If you’re dealing with stubborn fat pockets that just won’t go away, despite a healthy diet and regular exercise, you may be considering an alternative method. Men and women both get frustrated after doing everything they know to do and yet still see unwanted fat in the form of double chins, love handles, saddle bags and muffin tops.
Fortunately, there are some available methods designed to help you get rid of stubborn, unwanted fat. Two of the most popular today are liposuction and fat freezing, which goes under the trade name Coolsculpting®.
Liposuction
Liposuction has been around the longest, treats a variety of body areas and is considered a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Liposuction can be done under local or general anesthesia, depending on how many areas are to be treated and other factors, discussed and agreed upon by Dr. Vu and the patient.
After making a small incision in the area to be treated, Dr. Vu uses a thin cannula to literally suction the fat cells out of the body. Once they’re gone, they won’t return. However, it’s important to note, fat cells still remain in the body in other areas and if the patient gains weight, those cells are still able to enlarge and you could gain weight.
Advantages of Liposuction
Liposuction still remains a highly popular, very much in demand cosmetic procedure in the US, and there are several advantages liposuction has over Coolsculpting®, including:
- More precise, allowing for better shaping and contouring
- Immediate, visible results
- Other needed surgical procedures can be performed at the same time
- 80% fat reduction in area treated
Disadvantages of Liposuction
On the other side of the coin, every procedure also has disadvantages. There are a few you need to consider if you’re looking at liposuction as an option for getting rid of unwanted fat. These include:
- It is a surgical procedure and as with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved
- Some amount of downtime is required
- Activity is restricted during recovery for three to six weeks
Fat Freezing (Coolsculpting®)
Fat freezing is done by cooling a particular area of excess fat to between 30°-40° and maintaining that temperature for about 35 minutes. The only FDA-approved method of fat freezing today is Coolsculpting®.
Coolsculpting® freezes the fat cells in areas such as the stomach, inner and outer thighs, love handles and double chins. Freezing causes the fat cells to die. They’re then processed naturally by the body and are eliminated in the same manner the body applies to all dead cells.
Advantages of Coolsculpting®
Coolsculpting® didn’t reach the top of the list for growth in medical devices without some significant advantages of its own. Some of the more popular ones include:
- It’s non-invasive
- Little to no down time is necessary
- Fewer risks than surgery
- Less expensive than surgery
Disadvantages of Coolsculpting®
As you’ve seen, every procedure has its good points as well as its not-so-good ones. Coolsculpting® is no different, and there are a few disadvantages to this treatment as well, including:
- Results may be less dramatic when compared to liposuction.
- Results may take a few weeks to become noticeable, with full results not visible for up to three months.
- Multiple treatments may be needed to meet your goal.
Final Thoughts
Neither one of the treatments mentioned here for getting rid of fat cells should be thought of as replacing a natural weight loss regimen, nor are they intended to treat obesity. For best results, ideal candidates for either procedure should be relatively close to their goal weight, and are best used by patients who are trying to shape and define areas of stubborn, unwanted and unresponsive fat.
