Liposuction vs. Coolsculpting - Learn the Difference

If you’ve been struggling with belly fat and love handles for a while, you’ll eventually start thinking that there is no way you can beat that stubborn fat and get your dream figure. No matter how hard you’ve been working out and dieting, the fat is still there. Luckily, medicine and technology have developed new ways to handle it. While liposuction and cool sculpting have similarities, these are two different procedures.

What is coolsculpting?

Unlike liposuction, cool sculpting is not a surgical procedure. It’s a medical procedure called cryolipolysis that can help remove extra fat cells from underneath your skin. Cool sculpting is a form of body sculpting that doesn’t require an operation, but a plastic surgeon (or another physician) will treat the rolls of fat on your body with a special tool. In this sense, it is similar to abdominoplasty. This tool will clamp down and cool a roll of fat to freezing temperature, which will later allow your body to eliminate this frozen fat through your liver. This elimination process lasts for several weeks after the procedure and it’s completely natural. Because cool sculpting isn’t an invasive procedure and there isn’t any cutting, stitching or anesthetizing necessary, there is also no recovery time. A session doesn’t last too long – approximately an hour, but you will need to undergo a few sessions over several weeks in order to get the best results. While the changes can be seen in just a few weeks, it takes about three months to actually see the final results. Coolsculpting procedure can be used to remove the excess fat from different parts of your body: arms, stomach, thighs, as well as your chin, but it is not intended to be a weight loss procedure. Sadly, cool sculpting cannot help you with cellulite or loose skin. It’s also important to remember that people who suffer from blood disorders shouldn’t undergo coolsculpting as it could trigger serious complications. The procedure itself carries no surgical risks, but it has downsides – you can experience a tugging sensation at the procedure place, pain and stinging, or even temporary bruising and redness.

What is liposuction?

Unlike cool sculpting, which is a relatively easy non-surgical procedure, liposuction is quite complex. It involves anesthesia, cutting, and stitching, and you will need some time to recover afterward. Your surgeon may decide to only use local anesthesia if the procedure is minor, or they will sedate you with general anesthesia. The plastic surgeon will then make a small incision and insert a long and narrow suction tool. The tool is called a cannula, and it is used to vacuum the excess fat out of a specific area of your body. Unlike cool sculpting, liposuction only takes one procedure and you will be able to see the results right away, but it takes several days to recover. Moreover, there can be some side effects: skin discoloration, temporary (or even permanent) numbness, as well as the accumulation of fluid, which later needs to be drained. The surgery itself takes approximately an hour or two, but it may take several weeks or even a couple of months for the swelling to go down. Only then will you be able to see the full results. Both men and women can choose to undergo liposuction, but if you have blood clotting or heart problems, you should avoid liposuction, as it can cause health complications.

No matter which procedure you choose, it’s important to talk openly with your doctor. Tell them what you expect to get from the procedure, and ask them to tell you in minute detail how long the recovery will be. After all, you want to get back to your everyday routine as soon as possible, and that can only happen if you and your doctor work together to achieve the best possible results. Also check: livingswag