When a healthy diet and consistent physical activity prove ineffective in combating stubborn body fat, it’s common for people to seek out alternative methods to achieve their body goals. Liposuction and coolsculpting are both surgical methods to remove fat cells from the body. Still, when looking at liposuction vs coolsculpting, there are more differences than similarities between the two procedures.
Finding a Raleigh board-certified plastic surgeon who you trust is important. When finding a reputable surgeon like Dr. Ortiz at North Raleigh Plastic Surgery, those once seemingly impossible goals can become a reality. Looking at liposuction vs coolsculpting, we’ll assist you in discovering how an expert at sculpting the body in ways that eliminate those fat cells for good can help you choose which surgical solution is right for you.
Liposuction vs Coolsculpting Procedures
When looking to reach your fitness goals, it can be both alarming and disheartening when you tirelessly attempt to target specific spots on your body without success. As disappointing as it may be, it is a reality that you cannot spot-treat certain types of fat– so, while those hundreds of crunches may seem like they should be effective, the truth is that we can’t always choose exactly what fat is lost when we lose weight.
The abdominal region, where layers of subcutaneous fat can be visibly stored, is one of those places that often need a gentle push– or sculpt– in the right direction. Because of this, it’s natural to want to turn to a surgical solution that delivers the results you want. Liposuction and coolsculpting procedures both offer these solutions, though they are performed in different ways.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States, and since the 1980s women and men alike have benefited from this method of using a small tube to suction subcutaneous fat out of the body. Liposuction is performed under anesthesia and, using this method, your plastic surgeon creates a series of small incisions along the body’s trouble areas. A slim, long tube is used to follow the natural contours of the body to shape your frame and remove unwanted fat that does not respond to diet or exercise.
You can get liposuction on many parts of the body– the abdomen, hips, buttocks, inner and outer thighs, arms, knees, back, neck, and even chin can be contoured and slimmed by use of the cannula tool that suctions out fat cells and reduces fatty tissue. Liposuction is very effective at permanently removing unwanted fat, smoothing the appearance of the skin, and providing the slim shape that most patients want to achieve on the targeted spots of their bodies.
Liposuction procedures can remove up to 5 to 8 liters of body fat, making it the most effective way to remove fat cells from the body.
What is Coolsculpting?
Popularized in the 2010s, coolsculpting is a treatment for fat removal. Coolsculpting uses a non-invasive technology known as cryolipolysis, colloquially known as “fat freezing,” to melt away fat cells without making incisions.
A vacuum applicator is used above the skin, suctioning the bulge of skin and fat into a cup. This targets subcutaneous fat cells by penetrating the skin and freezing small pockets of fat at a time, deteriorating and ultimately killing off those fat cells. During the procedure, you are awake and can feel the cold touch of the vacuum, but the cooling panels numb the area and make it so you do not feel pain.
This is an effective method of fat disintegration of a limited amount of fat. This method is used for the chin, flanks, abs, thighs, and buttocks. However, unlike liposuction where one procedure will eliminate the majority of targeted fat regions for good, coolsculpting requires multiple sessions over time and does not offer as dramatic results as liposuction.
Recovery and Results of Liposuction vs Coolsculpting
The recovery process for liposuction will take between 1 to 3 months before you see the full results of your liposuction surgery, whereas the recovery for a coolsculpting procedure usually takes around 3 weeks after your final session before seeing the first signs of results. While the liposuction recovery process takes longer than the coolsculpting recovery process, the results of liposuction are much more significant and long-lasting.
Since coolsculpting is non-invasive, you can return to work and physical activity immediately, while the more invasive approach of liposuction will keep you out of work for about 1-2 weeks and intense physical activity should be avoided for the next 6 weeks post-surgery. Looking at the recovery time, it may be easy to opt for coolsculpting over liposuction. However, when considering long-term happiness and your overall results, there is no better option than liposuction to permanently remove targeted cells of fat.
Benefits of Liposuction vs Coolsculpting
Both liposuction and coolsculpting are effective methods of fat removal from the body. However, when comparing liposuction vs coolsculpting, it still remains that the use of incisions to suction fat out of the body is a more effective procedure for long-term results than freezing fat cells without the use of incisions.
Many patients worry about the safety of liposuction vs coolsculpting, opting to avoid going under anesthesia or having incisions made to the skin. While this is a reasonable concern, your surgical team at North Raleigh Plastic Surgery will assess if you are a good candidate for liposuction, and ensure that every measure is given for safety during your liposuction procedure.
Since a board-certified plastic surgeon has the ability and tools needed to reach any spot on the body and manually sculpt the fat from that area, there is no better alternative for fat removal.
Here are some of the great benefits of liposuction vs coolsculpting:
- Liposuction results are more significant in contouring and fat removal than coolsculpting.
- Up to 5 to 8 liters of body fat can be removed in a liposuction procedure, whereas coolsculpting eliminates between 20-25% of fat cells in each targeted area.
- Liposuction is completed in one surgery, whereas coolsculpting is done over the course of multiple sessions.
- There are faster, more immediate results with liposuction vs coolsculpting.
- Liposuction can be performed with other surgical procedures like a tummy tuck, mommy makeover, meno makeover, breast augmentation, Brazilian Butt Lift, or in a comprehensive Lipo 360 procedure.
- On average, one liposuction procedure is more cost-effective than the combined multiple sessions of coolsculpting.
Is Liposuction or Coolsculpting Better for Me?
Coolsculpting is a less invasive procedure with a faster recovery time, but there is a limit to the significance of the results a patient will achieve. In contrast, liposuction, while an invasive surgery with a longer recovery period, offers more dramatic and permanent results that can be life-changing.
Not every person is a candidate for both procedures, however. When you meet your liposuction plastic surgeon or coolsculpting technician, they will review the risk factors associated with the procedure and determine if you are a good candidate for the surgery or not. For instance, people with a history of blood clots or clotting disorders may not be ideal candidates for liposuction, whereas patients with a form of vasculitis called cryoglobulinemia, where inflamed blood vessels can damage internal organs, should not be exposed to the methods used in coolsculpting.
Depending on your personal medical history, your goals, and your current health status, your surgeon can direct you toward the surgical method for fat removal that is best for you and your body.
Contact a Raleigh Plastic Surgeon to Meet Your Goals!
Understanding the differences between liposuction vs coolsculpting will help you determine the best avenue of fat removal to achieve the results that you desire.
At North Raleigh Plastic Surgery you can achieve your body sculpting goals with a liposuction procedure to permanently remove stubborn fat cells that do not respond to diet and exercise. During your consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon, we will discuss your goals, and expectations, as well as answer any questions you have about the procedure.
Contact us today at 919-532-2270 or fill out the form below to get started.
