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The research into CoolSculpting suggests that it takes 3-4 months for the full effect. Because I applied the CoolSculpting more to the left side of my abs, it is possible to see how long the effects last. I used DIY CoolSculpting in May 2012 for a period of a few weeks. In the following five years, my weight fluctuated by around 15 pounds and I performed no more DIY CoolSculpting or icing of my abs during that time. Regardless of these fluctuations the slight difference in the two sides remained constant. This difference is slight, amounting to around 1-2mm, but is noticeable on inspection. This suggests that the effects of DIY CoolSculpting last for at least five years and probably much longer. Obviously DIY CoolSculpting does not prevent overall weight gain, but it's unclear if it will limit this gain in any way.
==How to perform DIY CoolSculpting==
I iced for 1-3 hours most days, which is far more than CoolSculpting which uses a single 1 hour session. I have no idea if 'more is better' or if a single hour every couple of months is optimal. None of the research I found had any indication of the dose/response relationship. The latest research suggests that 30 minutes might be enough to induce changes, but I find 1-3 hours is convenient. I've tested and tried a wide variety of combinations of ice cubes, crushed ice, with/without water added, and lots of different bags. So far, the best option I've found is in this 3 Liter hydration pack letter bladder from a platypus: <jfs id=" B00F5IADN6" noreferb="true"/>. It's a nice size, and it's slimmer than most hydration bladders, so it's easier to cover a larger area. Unlike a cheaper Ziploc bag, it doesn't leak, and is a much better shape. If you want to use it for icing and that your leg, buttocks, or back, you can use the hydration cube to release the pressure into a container under your seat.[[File:DIY CoolSculpting Bag.jpg|center|thumb|300px|The platypus bladder ready for use.]]* If you want to avoid the expense of the platypus bag, you can use a Ziploc bag, though I do find they tend to leak. You can use bags designed for ice cubes like <jfs id=" B00DP6P6R8" noreferb="true"/> which you'll need to put inside a Ziploc bag, as with a are cheap very thin and easywill pretty much always leak. * I find that simply using crushed ice in a Ziploc Fill up the bag works nicely as most of the way up with ice conforms cubes, then top up with chilled water. Don't fill up the back all the way, but then squeeze the bag to remove all the shape of air. You don't want the part bag fully filled, that's being icedway you have a little bit of movement, and it conforms to your body shape much better. * Give You can agitate the ice a few minutes to start meltingwater in the bag for more effective cooling, as itbut make sure you keep an eye on your skin temperatures when you's initially well below freezing temperaturere doing this.
* You can put a thin piece of material between the bag of ice and your skin initially. This reduces the shock and allows the ice to start melting. I tend to have the bag in direct skin contact within a few minutes.
* If I generally find that the ice is mostly melted, change it out for fresh icelasts more than an hour, but remember you may need to ensure there's at least some water in the bagreplace it depending on how quickly it melts. * Never, ever use a gel pack. Only use frozen waterThey start off too cold and can cause frostbite, then warm up way too quickly. That makes them both dangerous and ineffective. By comparison, ice is safer, effective, and cheap. *
==DIY CoolSculpting Questions and Answers==
Here are some of the questions I've been asked about DIY CoolSculpting along with my answers.
* '''Do you apply the ice directly or use a barrier such as a cloth?''' I normally apply the bag of ice directly to the skin. Sometimes I'll use a thin layer such as a tee shirt for a few minutes until the skin adjusts and then remove the layer. This prevents the sudden drop in temperature from making me squeal.
* '''Is DIY CoolSculpting the same as drinking ice water?''' No, it's quite different. This approach triggers local removal of fat rather than changing the overall metabolism. (Drinking a gallon of ice water will only use about 70 Calories, so that is not a great solution to [[Weight Loss]].)
* '''Is DIY CoolSculpting like applying an ice pack as described in The Four Hour Body? '''No, the four hour body uses ice to chill the body overall rather than reduce the fat in a local area.
* '''What happens to the fat that is lost?''' The absolute level of fat lost in this technique is not huge, so the calories made available from the fat is probably inconsequential.
* ** A rough estimate is that each treatment covers around 10cm x 3cm and produces a 4mm fat loss, which is 12,000 mm<sup>3</sup> or 12ml. 12ml is about 11 grams of fat, or about 100 Calories. Over three months that's about one Calorie per day. Treating multiple areas will increase this, but it appears most clinics would only treat 2-3 areas at a time.
* '''How did you see results in two weeks when the studies say it takes several months?''' The animal studies of CoolSculpting showed that the process started after about 3 days, with the removal of the fat apparent between 14 and 30 days and from day 30 to 90 the process declined. Therefore , it is not unreasonable to see some results after two weeks. Also, CoolSculpting uses one hour long chilling, whereas I was chilling for 1-3 hours a day for two weeks, which is a lot more treatment.
* '''Is there any corresponding skin tightening?''' In my experiment, there was not enough fat loss to make a difference to skin tension. Overall, CoolSculpting and DIY CoolSculpting are unlikely to produce the dramatic overall fat loss that would lead to sagging skin.
* '''Is 'DIY CoolSculpting' the same as the real thing?''' No, the DIY approach of applying ice is different to CoolSculpting, which uses a single session applied for a shorter period.