Liposuction or CoolSculpting: Which Is Better for Your Goals?

Despite all their efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle, many people find themselves struggling with unwelcome fat on specific areas of their body, often due to hereditary or hormonal factors that are outside their control. That’s why liposuction and CoolSculpting are enduringly popular worldwide.

These two procedures provide targeted toning and shaping for areas of your body that resist diet and exercise, but the techniques accomplish this aim in different ways. The information we’ve provided here will help you decide which is better for your goals.

Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Body Shaping

Liposuction is a surgical method for removing excess fat from specific trouble spots by suctioning out fat cells through a thin tube called a cannula. If you commit to staying at or near your target body weight, you can enjoy your surgical enhancements for years to come.

Compared to liposuction, CoolSculpting is a less invasive, aggressive procedure. Non-surgical fat removal works by using controlled cooling to freeze fat cells. Then, your body will gradually flush out the dead cells through natural processes.

How Do the Results Compare?

Depending on your cosmetic goals and how many areas you hope to improve, you may need a series of CoolSculpting sessions for the best results. It will take time for your body to eliminate all the dead fat cells, so you won’t notice an improvement right away. You might find that aspect of non-surgical fat removal frustrating if you’ve been dealing with troublesome bulges for years and can’t wait to have them gone.

While liposuction can deliver somewhat more dramatic, immediate results than CoolSculpting, neither approach is a healthy substitute for natural weight loss or a solution for obesity. You should only consider these treatments if your goal is to contour problem areas where you have been unsuccessful at losing the fat through diet and exercise.

Common trouble zones we can treat with liposuction include your:

  • Abdomen
  • Hips
  • Buttocks
  • Thighs
  • Knees
  • Upper arms
  • Chin
  • Cheeks
  • Neck

Side Effects and Recovery

As with any surgical procedure, liposuction has potential complications, including bruising, swelling, numbness, infections, blood clots, and irregular skin contouring. However, choosing to undergo liposuction under the care of an experienced, board-certified physician will significantly minimize these risks.

For many people, CoolSculpting’s appeal is that the entire process is quick, non-surgical, and requires no downtime or restrictions on activity or diet. Compared with surgical procedures, which leave patients with stitches, bruising, and scars, CoolSculpting’s side effects are relatively minimal and include numbness, tenderness, redness, and swelling of the targeted area. There are no anesthesia risks, and you can manage any discomfort with over-the-counter pain medicine.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Body Shaping?

Ideal candidates for liposuction and CoolSculpting share several qualities:

  • Have good skin tone and elasticity, so the skin can bounce back quickly
  • Are physically and mentally healthy
  • Do not smoke
  • Are at a healthy body weight but wish to target small fat bulges
  • Have realistic expectations
  • Struggle with lower self-esteem due to stubborn fat deposits

Schedule Your Private Consultation Today

If you are interested in getting liposuction or CoolSculpting in the San Francisco Bay Area, schedule a consultation with our board-certified dermatologists to discuss your goals and expectations. Though both procedures have a long track record of being safe and effective, choosing to make changes to your body requires you to compare all the potential advantages and disadvantages. Our qualified physicians take a personalized approach that helps you decide which option is better for you.