SculpSure in London: what it is, what the studies show, and what it costs

This guide is written by the team that provides SculpSure at our clinic at 8 Devonshire Place, London, W1G 6HP, and reviewed by the doctor who leads the treatments. It sets out what the device is and what it is cleared for, what the studies measured, every area it is used on and how a session feels. It also covers the side effects people ask about most, how it compares with CoolSculpting, how we price it and the rest of the questions people ask.

What SculpSure is

SculpSure is a laser made by Cynosure that works at 1060 nanometres, a wavelength the maker describes as having a specific affinity for fat. Flat applicators, up to four at once on a belt for the body or a small mask for the chin, are placed over the bulge. The laser heats the fat layer beneath the skin to a temperature that damages fat cells, while the cooled surface of each applicator protects the skin; the maker calls this Advanced Contact Cooling. The US regulator's own comparison table describes the treatment as heat-assisted. Over the following weeks the body clears the damaged cells, and the bulge is smaller. A cycle is 25 minutes per area. In the FDA's wording the treatment is for the appearance of visible fat bulges, and the maker says it is not for weight loss or for people who are obese.

What it is cleared for

In the United States SculpSure is FDA-cleared through the 510(k) route, which is a finding of equivalence to devices already on the market, not an approval. The latest record is K182741 of January 2019. It covers "non-invasive lipolysis of the abdomen, flanks, back, and thighs in individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or less" and "the submental area in individuals with a BMI of 49 or less". It states that the device "is intended to affect the appearance of visible fat bulges in the abdomen, flanks, back, thighs and submental area". Earlier records cleared the flanks (2015), the abdomen (2015), both together (2016), the back and thighs (2017) and the chin (2017). We treat with a SculpSure system, and the clinic is CQC registered.

Does SculpSure work? What the studies show

• The trials behind the clearances, measured at twelve weeks by ultrasound: after one treatment the fat layer was 11.5% thinner on the abdomen (35 people), 13% on the flanks (49) and 10.6% on the back (55). It was 8.0% thinner on the inner thigh (61), 7.2% on the outer thigh (52) and 15.2% under the chin (57, with up to two treatments). Satisfaction ran from 83 to 98% on the body; in the first chin study all 55 who answered were satisfied and in the second 53 of 58. These are the maker's studies.
• MRI, six people, flanks (2017): average fat volume reduction of 24% at three months and 21% at six. This is the source of the "24%" figure: an average change in fat volume, not a share of cells destroyed.
• Chin, 20 people, independent, Thailand (2022): the fat layer fell from 0.51 cm to 0.46 cm at three months, a significant change, and was 0.48 cm at six months, which was no longer significant against the starting point. Pain during treatment averaged 3.9 out of 10.
• Knees, 19 women, independent, Thailand (2022): circumference fell from 44.0 to 41.3 cm and the fat layer from 2.4 to 1.5 cm at six months; pain averaged 6.1 out of 10. In both independent studies, people who gained weight did less well.
• What is missing: any follow-up beyond six months, and any human study of what happens to the treated cells over years.

Taken together: one SculpSure treatment (up to two under the chin) makes a fat bulge measurably smaller at about twelve weeks in most people, by about 7 to 15% of the fat layer's thickness. The change largely held to six months in the maker's MRI study and was no longer significant at six months in the independent chin study. The maker says the treated cells are cleared and do not return, and that the result holds as long as significant weight is not gained; the longest human follow-up is six months, and we say so.

Which areas SculpSure treats

Our rule is simple: every area the device is used on, we treat. The areas cleared by the US FDA are the abdomen, the flanks, the back, the thighs and under the chin. Other areas, such as the knees, are treated at the clinician's judgement; published evidence for them is limited.

• Abdomen, flanks or love handles, back, inner and outer thighs, under the chin: cleared, each with its own trial above.
• Knees: one independent 19-patient study with measured results at six months.
• Upper arms, bra fat, buttocks: treated in our practice, with no published study found, so no result figure, which we say plainly; the upper arms, bra fat and buttocks pages set out each.

Who SculpSure suits, and who it does not

In our practice SculpSure suits an adult close to the weight they want, with a stubborn bulge that diet and exercise have not shifted. It suits someone who wants a 25-minute session, can return to normal activities straight away and accepts a result that shows over weeks rather than days. The US clearance sets a BMI of 30 or less for the body and 49 or less for the chin, and the maker says it is not for weight loss or for people who are obese.

