You’re looking for a fat reduction solution – but you’re not exactly sure which one is right for you. It’s not that you don’t know what you want; far from it! The problem is that there are so many options out there that you’re not exactly sure which procedure will lead to the results you’re looking for. Should you opt for a surgical treatment, like laser liposuction? Or are you better off with taking a non-surgical body contouring approach, like with CoolSculpting?

If you’ve been asking yourself the above questions, then you need to know the difference between laser lipo and CoolSculpting. Take a look!

  • Laser Liposuction resembles traditional liposuction surgery, but it actually uses laser heat energy to liquefy fat (as opposed to the plastic surgeon manually breaking it up with the cannula). During a laser liposuction procedure, your plastic surgeon inserts the cannula into a small incision at the treatment site. The cannula is fed through to the fat pockets, where the laser heat energy effectively melts fat cells while leaving surrounding cells intact. The cannula is still used to drain out the fat, but leaves behind much less bruising and swelling than with traditional liposuction.

The reduction in bruising and swelling means that patients are able to recover from their procedure much faster. In general, patients can expect to go back to work within the first 1-2 weeks after surgery, and enjoy a full recovery within 4 weeks.

  • CoolSculpting is an FDA-approved treatment that uses a non-invasive device to deliver cooling energy to the fat cells clustered underneath the dermis. Unlike laser liposuction – which is considered invasive – the CoolSculpting treatment is performed on the skin’s surface. Patients will notice an intense cooling sensation throughout their one-hour treatment; there’s no recovery period, so patients can return back to their normal routines.

Clinical trials have shown up to 24% fat reduction after a round of CoolSculpting treatments, so it’s a great option for patients who want to lose inches and fit into their clothes better.

Want to learn if laser liposuction or CoolSculpting is right for you? Schedule a consultation with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Aycock in Walnut Creek, CA (925)-937-8377 or Greenbrae, CA (415) 925-1700.

Dr. Aycock serves the greater San Francisco Bay area.