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How Long Does Delayed Onset Nerve Pain Last for CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is easily one of the best alternatives for liposuction as it removes stubborn fat deposits, even without undergoing a surgical procedure and dealing with incisions and health risks. This popular treatment is a convenient option because it doesn't require the lengthy downtime you'd usually get from invasive fat reduction solutions. But side effects are still expected, like experiencing delayed onset pain in the nerves.

So how long does delayed onset nerve pain last for CoolSculpting? Delayed onset pain at the nerves from having a CoolSculpting procedure usually goes away on its own within 3 to 11 days post-treatment session. This type of pain feels like tingling and stabbing, sensations due to nerve regeneration — this is easily managed with compression garments, Tylenol, and some nerve medications.

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When Will the Delayed Onset Nerve Pain from CoolSculpting Go Away?

The delayed onset nerve pain you experience after your CoolSculpting procedure usually goes away within 3 to 11 days. Patients experience this side effect at various levels. Some only feel mild discomfort, while others complain of moderate to severe pain. 

Should I Be Worried About Experiencing Delayed Onset Nerve Pain After CoolSculpting?

Nerve pain after CoolSculpting can be frightening at first. But this is actually one of its common side effects, so you shouldn't worry about it. Delayed onset pain at the nerves also isn't life-threatening. 

It can easily be treated by wearing compression garments and taking Tylenol and nerve medications, but it usually resolves on its own. Consult your doctor immediately if you feel tingling sensations or stabbing pain in the treated area to receive the proper treatment plan and ease the pain in your nerves. 

Why You Experience Delayed Onset Nerve Pain 

As mentioned, delayed onset nerve pain is one of the common side effects of body contouring procedures with CoolSculpting. To fully understand why you have a risk of experiencing mild discomfort to severe pain in the nerves, you might want to know first how CoolSculpting works, how this type of nerve pain feels, what its symptoms are, and how CoolSculpting affects your nerves.

How CoolSculpting Works

CoolSculpting treatment is a non-invasive body contouring solution that eliminates unwanted fat using cold temperatures to destroy fat cells without damaging the surrounding tissue. The fat cells will be flushed out of the body naturally with your metabolism. This process of removing excess fat by killing fat cells by freezing is called cryolipolysis. It can resolve subcutaneous fat, which is resistant to diet and exercise in several problem areas:

  • Abdomen
  • Back fat
  • Banana rolls or fat under the buttocks
  • Bra fat
  • Double chin
  • Flanks or muffin top or love handles
  • Thighs
  • Upper arms
  • Submandibular area below the jawline

While CoolSculpting treatment is a reliable procedure for removing pinchable body fat in several areas, it's not considered a weight loss treatment. The excess fat it removes from your body doesn't significantly reduce your weight, even if it can provide a noticeable result. 

But this body contouring procedure can be a good start or complement to your weight loss journey because it removes stubborn fat deposits, highlighting the curves of your body and leaving it more contoured. Proper diet and exercise are crucial for maintaining the results of body contouring procedures like CoolSculpting. 

How Delayed Onset Nerve Pain Feels

You may usually start experiencing signs of delayed onset nerve pain around 3 to 5 days after your CoolSculpting procedure, as the term implies. Some patients tend to feel anxious or panic once this side effect occurs because it's different from the usual post-procedural adverse reactions we've expected.

Patients with experience in delayed onset nerve pain usually report sensations of deep stabbing, shooting pain, tingling feeling, and tearing. There's also swelling, tenderness, and cramping in the treated area.

Symptoms of Delayed Onset Nerve Pain

Delayed onset nerve pain starts with a few symptoms after your CoolSculpting treatment. Knowing these signs is necessary to anticipate if your fat reduction treatment will come with nerve pain. You can expect to experience the following per week:

  • 1st week - you may experience bruising and redness in the treated area, with firmness, tenderness, swelling, and numbness
  • 2nd week - shooting and stabbing pain with cramping and tenderness can be felt as numbness subsides. Severe pain may be felt at night
  • 3rd week - the pain starts to subside.
  • 4th week - lingering mild discomfort dissipates. Numbness and tenderness might still be felt, but the pain has already subsided.
  • 5th to 6th week - lingering numbness gradually subsides as sensations return. All adverse reactions from CoolSculpting should already have been resolved.

