Loose skin can often be left behind on the belly, thighs, flanks, and arms after significant weight loss or pregnancy. With this in mind, one of the issues patients considering non-surgical fat reduction in the Philadelphia area often worry about is whether CoolSculpting® will result in them being left with saggy skin.

Laxity is typically seen after patients rapidly lose a large amount of weight. Since CoolSculpting® reduces fat gradually for a moderate change, it’s unlikely to cause sagging skin or make loose skin look worse. The fat cells that are broken down after the treatment are expelled by the body over months of time. The skin typically retracts around the new slimmer body contours. 

Another issue that patients are often curious about is whether CoolSculpting® will tighten loose skin. Patients should remember that fat-freezing is a treatment for reducing subcutaneous fat, so its primary use is not for improving laxity of the skin. Interestingly, the inflammation created by CoolSculpting® has been shown to tighten the skin. However, patients who want to tighten their skin after fat reduction with CoolSculpting® can choose alternative cosmetic treatments to use in combination with fat-freezing treatments for firmer skin. These treatments can also be used on their own. 

Radiofrequency and Ultrasound-Based Treatments 

Radiofrequency and ultrasound treatments work by sending energy into the deeper layers of skin to induce production of collagen and elastin to achieve a lifting and tightening effect. Exilis Ultra™, which combines ultrasound and radiofrequency energies, is available at Cirillo Cosmetic Dermatology Spa for FDA-approved non-invasive skin tightening for the face and body. 

Body Contouring 

Not every patient is ready for a surgical procedure, but non-surgical treatments can only get you so far. If you have severe sagging skin that’s affecting your quality of life, the only way of fully correcting it is with plastic surgery. Tummy tucks are used to tighten and remove large amounts of lax skin and fat from the abdominal area. Arm, thigh, lower body, and circumferential body lifts are used to remove dramatically stretched-out skin and fat from those areas and to sculpt slimmer contours. 

The team at Cirillo Cosmetic Dermatology Spa and Cirillo Center for Plastic Surgery is ready to answer questions about fat reduction, excess skin, and body contouring. If you would like to find out more about the benefits of CoolSculpting®or are ready to set up a consultation, call 610.525.0500 or submit a contact form.

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