ATLANTA – Cryolipolysis appears as safe and effective in dark skin types as in lighter skin types, according to a review of outcomes in 396 patients.
The primary goal of the study was to assess whether this technology is safe in patients with dark skin types, given their increased risk for developing postinflammatory hyperpigmentation with cold exposure and other treatments such as laser treatments, Dr. Ava Shamban said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
However, no differences were seen in efficacy or safety based on skin type or ethnicity in the patients who participated in the multicenter study, she said.
"Cryolipolysis is, indeed, a color-blind technology."
In fact, patients with darker skin types had slightly higher satisfaction with the procedure, raising the question of whether the treatment might even be more effective in these patients, said Dr. Shamban, a dermatologist in private practice in Santa Monica, Calif.
The patients were treated on the back, flank, and/or abdomen, with most having multiple areas treated. Fitzpatrick skin types II-VI were represented: 85 had type II, 185 had type III, 104 had type IV, 18 had type V, and 4 had type VI.
Numerous ethnicities also were represented: 7 patients were African American, 38 were Asian, 295 were white, 37 were Latino, 5 were Mediterranean, and 14 were of Middle Eastern descent.
Women comprised 84% of the study population, and patients ranged in age from 24 to 74 years, with most in their late 40s to early 50s, Dr. Shamban noted.
No major adverse events occurred. Some patients did, however, experience minor effects, including bruising in 16%, swelling in 20%, and both bruising and swelling in 4%, she said, adding that the incidence of these effects did not differ between those with Fitzpatrick skin types II-III and those with type IV-VI.
Satisfaction with the procedure and outcomes also did not differ between those groups in 201 patients who completed a patient-satisfaction assessment. Only 7% of 122 patients with skin types II-III and 4% of 79 patients with skin types IV-VI were unsatisfied with the results, Dr. Shamban said.
"Cryolipolysis is, indeed, a color-blind technology, and it is a safe and effective method to reduce fat and thickening in patients of all skin types and ethnicities," she concluded.
Dr. Shamban had no disclosures to report. Her coauthor, Dr. Vic Narurkar, reported serving as a consultant for Zeltiq, the maker of the CoolSculpting cryolipolysis system used in this study.