Decisions, Decisions: CoolSculpting® or Liposuction
Today there are several viable options for removing stubborn fat that doesn’t budge with diet and exercise. Among the procedures are liposuction, laser liposuction and cryolipolysis or the freezing of fat cells known as CoolSculpting®.
I am often asked which procedure works best. There is no easy answer. Any kind of procedure will depend on many things. Lifestyle is one of the most important considerations. There are two initial questions you should ask yourself when considering a fat removal procedure. 1. Do you typically gain and lose weight? 2. Can you afford the two-week downtime required for recovery after liposuction?
Liposuction requires being put to sleep using general anesthesia. This means longer recovery times, the risk of reaction to the anesthesia, lots of bruising from the pushing and pulling motion of the cannula, pain, leaking fluid, medications, and the irritation from the foam and compression garments. This is the most invasive technique.
Laser Liposuction is less invasive and if you avoid future weight gain, the results can last a long time. You do not need general anesthesia for laser liposuction either. The procedure is done solely with local anesthesia, which reduces the risk and results in quicker recovery time.
The least invasive of all the procedures and the one I perform at my American Laser Med Spas is CoolSculpting®. Unlike either regular or laser liposuction, CoolSculpting® takes place without any anesthesia, needles or cannulas. There’s no downtime at all. You can drive and resume normal activities right away.
The area of focus is covered with a gel pad. Then the skin is drawn between two cooling plates where the fat cells are frozen and destroyed. The body then naturally flushes away the destroyed fat cells over a span of one or two months. The recommended program is approximately three treatments over a span of nine months to a year.
If you are considering any of the fat removal options, give our office a call to schedule a free consultation. We’ll help you determine the most appropriate option.