Getting Rid of Saddlebags

Getting Rid of Saddlebags

Do you struggle to reduce the fat in your saddlebags? Are you feeling self-conscious wearing your bathing suit in the summer?

Saddlebags, the area around your thighs, is one of the more common places that our bodies store fat and one of the more common areas our patients wish to target with the use of CoolSculpting.

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive fat reduction technique. It is a great summertime treatment option because it requires no downtime and there are no restrictions on being in the sun following treatment. This treatment can help you look and feel your best on the beach or by the pool this summer, with no worry about your thighs and no need for surgery.

To treat this area of the body, we use the CoolAdvantage applicator, which has been shown to reduce fat in the saddlebags by 20-25%. This fat reduction technique freezes the fat cells in the target area until they die. The fat cells naturally decompose through your body and never return, leaving a more contoured, slimmer look around the saddlebag areas.

A recent study of 48¹ patients has researched the effectiveness of CoolSculpting for the saddlebags. The study assessed the participants following treatment at the 3 and 6 month mark to measure the area and further, evaluated the subcutaneous fat (the fat directly under your skin) via ultrasound. The study found that at the 6-month mark, there was a mean decrease of 5.63 cm in the thigh circumference and there was a mean decrease in the thickness of fat of 1.31 cm when measured by ultrasound. The study demonstrated remarkable results and concluded that CoolSculpting was a safe and effective method of reducing fat in the saddlebag region. Further, the researchers revealed a 93.75% satisfaction rate following the treatment. Of the participants in the study, 89.58% said they would recommend the treatment for saddlebags to their friends and 83.33% had further CoolSculpting treatment on other areas of their body².

As with all treatments there are minor side effects that may last temporarily, such as numbness immediately following treatment, erythema (reddening of the skin) for 62.5% of the participants and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (temporary discoloration of the skin) for 8.33% of participants, all of whom had darker skin tones³. All of the side effects are temporary and will naturally resolve within a short period of time. However, results and effects may vary from person to person.

Overall, CoolSculpting has been shown to be a highly successful and safe procedure to improve the look of your thighs.

¹ The study began with 53 patients but the results were based on the 48 remaining patients at the 6 month mark.
²Adjadj, L., Mounia SidAhmed-Mezi, Marine Mondoloni, Jean Paul Meningaud, Barbara Hersant (2017) “Assessment of the Efficacy of Cryolipolysis on Saddlebags: A Prospective Study of 53 Patients.” Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 140(1):50-57, July 2017.
³Ibid.