CoolSculpting vs SculpSure vs liposuction?

Question

They told me that liposuction gives the most dramatic results vs cool sculpting vs sculpsure, but after my lipo I would not be able to walk on the beach where a tank top t shirt? You guys also told me with sculpture the fat reduction can be close to 25% less after the procedure, but you have to wait up to three months for results? Can one liposuction procedure give better results than having two sculptsure or two cool sculpting back to back after waiting three months after the first procedure?

Kimberly Butterwick, MD · Answer

SculpSure and CoolSculpting are both noninvasive methods of body contouring. SculpSure uses laser energy to heat and melt the fat cells, while CoolSculpting freezes the cells so the body can eliminate them. Because fat freezes at a higher temperature than other cells of the body, the fat can be destroyed without affecting surrounding skin and tissue. Because SculpSure uses heat, patients often find the procedure to be more uncomfortable than CoolSculpting. Both of these treatments eliminate about 25% of the fat in a single treatment area. When you have a second round of treatments in the same area, the percent of fat loss is less than 25%, so it may take many treatments to remove the same amount as liposuction.

Liposculpture is another possible option for you. This procedure uses micro-cannulas to remove the fat with the precision necessary to achieve some very nice sculpting. Incisions used to insert the cannulas are too small to leave much, if any, visible scarring behind. Because trauma to surrounding tissue is minimal, downtime is usually just a few days. The procedure is also done with local anesthetic, greatly reducing the risks associated with more extensive treatments. With one procedure, we aim to reduce fat by 75-80% in general. It’s best to leave a thin blanket of fat in most cases for the smoothest results.

I recommend scheduling a consultation with an experienced, board-certified physician who can examine you in person and have a detailed discussion about your concerns and goals. With a customized treatment plan that targets your needs, you should be able to realize your goals.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Thank you
for your question. Yes, it takes a few weeks to see the results with CoolSculpting. I would recommend seeing a board certified plastic surgeon
for a consultation. This way, you can explain your concerns and find an option
that fits you best.  An in-person
assessment is always best.

Regards,

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I suggest a hi definition procedure to get the best in body shaping and contouring.  If you want a small improvement non invasive options are great but they will not do full body shaping.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

The answer to your question would require a detailed discussion of your goals as well as an in-person evaluation of your areas of concern. Liposuction will allow the greatest fat reduction in one setting. However, it does come with risks, and downtime. It can take up to 6 months before you start realizing optimal results. The benefit of CoolSculpting and SculpSure is that they are totally non-invasive and without downtime. However, as you mentioned, you will only get about a 20-25% reduction with just one treatment. Hope this helps.

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear Ms Walker;This is a very good question with a complex answer. If your goal is to have results in one treatment,  you have a large volume of fat to be removed, and you don't mind having downtime, aftercare, the possibility of ridging, and risks of surgery and anesthesia, liposuction is for you. With regard to the two noninvasive options that provide permanent removal of fat, 24 to 28% of the fat in the treated area will be removed in a single treatment. If you have multiple areas that need to be treated you will need to have more than one treatment either on the same day are on different days. You are unlikely to have downtime. Unless you have a very large volume of fat in multiple areas to be reduced, the noninvasive options are less expensive than liposuction. If these factors appeal to you, then one of the noninvasive options is for you. Of these, CoolSculpting is still the gold standard, for several reasons. Firstly, it's been around since 2009,  and the efficacy and side effects are well understood. Secondly for most people it is not uncomfortable to have the procedure performed, whereas in my experience some patients relate that SculpSure is either painful or in some cases intolerable. Thirdly, and this is not a major difference, although each SculpSure treatment takes only 25 minutes to be completed, the treated area itself is about the size of a pack of cards, and it takes more than eight of these SculpSure areas to add up to the size of the area treated with one collSculpting CoolSmooth applicator, and more than 10 of these SculpSure areas to add up to the size of the area treated with one CoolSculpting CoolMax applicator. Since four of these areas can be treated at once, two on each side of the body, you would need more than two SculpSure cycles of four treatment areas each to equal one treatment with a CoolSmooth applicator, and three cycles of SculpSure to treat more than the area treated by one CoolMax applicator. Also, although there is not a great difference in efficacy, studies with SculpSure have reported up to 24% fat reduction, whereas with a post-treatment massage, CoolSculpting delivers a 28% reduction of fat in the treated area.SculpSure could be preferable if one has a cold-induced disorder such as circulating cold agglutinins due to chronic active hepatitis, or possibly a history of Raynaud's disease or chilblains. I hope this information is helpful to you. All the best, Dr. Clark

CoolSculpting vs SculpSure vs liposuction?

Answers (7)