Let’s get ready to rid ourselves of those stubborn pockets of fat
that diet and exercise hasn’t been able to eliminate. Your thoughts
may immediately go to liposuction, but liposuction is no longer your only
option. Is it your best option? That depends on the size of the area you
want treated, your budget, and your downtime limitations.
Two of our most popular, FDA-approved solutions for removing unwanted fat and recontouring the body are CoolSculpting and liposuction. While liposuction has been a popular option for nearly three decades, CoolSculpting is a new procedure that has generated a lot of buzz only fairly recently. Both have their advantages and disadvantages relative to the amount of recovery time involved, treatment area, and your budget constraints.
If you’ve only got a small area you want “streamlined,” or you are limited on how much time you can dedicate to your recovery, a non-surgical CoolScuplting procedure may be your best choice. During CoolSculpting, targeted fat is frozen underneath the skin without damaging surrounding tissue. The dead fat cells are simply eliminated by the body over the next several weeks.
Coolsculpting
CoolSculplting is one of the hottest new treatments in plastic surgery for several reasons. If the treatment area is small enough (for example, your belly), it can be treated over your lunch hour and you can go right back to work. It’s a non-invasive procedure, with no incisions or local anesthesia required. This makes CoolSculpting a good option for those who have health issues that preclude anesthesia.
Once the fat cells have been frozen and eliminated by the body, they will not grow back again, and final results will be visible within 4-6 months. And, depending on how dramatic your desired result (which determines the number of treatment sessions necessary), it can be cheaper than liposuction.
Liposuction
Liposuction is likely to be the best option for you if you want a larger area treated or have a more substantial amount of fat to be removed. Or, for example, you’d like to have your belly, lovehandles, back fat and thighs reduced in the same session. Liposuction is also a permanent procedure in that the fat cells, once removed via the procedure, cannot regenerate.
Liposuction is considered an invasive procedure because local anesthesia is required and the doctor must make small incisions in order to place the instruments that suction the fat. You can expect about 3-5 days of downtime and some mild swelling and bruising. The results are visible immediately, but you won’t experience the full impact until after the initial swelling subsides.
Although the cost of CoolSculpting may initially seem lower, liposuction may prove to be the more affordable option because many areas can be targeted during one session. In CoolSculpting, multiple sessions may be necessary to achieve the patient’s desired results. Your plastic surgeon will advise you on the number of treatments he thinks you may need.
Neither CoolSculpting or liposuction is an ideal treatment for cellulite, and neither procedure can tighten excess or loose skin. Additionally, neither procedure is intended as a treatment for obesity. To get the best results, you will want to be somewhat close to your ideal body weight when you have your procedure, and do your best to maintain a stable weight afterward.
If you are interested in learning more about CoolSculpting or liposuction, call Smith Plastic Surgery in Las Vegas at (702) 838-2455 to schedule a personal consultation. We look forward to answering any questions you might have.