The maker lists no contraindication, so your clinician checks your suitability at the consultation, including pregnancy, skin conditions, medicines, previous surgery in the area and your BMI.

A session, step by step

1. Free consultation. Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, examines the area, checks your BMI and your history, agrees the areas and the number of treatments, explains what the trials say for your area, and gives you the price in writing. In our practice, photographs are taken with your consent.
2. Fitting. The applicators are fitted over the bulge on a belt, up to four at once for the body, or the mask under the chin.
3. Treatment. The cycle runs 25 minutes per area. It feels hot, with contact cooling running throughout. Tell your clinician if it is uncomfortable; the energy can be adjusted, as it was in the published studies, where pain averaged 3.9 out of 10 under the chin and 6.1 on the knees.
4. Straight after. The area is red and warm, and may feel tender or firm. You can return to normal activities straight away.
5. The first weeks. Tenderness, swelling or a firm feeling in the area, settling over one to three weeks in the studies. The body clears the damaged fat cells over the following weeks.
6. Results. Visible from about six weeks and best at about twelve weeks after the last treatment, which is when the trials measured; in our practice we photograph the area again then.

How many sessions

Most people have a course of treatments; your clinician sets the number and the spacing at your free consultation. The maker describes a series of treatments without a number. The FDA body studies used one treatment per area, and the chin studies up to two; in the first chin study most patients had two, six weeks apart. In our practice a second treatment of the same area can follow the twelve-week review if you want more change, and the doctor tells you plainly whether it is worthwhile.

What SculpSure costs

We set out the price of SculpSure in writing at a free consultation, and we price match any comparable written quote. Consultations and follow-up reviews are free whatever you decide. The price depends on the areas and the number of treatments, and the written plan shows both before anything is booked.

Results you can check

In our practice, photographs are taken at the consultation and at the twelve-week review, and we show you your own. Our patients review the clinic on review.clinic, where it scores 4.9 out of 5 from 41 reviews in November 2026. The figures in this guide come from the FDA records and the published papers named by size and year, and can be checked.

SculpSure compared with the alternatives

• CoolSculpting. The comparison people make most. The regulator's table puts it plainly: SculpSure is heat-assisted, CoolSculpting cold-assisted. A SculpSure cycle is 25 minutes per area; CoolSculpting's upper-arm treatment is cleared at minus 11 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. SculpSure is cleared for the abdomen, flanks, back, thighs and under the chin; CoolSculpting for the upper arm, bra fat, back fat, the banana roll, thigh, abdomen, flank and the chin and jawline. No randomised comparison exists, and we do not say which is better. An enlargement of the treated fat, paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, is documented for cryolipolysis and described as under-reported; it appears in none of the 63 SculpSure reports to the US regulator. We provide both, CoolSculpting at our sister clinic, and the doctor plans the right one for your bulge.
• Liposuction. Removes fat in one operation, with an anaesthetic and a recovery period. SculpSure treats a modest bulge without surgery.

Side effects and safety

The maker lists temporary tenderness, swelling or tissue firmness in the treated area, and the studies record these settling in one to three weeks. The record behind the chin clearance also lists bruising, nodules, blisters, numbness and hair loss, and states that all events except one were temporary and most were mild or moderate. Reports to the US regulator about SculpSure between 2016 and 2024 number 63, with no count of treatments behind them, so no rate. They code pain in 8, a nodule in 7, burns in 6, swelling in 6, scar tissue in 3, one full-thickness burn and one case of nerve damage. Those reports are why the fitting, the cooling and the person watching the session matter. The longest published follow-up is six months, so there is no long-term human data; the maker says the cleared cells do not return and that the result holds as long as significant weight is not gained.

How to choose a clinic

Ask to see the SculpSure applicators and have the device named. Ask who leads the treatment and for their registration number; this guide is reviewed by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, who leads every SculpSure treatment here, in a CQC registered clinic. Ask what the trial figure is for your area and what BMI the clearance sets. Ask for the price in writing before you book, and what happens at the twelve-week review if the result is less than you hoped.

Aftercare

You can return to normal activities straight away. Your clinician will give you aftercare advice at your appointment, including what to do if an area stays tender or hard. In our practice we add: drink water, keep your weight steady and massage the area gently if it feels firm. In our practice we also ask you to call us about a blister, a patch that stays hard or painful, or a change in sensation, and the doctor will see you.

Frequently asked questions