Is Coolsculping Better Than Liposuction?

Posted on: 6 March 2018

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When it comes to getting rid of unwanted fat, you have many options available. While liposuction is often the first procedure people turn to, coolsculpting is also an excellent way of removing excess fat from troubling areas. If you have the choice between the two, it can be challenging determining which one is best. Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself to help you decide whether coolsculpting or liposuction will better serve your needs.

How Much Fat Do You Want Removed?

Neither coolscupting or liposuction should be used as a weight loss method. These procedures are strictly for spot treating areas where you can't seem to trim down. However, while they both remove fat from the body, they do so to different degrees and in different ways.

Coolsculpting will remove 20 to 25 percent of the fat during a single treatment, which means you'll need several treatments to achieve the results you want. The exact number depends on your goals and specific health profile. On the other hand, liposuction can remove up to 11 pounds and sometimes more in one session, so you generally will only need one treatment to get the body part looking the way you want. Both procedures can treat multiple areas at the same time.

It should be noted, though, that liposuction is a surgical procedure, while coolsculpting is not. This means your risk of complications and adverse side effects is much higher with liposuction than it is with coolsculpting; this is something that needs to be take into consideration, especially if you have a health condition that makes surgery riskier for you (e.g. diabetes, heart disease).

Additionally, there is no recovery time for coolsculpting, whereas you won't be able to return to work for a couple of days after liposuction, and it may be up to two weeks before you can resume your normal activities.

What's Your Budget?

The exact cost of coolsculpting and liposuction varies depending on the areas you want to treat, where you live, and the doctor you choose. In general, though, coolsculpting is cheaper than liposuction. That's because—as noted earlier—liposuction is a surgical procedure, so you must factor in the cost of anesthesia and other equipment needed to complete the procedure.

Coolsculpting costs anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000, while liposuction costs an average of $3,200. Neither procedures are covered by health insurance, so you would have to pay out of pocket for them; however, many cosmetic doctors do offer payment plans that can make the cost of either procedure more affordable.

To learn more about freezing away fat or to make an appointment for a consultation, contact a local cosmetic doctor.