Liposuction vs. CoolSculpting...What's the Difference?

Here at Aesthetic Enhancements Plastic Surgery, we offer a variety of cosmetic procedures to enhance your beauty.  With all the different methods of getting rid of unwanted fat, it can be hard to determine which is best for you. 

Two procedures Board Certified Plastic Surgeon - Dr. Armando Soto performs that are designed to remove excess fat and provide you with a slimmer figure are Liposuction and CoolSculpting by Zeltiq.  Both of these procedures eliminate fat cells, but will provide two very different outcomes. 

Researching the many different types of fat reduction procedures can be quite overwhelming and confusing for many patients. To ultimately determine which procedure is best for you, visit with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your goals to determine which is right for you.

In the meantime, we’ve put together this simple guide to help give you a better idea on which procedure may be able to give you the experience and outcome you are looking for!

	Liposuction	CoolSculpting
How it works:	Liposuction is a surgical procedure that vacuums excess fat deposits from under the skin, slimming and reshaping specific areas of the body.	CoolSculpting is FDA approved for fat reduction using a non-invasive cooling technique called Cryolipolysis to target and freeze localized fat.
Who makes a good candidate:	Someone in good health with disproportionate contours due to fat deposits that won’t respond to diet and exercise.	Someone close to their ideal body weight who has small areas of stubborn fat pockets such as belly bulges, love handles or back fat that won’t budge with diet and exercise.
Benefits:	Dramatically improves body contour and shape.	Non-invasive procedure with minimum discomfort, no anesthesia, needles or downtime.
Risks:	Liposuction is a surgical procedure, therefore, there are possible risks involved.	You may not get the outcome you are looking for, and could need another treatment or an alternative treatment.
Recovery:	Swelling and some bruising is expected after surgery.  A compression garment is usually worn following the procedure to control swelling.  The recovery time depends on the extent of your surgery.	No downtime!  Get back to work or go for a run after treatment.  The treated area may be numb or sensitive to touch directly after procedure.
Results:	Dramatic improvement in body shape and contour.  It may take a several months before the swelling subsides to notice the final outcome.  The results from Liposuction will last as long as you continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle.	CoolSculpting will eliminate 20-25% of the fat cells in the treated areas permanently.  Noticeable, natural results of fat reduction in just 6 to 8 weeks.
What it won’t do:	Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity, nor will it take place of proper diet and exercise.  It also will not treat cellulite or loose, saggy skin.	CoolSculpting will not tighten skin or improve body contour, it simply freezes fat cells!