If you’re out there wondering if you might experience bruising after Coolsculpting, that’s a possibility you need to live with. Even non-surgical procedures like Coolsculpting have minimal side effects, though some people report having only mild symptoms such as swelling and bruising.
After this procedure, the treated site will feel a little discomfort for a few days or weeks. Each person will have a different experience as people respond to treatment differently.
Bruising usually occurs during the treatment due to pinching and pulling—the suction pressure caused by the applicator. Most people have reported about 20 minutes of redness following the treatment, while bruising may last for several weeks. So, bruising after Coolsculpting is totally normal.
But did you even know there are other ways to minimize these effects or prevent them? Yes, it’s possible to do this, as we shall see later in this article.
What Type Of Bruises Do You Get?
It’s best to start with what bruises are to understand how and why they occur during Coolsculpting. These get broken blood vessels that usually occur after a trauma. Most of these subside on their own. But one can hasten a quicker recovery by applying ice immediately after Coolsculpting. And cooling these blood vessels reduces the amount of blood surrounding the treatment site.
Is CoolSculpting A Safe Procedure?
Despite the few side effects you can get following the Coolsculpting procedure, this is a safe treatment proven effective. Most patients experience mild adverse reactions such as redness, tingling, and numbness, which quickly dissipate after a few days.
Other Common Side Effects Of CoolSculpting:
- Tugging sensation at the treated area.
- Numbness at the treatment site.
- Redness, swelling and bruising
- Skin sensitivity at the treatment site.
Although numbness is common in most patients following Coolsculpting treatment, there is no risk of nerve damage from CoolSculpting.
Bruising
As bruising after Coolsculpting is one of the side effects of this procedure, why does it happen? A practitioner uses a device to suction and place the fat between two pads. It’s during this process that the treatment site gets bruised.
However, this affects people prone to bruising (such as anemic people) more than those who are not. Anemic patients can take iron, which helps increase blood, reducing bruising.
But it’s always prudent to consult your physician before you take any drugs, especially before Coolsculpting.
Massage after CoolSculpting
Doctors recommend getting a massage after Coolsculpting. It has proved beneficial as this might get you better results. A study shows that massaging the treated site after the procedure helps to improve the results by 68 percent. After this procedure, those who receive massage are more likely to get excellent outcomes than those who don’t.
It’s crucial to get a massage immediately after your treatment as this helps to break the fat cells further quicker. And this should only take 2 minutes which involves vigorous kneading, and a circular massage follows.
Not only does massage enhance the outcome of Coolsculpting, but it also helps to relieve the swelling which may have occurred after treatment.
Compression Clothes
How can compression clothing help the patient recover fast after treatment? So, the science behind this is that the tightness gives the body power as the blood flow and lymphatic increase.
Tips to Reduce Bruising After Coolsculpting
So, one way to lessen bruising after Coolsculpting is placing some ice on the treatment site for ten minutes. Then you can reapply the ice after twenty minutes for better results.
- A compression is also an excellent tool that can help prevent a bruise from forming after the Coolsculpting procedure. The process involves squeezing the tissues, preventing the blood vessels from leaking.
- Heat therapy helps to increase the blood flow and circulation in the treated area if the bruises have already formed. So, the heat helps to clear the trapped blood and eases muscle tension.
- After your treatment, something else you can do is elevate the bruised area above the heart (inversion). And this will drain the fluid away from the treatment site.
- Arnica is a herb known for minimizing inflammation and swelling. Applying it can minimize bruising after Coolsculpting, as per the study done. To maximize the best results, you can use it topically and orally.
- Vitamin K cream contains a nutrient that can also help in blood clotting. So, applying this can reduce the bruise severity formed after Coolsculpting. It’s a product you can easily find in most pharmacies.
- Aloe vera is known by many for relieving sunburns. But pure aloe vera can help reduce inflammation.
- Topical witch hazel can be an excellent home remedy known to help bruises vanish faster.
- Vitamin C helps in all types of wound healing, and that’s why you find patients taking fruits as recommended by the doctors. Fruits are rich in this vitamin and have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin C is available in creams, serums, and gels. While you can apply it topically, you get an extra boost of Vitamin C internally.
These strategies can help you avoid or minimize your bruising after the Coolsculpting procedure.
Lastly, staying active after your treatment and eating healthy will prolong your results.
Conclusion
Coolsculpting is an FDA-approved fat reduction procedure that is safe and effective. Otherwise, the Food and Drug Administration would not have approved this treatment. Like many other treatments, it’s a therapy with side effects, though these are mild. For instance, symptoms such as bruising after Coolsculpting are possible and not unusual. Also, swelling and numbness. But Coolsculpting has no known significant health risk.
