When you make the best possible food choices and you exercise several days a week, you have the right to expect a certain physique. To do cleanses and detoxes, restrictive dieting, and burpees (perhaps the worst of them all!) and not see the sculpted abs or thighs you have envisioned is incredibly frustrating. This is precisely why so many fit people consider body contouring procedures like liposuction and CoolSculpting.

Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that has been popular for many years. CoolSculpting is relatively new but has become exceedingly popular due to its nonsurgical, noninvasive nature. To be clear, our office near San Jose offers liposuction for fat reduction and body contouring. Here, we discuss these two contouring techniques to explain why.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is the first FDA-approved device developed to destroy fat cells by freezing them. A treatment session consists of holding a small area of fat between cooling panels. The device claims to reduce fat in the treatment area by up to 24%. What isn’t made clear until the time of treatment is that the piece of tissue treated in one session is about the size of a stick of butter. In this context, a 24% reduction doesn’t seem like a lot. On the up-side, CoolSculpting doesn’t require any downtime, though patients do describe extended numbness and tingling that can last several weeks. Results develop gradually, peaking at about 12-weeks post-treatment.

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed today. The procedure is performed with either general anesthesia or with a local anesthetic and sedation. Patients go home shortly after their procedure. To reduce fat in a given area, liposuction utilizes one of various techniques, such as tumescent fluid and laser or ultrasound, to break up fat cells. A hollow tube about the size of a knitting needle is inserted through a small incision. The tube is progressed to the layer of subcutaneous fat, where it removes channels of fat cells. The tissue around the created channels then smooths to create a uniform result. Liposuction can treat areas as small as the chin or the arms or as large as the thighs or abdomen without the need for multiple sessions. Results are noticeable after a few weeks and continue to improve as swelling subsides.

Certainly, there are benefits to nonsurgical treatments. Making the decision between liposuction and nonsurgical body contouring is very personal. Patients who know the potential and limitations of available procedures are equipped to make the most empowering decision.

To learn more about our liposuction services, call (408) 559-4700.