Blog Article
Is Coolsculpting® Better than Liposuction?
There are a lot of choices when it comes to fat removal treatments. Coolsculpting® and liposuction are two of the most popular options, but many people wonder: is Coolsculpting® the better choice? In this blog post, we will compare Coolsculpting® and liposuction to help you decide which of these two fat removal treatments may be better for you.
Understanding the Difference Between Coolsculpting® and Liposuction
While both these procedures reduce unwanted body fat, they take different approaches to do so.
What is Coolsculpting®?
Coolsculpting® is a non-invasive fat removal treatment that uses cooling technology to freeze and eliminate fat cells, which the body then naturally eliminates over time. The treatment is usually performed on the midsection, abdomen, and/or thighs to improve body contours.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that uses suction technology to extract excess fat from the body through a tube, providing instant fat removal. The treatment can be performed nearly anywhere on the body to improve body contours.
Which Provides a Better Patient Experience, Coolsculpting® or Liposuction?
Short Answer: Probably Coolsculpting®.
As a surgical procedure, liposuction requires general anesthesia and has a considerable recovery period. Alternatively, Coolsculpting® is a non-invasive treatment that does not require surgery or anesthesia, and it has no recovery period. Because the treatment is non-surgical, the patient’s treatment experience with Coolsculpting® is arguably better than that with liposuction.
Coolsculpting® can be performed relatively quickly and has no recovery period, so patients can resume normal activities as soon as they desire after their treatment. Coolsculpting® may need to be administered in several treatment sessions to achieve the desired results, but because each treatment has no downtime, patients may still prefer it to liposuction.
Which Provides Better Results, Coolsculpting® or Liposuction?
Short Answer: Probably liposuction, but it depends on your goals.
Coolsculpting® is effective at removing small pockets of fat, while liposuction is effective at eliminating larger areas of fat. This gives liposuction a broader application and the ability to help a greater number of patients. Coolsculpting® is also more limited in treatment areas (generally just the midsection and thighs), while liposuction can be used nearly anywhere on the body. That said, if you need only a small area of fat removed from your midsection or thighs, Coolsculpting® can give you the results you seek.
Which Provides Faster Results, Coolsculpting® or Liposuction?
Short Answer: Liposuction.
Liposuction provides faster results because it removes fat cells directly from the body during the procedure. Coolsculpting®, by contrast, destroys the fat cells through freezing, but leaves them for the body to naturally dispose of on its own.
Fat removal with liposuction can be visible immediately after surgery, although the results may be temporarily masked by surgical swelling for up to a few weeks after surgery. Fat removal through Coolsculpting® takes several weeks up to a few months to become noticeable, because the body needs time to dispose of the destroyed fat cells.
Is Coolsculpting® Right for Me?
Coolsculpting® may be right for you if you are struggling to lose small amounts of stubborn fat from your thighs, abdomen, or midsection. It’s a great choice for individuals who live active and healthy lifestyles but who are plagued by small amounts of persistent fat in these areas of the body. Because the treatment has no downtime, Coolsculpting® may also be right for you if your main goal is to reduce body fat with as minimal interruption to your daily life as possible, or if you are not interested in undergoing invasive surgery.
If you are still undecided about Coolsculpting® versus liposuction for your fat removal procedure, schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Mouchantat. As an expert at performing both procedures, he can offer you excellent advice as to which treatment may be better for you. To book your appointment with Dr. Mouchantat, call (303) 232-8585 or contact us online today.