SculpSure
SculpSure, also known as WarmSculpting, is a non-invasive laser treatment that heats stubborn fat cells until they die, then lets your body clear them away for good. Treatments take as little as 25 minutes, the heat stimulates collagen for tighter skin as it works, and unlike CoolSculpting it does not require pinchable fat.
What isSculpSure?
SculpSure uses a 1060 nanometer laser tuned to a wavelength that fat absorbs and skin does not. Flat, cell-phone-sized applicators rest against the treatment area and heat the fat layer beneath to a temperature the fat cells cannot survive, while nerves, blood vessels, and skin stay unharmed. Over the next twelve weeks your body gradually eliminates the dead cells, and the fat cells you lose are gone permanently.
The heat does something cold cannot: it stimulates collagen and elastic fiber growth, so the skin over the treated area tightens as the fat reduces. And because the laser does not need to suction a bulge into a cup, SculpSure treats areas without pinchable fat, which opens up more customized sculpting than CoolSculpting allows.
You will feel the treatment by design: waves of heat and cooling in cycles, sometimes with mild cramping. We monitor your feedback throughout and adjust the energy for maximum benefit at maximum comfort. In our practice we often pair the two technologies, debulking a larger area with CoolSculpting and refining it with SculpSure, because we keep the widest assortment of body sculpting devices in the Cincinnati area under one roof.
Who is SculpSure for?
SculpSure is for healthy adults who want stubborn fat gone on a lunch break, with skin tightening thrown in.
Individual results vary with age and lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol use, so no fat reduction claim can be guaranteed. A consultation is where we map your areas, estimate sessions honestly, and tell you whether SculpSure, CoolSculpting, or a combination will serve you best.
You are an adult in good health
SculpSure is a contouring treatment for stubborn areas, not a weight-loss program, and a health review is part of every consultation.
Diet and exercise have hit a wall
A frustrating bulge on the stomach, chin, love handles, thighs, or arms that will not respond no matter what you do.
Your fat is not very pinchable
SculpSure's flat applicators do not need a graspable bulge, so the treatment does not require pinchable fat and allows for more customized sculpting.
You want your skin tighter too
The laser's heat stimulates collagen and elastic fibers, so the skin over the treated area firms as the fat reduces.
You have 25 minutes, not a recovery window
There are no activity restrictions afterward. Patients come in over lunch and go straight back to work.
Where SculpSureworks
The 1060 nm laser can treat fat cells anywhere on the body, and because four applicators run at once, a single 25-minute session covers a full area. These are the areas we treat most.
Select an area on the figure to see what SculpSure does there.
SculpSure, abdomen and flanks, side view
SculpSure, beforeand after.
The abdomen and flank in profile. SculpSure heats fat cells past the point they can recover from, so the change appears gradually over the weeks that follow rather than the day after a session. Drag the handle to compare.
See all SculpSure resultsIndividual results vary. This photograph is from the treatment gallery on the practice's previous website and is not a guarantee of your own outcome.
See SculpSure at our office
Watch how the 1060 nm laser targets fat below the skin, and sit in on a WarmSculpting consultation to hear how a plan comes together. Claims made in these videos cannot be guaranteed; individual results vary.
If you would rather talk it through in person, a consultation covers everything you see here, for your body.
Whatto expect.
Book a consultationPricing depends on how many cell-phone-sized applicators your plan needs, with greater savings when more applicators are purchased at once. Cost is comparable to CoolSculpting in most cases.
It takes 25 minutes to run four applicators at once, enough to cover a stomach, chin, love handles, inner or outer thighs, or arms. More areas add time.
The warmth and mild cramping stop the moment the treatment ends. Mild swelling, bruising, redness, or tenderness can appear and usually resolves within hours, occasionally a few days. No activity restrictions at all.
Your body clears the treated fat cells over about twelve weeks, so the change appears gradually from six weeks to three months. Each treatment removes roughly 24 to 25 percent of fat cells in the area; some patients need one session, others two or more.
Frequently asked questions
How does SculpSure work?
A 1060 nm laser heats the fat cells under the skin to a temperature they cannot survive while leaving skin, nerves, and blood vessels unharmed. Your body then eliminates the dead cells over the next twelve weeks, and those fat cells are permanently gone.
Is SculpSure the same as WarmSculpting?
Yes. WarmSculpting is simply another name for the SculpSure treatment, and we use the two interchangeably.
How is SculpSure different from CoolSculpting?
SculpSure uses heat where CoolSculpting uses cold. The heat stimulates collagen and elastic fiber growth for tighter skin, no pinchable fat is required, and treatment times are faster. In our practice we often combine the two on the same area.
How much fat will I lose from one treatment?
Each treatment has been shown to reduce about 24 to 25 percent of fat cells in the treated area. Some patients lose less and others more, and individual results cannot be guaranteed.
How long does a treatment take?
From 25 minutes, depending on how many areas are treated. Four applicators run at once, so in 25 minutes we can generally cover a lower or entire stomach, chin, love handles, inner thighs, outer thighs, or arms.
Does it hurt?
You will feel it by design: cycles of heat and cooling with occasional mild cramping. We monitor your feedback throughout and adjust the energy level so you get maximum benefit at maximum comfort.
How many treatments will I need?
It depends on how much fat is present. A small bulge may need only one treatment, while thicker layers of fat benefit from two or more sessions.
When will I see results?
Gradually, from six weeks to three months, which is the time your body takes to eliminate the dead fat cells.
How long do results last?
The treated fat cells are permanently destroyed. Remaining cells can enlarge if lifestyle or health changes, so with a healthy lifestyle you can expect the result to be permanent.
Are there side effects?
The warm sensation and cramping stop immediately after the procedure. You may have mild temporary swelling, bruising, redness, or tenderness that usually clears within a few hours, sometimes a few days. There are no activity restrictions afterward.
How much does SculpSure cost?
Cost depends on the number of applicators your plan requires, with savings when more are purchased at once. It is comparable to CoolSculpting in most cases, and you receive an exact quote at consultation.
Can SculpSure be combined with CoolSculpting?
Yes, and we often do exactly that: CoolSculpting first to debulk a larger area, then SculpSure for subsequent treatments of the same area. Having both technologies in one practice lets us match the tool to the stage of your plan.
Where to next
Related treatment
Liposuction
Remove stubborn fat for good.
Explore the treatmentRelated concern
Stubborn Fat
Pockets that diet and exercise will not move
Start from the concernWorth reading
You’ve heard about Coolsculpting but have you heard about Sculpsure?
In the realm of non-invasive body contouring, two popular techniques stand out: CoolSculpting and SculpSure. Learn more about the differences
Read the answerAsk about body contouring.
Tell us the area you have in mind and what you have tried. We will come back with which treatments make sense, what they cost, and when you could start.
Your details go straight to our Montgomery Road front desk and are never shared. A team member replies during office hours, usually the same day.
Ready when you are.
Book a consultation at our Montgomery Road office, or call and we will help you decide where to start.
Medically reviewed by Shalini Gupta, MD, Harvard-trained dermatologist and founder of The Dermatology, Laser & Vein Center. Last reviewed September 2026. This page is for education and is not a substitute for a personalized medical consultation.