Saurabh Lodha, MD

Hi - I'm sorry you're seeing tear troughs after fractora.  Fractora helps stimulate collagen by producing heat in the deeper parts of your skin.  This heat is not strong enough to melt fat or cause apoptosis of adipocytes (fat cells).  Lasers that target fat specifically can do this, but not with radiofrequency which is what fractora uses to produce heat.  I would certainly have your issue evaluated in person by a professional.  I hope this helps.  Kind regards, Dr. Lodha

Great question! Full disclosure I do not have both devices, but as a newer practice I wouldn't have had the opportunity to obtain a coolsculpt machine and then purchase a sculpsure device now, and so I made the decision coolsculpt vs. sculpsure, just like a patient would today.  The cost for the sculpsure machine was far greater than the coolsculpt machine, so I don't know where the idea that coolsculpt machines are costlier.  Because Coolsculpt has been around a long time, they are offering those machines at a discount because technology has improved and evolved.  Sculpsure offers the same results in their clinical studies (~22% reduction in fat that is permanent) as Coolsculpting.  The major difference is time, pain, bruising and side effects.  With Coolsculpting, each treatment area takes 1 hour.  For a typical abdominal treatment for example it would be 2-3 of these areas depending on the patient which would take 2-3 hours.  With Sculpsure, each treatment site takes 25 minutes.  So it's about half the amount of time for patients (so 1-1.5 hours in comparison, and sometimes even 25 minutes, as the heat spreads to the surrounding skin allowing for larger treatment areas).  In terms of pain, with cool sculpting there can be significant neurpathic pain that develops afterward. This pain can be severe and last many weeks and require prescription medications.  This does not happen with Sculpsure, there are no nerves to "wake up" as nerves are not effected by the laser.  Nerves are affected by the cold of the Coolsculpting device.  With Coolsculpting there is bruising afterward which can last 1-2 weeks.  With Sculpsure, this is not the case; there is no bruising because there is no damage to the superficial skin.  Also there is another point I forgot to mention.  With Sculpsure, the device can target areas with very little fat as the device is put on top of the skin.  With Coolsculpting, the area has to have enough fat to be suctioned out with a device so that the machine may cool that area (thus requires areas with a little more fat).  This is not necessary with Sculpsure.  In terms of side effects, which is the last point here I know I'm rambling on and on, but with Coolsculpting there is a rare possibility of a "shark-bite" deformity.  This can cause permanent damage to the skin.  This occurs infrequently, but happens to some patients who do not respond well the sucking out of your skin, or for patients whom that process was done incorrectly.  This does not happen with Sculpsure.  Both devices are fantastic, but I would certainly give the edge to Sculpsure.  I hope this helps!  Take care. 

Hi Ladybyyrd, Sculpsure results generally start to show in 4-6 weeks.  However, the full effects can be seen at 3 months.  The laser permanently destroys fat in a given area, but that does not mean fat will never return there, more that the body is more evenly proportioned with fat cells.  You are only born with a certain number of fat cells.  If you eat more, fat cells enlarge, but they do not increase in number, like other cells in the body.  Fat is not evenly distributed in the body and that is why when we eat more, or exercise less, certain areas of our body seem to get larger than others.  This is also why certain areas of our body are very hard to rid of fat, as these areas have a greater proportion of fat cells (adipocytes).  This is where Sculpsure works best, to help with problem areas and to permanently make them less of a problem.  I hope this helps!