculpting may initially sound like a bizarre way to try to reduce fat – until you learn that if living fat cells are chilled to around 4 degrees C, they die. It’s a scientific observation that was made years ago and dubbed ‘the popsicle effect’ when it was noted that children who spent a long time sucking on ice lollies would develop dents in the fat inside their cheeks.

The process of freezing fat to eliminate it from the body is called Cryolipolysis, and its great popularity stems from the fact that once those fat cells have died, they are gone from the body permanently. This is unlike many other non-surgical fat-busting treatments, where the fat cells shrink but stay in place.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is an FDA-approved treatment which essentially freezes and kills fat cells in various areas of the body. The process involves using a vacuum-like applicator to suction targeted areas of fat. It then uses carefully regulated cooling plates to deep-freeze the fat cells, bringing them down to a temperature at which they’re permanently destroyed and eventually expelled via the lymphatic system. The whole process takes up to 12 weeks, at which point your final results are revealed.

CoolSculpting can tackle stubborn fat on almost every area of the body including the flanks (love handles), the thighs, stomach, underneath the buttocks, upper arms and double chin. The caveat is that you must have enough fat for the applicator to adhere to. It’s not designed to remove all fat from the body, and it’s not a replacement for a healthy diet or exercise. The ideal candidates are those who eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and are within 20 pounds of their ideal weight. They will have noticeable but modestly sized bulges in certain areas of the body that they’re struggling to get rid of through diet and exercise alone.

How much does CoolSculpting cost?

The cost of CoolSculpting is mostly dependent on your areas of concern, the number of treatments needed, and your personal goals. CoolSculpting is usually priced per cycle – at Illuminate, our CoolAdvantage cycles cost £500 each and our CoolAdvantage Plus cycles cost £750 each. This is approximately how many cycles you can expect to need for some of the key areas:

Stomach – 2-4 cycles per treatment

Flanks (love handles) – 2-4 cycles per treatment

Arms – 2-4 cycles per treatment

Chin – 1-3 cycles per treatment

You may now be wondering why multiple cycles are needed for a treatment. If we take the stomach, for example, this is quite a large area and depending on the amount of fat that needs treating, you may require up to six applicators to treat the whole area. Each applicator session equates to one cycle.

Some areas may also need multiple treatments to gain the desired result. In theory, you can see a reduction in fat on areas like your stomach, flanks, and chin in as little as one session, but quite often two sessions are ideal for optimum results.

Since everyone’s goals and desires are a little different, the only way to get an accurate price is to have an in-person consultation with a CoolSculpting provider where they can assess your problem areas and goals and give you a personalised quote.

What about other ‘fat freezing’ devices?

As CoolSculpting becomes more and more popular, counterfeit treatments are also on the rise. These devices can’t offer the safety and efficacy data which CoolSculpting has built up over the years, and with which they were able to demonstrate to the regulators at the FDA that their treatment was a safe and effective one. To make sure you’re being treated with a legitimate device, check it against the CoolSculpting site (link) and always talk to your practitioner about their experience administering the treatment.

To find out more about whether CoolSculpting is the right treatment for you click here.