These are the nerve pain symptoms to expect per week after having CoolSculpting treatment. Consult your doctor immediately for the right medications to take once you suspect having delayed onset nerve pain. These treatment options should reduce any discomfort from the side effects. 

Why Nerve Pain Happens After CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting is a convenient in-office procedure, but it uses sophisticated technology to trigger responses in our body needed for fat reduction. Its freezing temperatures destroy the cells in our body fat, which signals a mild inflammation in our body to flush out the dead cells. 

During the treatment, the nerve endings will also become affected by the cold temperature, causing temporary numbness. The pain after the numbness from the procedure is your nerves' response as it regenerates, and the sensation starts to return.

How to Treat Delayed Onset Nerve Pain from CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting doesn’t cause nerve damage, so your treatment for nerve pain is only aimed at reducing the discomfort as they regenerate. Some of the ways to treat delayed onset nerve pain after CoolSculpting are:

  • Wear comfortable clothes
  • Wear compression garments
  • Apply a cold compress
  • Keep yourself hydrated
  • Massage the treated area
  • Apply a hot compress
  • Take pain relief medications, like Tylenol 
  • Take nerve medications prescribed by your doctor
  • Observe a healthy diet
  • Consider taking sleep aids 

Consult your doctor immediately once you suspect a delayed onset nerve pain. They’ll be able to prescribe the right medications and advise you on how to manage your discomfort. The recommendations from professionals allow you to treat these side effects while ensuring the optimal effects of your fat reduction treatment.

How to Avoid Nerve Pain After CoolSculpting

Delayed onset nerve pain is one of the side effects of CoolSculpting, so it’s your body’s natural reaction to the treatment. But there are some tips you can remember to have a comfortable and faster recovery, like:

  • Keeping yourself hydrated, promoting smooth lymphatic drainage for faster metabolism
  • Avoiding dehydrating and inflammatory food, like alcohol, caffeine, and sugar
  • Massaging the treatment area

You should also seek treatment from a trusted professional for your CoolSculpting treatment to significantly reduce your chances of experiencing serious side effects or complications, usually happening at the hands of inexperienced practitioners.

Get Your CoolSculpting Procedure Today for A Slimmer Body at NJ Center for CoolSculpting

Delayed onset nerve pain after CoolSculpting usually goes away within 3 to 11 days. It’s one of the common side effects of this procedure as your nerves react to the freezing temperature and regenerate. Nerve pain can easily be treated with pain relievers, nerve medications, and compression garments. CoolSculpting remains to be one of the treatment options for removing unwanted fat with fewer health risks compared to plastic surgery.

NJ Center for CoolSculpting is one of the most reliable medical spas in New Jersey for delivering world-class body contouring treatments. You can expect your CoolSculpting and other body sculpting procedures to be performed by board-certified doctors to set your treatment up for success. Get started on your journey towards a slimmer and more contoured body today. Schedule a consultation with us to learn more about our treatment plan.

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Up to 25% Fat Reduction With CoolSculpting: Treat Yourself Today!

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What Our Clients Say About Us

  • "The treatment itself was not uncomfortable. Afterwords, I felt great. I didn't really notice anything for about 30 days. After day 30 until about a month later, I started noticing that my favorite jeans were not as tight anymore. I wasn't having to suck in to get them buttoned. And by that two month period after my CoolSculpting

    Lesley Hamilton

    Age 41

  • "It's subtle at first, and then a month later you look and go, "Wow - It really did something!" It really moved the bar for me, and I'm feeling better about myself already. It feels so good to put on anything and know I look as good as I've ever looked. And I didn't say that or feel that when I was in my 20's, 30's, and 40's."

    Anne McMarthy

    Age 56

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