Pain Meter: Does SculpSure or CoolSculpting Hurt More?

In the spirit of giving patients the most real advice possible, I decided to try SculpSure on myself so I could let patients know exactly what to expect!! The SculpSure machine is a non-invasive fat melting laser that targets pockets of fat areas. Usually it’s used on the abdomen or flanks and is the main competitor to CoolSculpting. I’ve also had CoolSculpt as well. This targets the same problem areas of fat, but does so with a large suction cup that pulls fat into it and then chills the fat to a low temperature.

First off, let me say that SculpSure is a 25 minute treatment, and CoolSculpting is an hour.

I had the lower abdomen treated with both devices, several years apart. My overall impression was that SculpSure hurts less.

That is not to say it’s not painful, but it was bearable more so than CoolSculpting.

I barely made it through a CoolSculpting treatment and it hurt from minute 1 whereas the SculpSure treatment didn’t get painful until about 10 minutes were left in the treatment.

The next-day soreness was slightly more with CoolSculpting but after a few days, both are equivalently sore. I will say my skin hurt more with CoolSculpting whereas it’s the deeper fat that hurts with SculpSure.

According to the literature, both offer same results, but while I only did 1 treatment with CoolSculpting, I am going to try another one in 6 weeks with SculpSure and will publish the after pictures!

- Christopher Knotts, MD