Liposuction and CoolSculpting and Liposuction are two of our most popular treatments here at Cambridge Clear Beauty and Cosmetic Surgeon Cambridge. They are widely considered as the most popular fat removal cosmetic procedures but nonetheless have distinct differences between them that not many are aware. At our Clinic, Dr Ahma meets and works with each individual patient to determine the best treatment for his or her cosmetic goals and hence possesses experience of many different cases, allowing him to offer an impartial and well rounded opinion.
It is consequently a common question we come across or are asked by our patients: How does Liposuction compare to CoolSculpting and how do they actually work?
Starting from the more known fact out there, liposuction is an invasive surgical procedure whereas Coolsculpting is not. It would be easy for us to simply list the many differences but this is something that already exists online so we thought it better, to provide a useful and clear table comparing the 2 treatments as well as a brief Infographic with information on which treatment is the best for you.
So let’s have a look at our detailed table below, created with the assistance of Dr Ahmad, our consultant at CCB and also the clinic founder:
| Treatment | Comparison | Liposuction | Coolsculpting |
| Reduce Fat | Both treatments are known to reduce fat | √ | √ |
|
Permanently remove fat |
Both treatments are known to permanently remove fat from the targeted areas |
√ |
√ |
|
Invasive |
CoolSculpting is a non-invasive procedure unlike Liposuction |
√ |
– |
| Safety | Liposuction is slightly more dangerous in terms of safety as it includes anaesthesia. Avoid liposuction if you have heart problems, blood clotting disorders, or are a pregnant woman | Liposuction is an invasive surgery done with anaesthesia. It may consequently include side effects such as blood clots, negative reactions to anaesthesia, or other serious complications | You may experience short-term bruising or skin sensitivity after CoolSculpting. Side effects usually resolve within a few week and are generally consider very minor in comparison to Lipo |
| Convenience | You will begin to see visible results from your CoolSculpting treatment after a few weeks. Full results from liposuction may not be noticeable for a few months | Liposuction can often be done as an outpatient surgery. The surgery takes 1 to 2 hours, and recovery may take several days. You typically only need one session | CoolSculpting is done as an outpatient procedure. Each session takes about an hour, and you may need a few sessions spread out a couple weeks apart |
| Efficacy | Both procedures permanently destroy fat cells in the treated areas, but you can still develop fat in other areas of your body. | You may be able to remove up to 5 litters, or about 11 pounds, of fat with liposuction. Removing more than that is generally not considered safe | CoolSculpting can eliminate up to 25 percent of the fat cells in any given part of a person’s body |
| Recovery Time | Recovery time for Liposuction is substantially longer and could sometimes even take months unlike Coolsculpting that hardly has any recovery time whatsoever | Recovery time is usually a few days. Always follow your provider’s recommendations for recovery, which may include wearing a special bandage or limiting activities.
You may need to wait 2 to 4 weeks before you can safely resume strenuous activity. |
There is no recovery time necessary for CoolSculpting |
However, not both treatments are suitable for everyone and that is not only down to the treatment area. Generally speaking, if the bulges your looking to un-bulge are in a part of your body that is a good fit for the application head of the CoolSculpting™ equipment and would fit into the size of a cup when pinched, then CoolSculpting is probably the best option for you. However, if you’re looking for more fast and radical results, have a bigger area that you’d like to un-bulge, or are concerned with loose hanging skin after the fat is removed, you might be a good candidate for liposuction.
As a rule of thumb, Liposuction is known to be able to reduce fat mainly in the waist, abdomen, hips, buttocks, back, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, face and neck whereas CoolSculpting is used to remove fat in the abdomen, flanks, knees, neck and upper arms. Find out whether liposuction or CoolSculpting can help you achieve your body sculpting goals this summer.
We’d love to hear your view so do not hesitate to contact us, click here to arrange a consultation with Dr Ahmad, send us an email at [email protected] or Follow our social media channels below on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.