CoolSculpting and liposuction are two cosmetic procedures that aim to improve the appearance of the body and target fats that cannot be eliminated through diet and exercise. But what are the differences between them and which is the most appropriate procedure? This depends on each case; Liposuction may be more appropriate in some cases, and CoolSculpting may be more appropriate in others. Therefore, if you are hesitant to undergo one of these two procedures, this article is for you because we compare CoolSculpting vs liposuction in all aspects.

CoolSculpting vs Liposuction: Which is better for me?

CoolSculpting is an effective treatment option for body fat reduction. This procedure is considered a non-surgical or non-invasive procedure as it uses controlled cooling technology in order to freeze fat cells underneath the skin so it can be easily removed. This procedure was initially designed for the removal of crucial fat pockets, helping patients lose fat in a non-surgical way, and to give a better shape to the treated area. This procedure requires a couple of sessions before results show.

On the other hand, liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that aims to remove excess body fat by sucking out the fat from stubborn areas that cannot be treated with healthy diet or exercising. The areas that are usually targeted by liposuction include hips, thighs, buttocks, and the abdomen. This procedure is the most common procedure in the field of cosmetic surgical treatments, done by men and women, in order to reduce fat in the treated area as well as giving it a better shape.

Both of these procedures are significantly effective in most cases, and they both cause common side effects. However, the procedure to be chosen relies completely on the doctor’s advice and the patient’s preferences. In the following we compare CoolSculpting vs liposuction in terms of the pros and cons.

The pros of CoolSculpting

• CoolSculpting allows the patient to lose at least 25% of the targeted fat cells.
• This procedure is nonsurgical.
• The procedure can be done in the doctor’s office, and it does not require a recovery period afterwards.
• CoolSculpting causes no pain.

The cons of CoolSculpting

As with any other medical procedure, common side effects and complications may occur, such as:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Reduced sensation in the treated area

Moreover, some severe uncommon side effects may occur in special cases, such as:

• Extreme pain around the area
• Severe numbness
• Bloating along the treated area

The pros of liposuction

• In a similar way to any fat-reduction procedure, the excellent outcome that enhances the physical appearance always gives a confidence boost to the patient, which improves their overall quality of life.
• The procedure is less invasive as compared to other treatment options.
• This procedure can target large areas of the body at once.
• The results show immediately after the procedure.

The cons of liposuction

Even less-invasive medical procedures may cause side effects and complications such as:

• Bruising that may last for weeks.
• Inflammation.
• Blood clots that may cause more inflammation.
• The procedure night cause the skin to look wavy or bumpy.
• You might feel numbness in the treated area for a while.
• Allergic reaction.
• Skin burns.

Moreover, some severe uncommon side effects may occur in special cases, such as:

• In rare cases, liposuction may lead to skin infection, which may cause more complications that could lead to scarring.
• In very rare cases, internal organs may get punctured.
• Death due to severe reaction to anesthesia in very rare cases.
• The changes that occur to the fluid levels in the patient’s body may lead to heart and kidney problems.
• Fat cells may block the circulation in the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism.
• Injected fluids may build up in the body causing pulmonary edema

• Also Read: How much weight can I lose with liposuction?

CoolSculpting is a method mainly used to treat crucial fat pockets in a non-surgical way. This procedure is preferred in treating small specific areas such as love handles or inner thighs.

On the other hand, patients who are seeking faster results for larger areas of fat are more likely to choose liposuction as it removes bigger amounts of fat from the abdominal area, breasts, and buttocks for example.

As it was mentioned before, both of these procedures can help patients remove excess fat from different areas of the body, such as love handles. However, it all depends on the patient’s preferences and the problem to be treated. For instance, patients who prefer nonsurgical methods to reduce excess fat are more likely to choose CoolSculpting to improve the shape of the thighs or to get rid or love handles. However, patients who are okay with invasive treatments in order to lose bigger amounts of fat in less time are more likely to go for liposuction.

Both of these options can be used to remove excess fat from the arms. However, CoolSculpting is mainly used for removing fat from smaller areas of excess fat in the arms while liposuction is designed mainly to remove bigger amount of excess fat from many areas that include the arms, which makes liposuction a preferred option among many patients who suffer from large amounts of fat in their arms.

The minimally invasive procedure, liposuction, has the ability to remove excess fat around the neck in one session. However, liposuction cannot help with saggy skin, or improve the shape of the area. on the other hand, CoolSculpting, as a noninvasive procedure, is known for its ability to successfully remove fat from smaller parts of the body such as the chin, but requires two to four sessions to be done, and a couple of weeks for the results to show. When it comes to the cost, CoolSculpting chin sessions cost less that liposuction to treat a double chin.

The procedure to be chosen depends mainly on the patients’ preferences and the problem they are trying to fix. When it comes to stomach, it is considered one of the most treated areas with CoolSculpting. However, this procedure is mainly designed to reduce fat in smaller areas of the body and to give the treated area a better shape. This means that removing a big amount of fat from the stomach area may be difficult and requires more than one session, which makes the idea of seeking other treatment options plausible.

On the other hand, liposuction is the most common procedure done by men and women in order to lose massive amount of fat from the stomach area in no time, as the procedure requires one session.

Both of these procedures are highly effective for removing fat from target area. However, the size of the area to be treated plays a critical role in determining the procedure to go with. There is also a determinant factor in deciding on the procedure to be chosen, and this depends too on the amount of fats to be removed.

When it comes to safety, both of these procedures are safe, but similarly to any medical procedure, they both have common side effects. A non-invasive procedure, such as CoolSculpting, usually has only minor side effects that are only short-term and not life threatening. On the other hand, liposuction is a more invasive surgery that is performed with anesthesia, which may lead to complications that are more serious. Furthermore, patients suffering from heart problems or thrombus disorders are advised to seek another treatment option other than liposuction.

Both of these procedures are highly effective in removing fat cells from the body. For instance, CoolSculpting is known to rid the patients of at least 25% percent of the fat cells in most cases, while liposuction can easily remove 11 pounds or 5 litters of fat from the patient, which makes both of these procedures have great end-results post-surgery. However, the long-term results depend mainly on the behavior and life-style of the patient, as many patients reported that they regained the fat they lost during the procedure, but in different areas of their bodies.

When it comes to the cost of these procedures, an important key factor is the number of sessions required to achieve wanted results as well as the size of the treated area. For instance, CoolSculpting requires a number of sessions in most cases, which results in a total cost of $2,000 – $5,000, depending on the number of sessions and the clinic. However, liposuction procedure is done in one session, but the average cost of this single session ranges between $3,500 – $7,500 depending on the used method and the size of the treated area.

Both of these procedures are safe and highly effective for excess fat removal from different parts of the body, and cause minimal side effects. However, many details differ between the two procedures. For instance, CoolSculpting is considered a noninvasive procedure that removes excess fat from treated area by freezing away the fat using cooling applicators, while Laser liposuction, which is considered a minimally invasive procedure, melts away excess fat by using targeted lasers. This procedure is also referred to as lipolysis, lipomelt, and lipolight.

The short answer is yes. However, patients are advised to wait for at least 5 months before considering a liposuction after CoolSculpting in order to see the full results of CoolSculpting before considering another treatment option.

It is highly advised that patients wait until they are fully healed after liposuction before undergoing any other surgery. However, the final decision must rely completely on the doctor’s advice after consulting a board-certified physician.

• Also Read: Recovery after liposuction: what to do and what not to do?

The short answer is no. CoolSculpting cannot effectively fix skin abnormalities that occurred after a bad liposuction in which fat tissues were scarred, as CoolSculpting is mainly used for small crucial pockets of fat only.