Getting rid of fat can be challenging, especially when that fat won’t respond to healthy eating or exercise. We like to call that type of stubborn fat “diet and exercise resistant.” Just like the name says, it doesn’t matter how healthy you are or how hard you work on your body goals, this type of fat is always there to greet you in the mirror. The good thing is, there are a ton of different treatments and procedures on the market today. These are broken down into two categories: surgical and noninvasive/nonsurgical. In this article we’re going to compare and contrast two of the most popular methods, CoolSculpting and Smart Lipo. CoolSculpting is nonsurgical and noninvasive. Smart Lipo, which is invasive, also goes by other names, as we’ll delve further into below. We hope that by the end of this article you have a better idea which one will help you achieve your personal body goals.
Basics of CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is an FDA approved, noninvasive, nonsurgical technology that’s used worldwide to get rid of stubborn fat with targeted cooling. The technology was developed by two Harvard University scientists and is reliant on a process called Cryolipolysis. While fat cells are cooled and destroyed during the process, surrounding skin and tissue are spared. The destroyed fat cells are then excreted from the body naturally, over a period of time. Once the cells leave the body they can’t grow back or come back through any other means. In other words, just like with Liposuction, CoolSculpting achieves permanent fat loss. Also, similar to liposuction is the idea that these procedures aren’t ideal for people who need to lose excessive weight. Ideal candidates should be in good overall health and should have pinchable fat that doesn’t respond to diet or exercise
What happens during a CoolSculpting treatment?
Having a CoolSculpting treatment is an excellent step toward achieving body goals. There are a few things you should know about the treatment in general. First of all, the tool used is called an applicator. It gets applied to a targeted zone, where fat is blasted with cool temperatures. You may feel some tugging or numbness as the treatment is being done. You may also feel coldness, specifically at the site being blasted. This is all normal and wears off once the procedure is done. In fact, you can get back to life as normal pretty much right away. Some patients have reported going in for CoolSculpting during lunch and then going back to work in the afternoon. This is in stark contrast to Smart Lipo, which will require more of a time commitment. With CoolSculpting, your fat reduction will take place over a longer period of time than with any surgical procedure. With surgery, the fat is sucked out with a cannula, and your body has to repair from that moving forward – that’s why surgical fat reduction has a long downtime, as it literally sucks fat from the body. CoolSculpting takes a longer time to see results as it relies on the body’s natural lymphatic process.
Basics of Smart Lipo
Smart Lipo goes by a couple other names: Laser Lipo and Laser Liposuction. It also has different spelling variations, including SmartLipo and Smartlipo. It’s different from traditional Liposuction as it relies on laser energy to sculpt the body. The laser emanates rays on a targeted fat zone, like the tummy or buttocks, and then breaks up subcutaneous fat, which is then sucked out through the cannula. So, in other words, Smart Lipo helps make traditional Liposuction better and more effective. Other Liposuction or lipolysis techniques on the market today incorporate radiofrequency energy, ultrasound energy and various types of injections. Of all these, Smart Lipo or laser lipolysis is said to be the most popular with providers and patients. Smart Lipo is considered to be one of the best advances in Liposuction science since traditional Liposuction first debuted in the 1960’s.
What happens during a Smart Lipo treatment?
Because Smart Lipo is a surgical procedure, it requires anesthesia. Patients will undergo localized anesthesia, which numbs the targeted zone so that it hurts less. After that, the laser is taken out and it zaps the fat pockets. The fat then becomes liquified and easier to be sucked out of a cannula. The cannula is also the tool that sucks out fat during a traditional Liposuction procedure. Afterwards, downtime is considered to be much better than with traditional liposuction. Traditional Liposuction can take six weeks to heal the body, Smart Lipo is said to take a few days. That means Smart Lipo is still less convenient than CoolSculpting, however, it is much more convenient than traditional Liposuction.
Am I a Good Candidate for CoolSculpting or Smart Lipo?
If you answer “Yes” to these questions you may be a good candidate for either procedure. Keep in mind, it’s always best to speak directly with a provider to see if your individual situation is ideal.
- Are you in good overall health?
- Are you near your ideal weight?
- Do you have pinchable fat?
- Is your fat resistant to diet and exercise?
If you answer “Yes” to these questions you may NOT be a good candidate for either procedure. Again, the BEST way to assess whether you’re a good candidate or not is to contact a provider.
- Are you pregnant?
- Are you breastfeeding?
- Have you recently had surgery?
- Are you taking anticoagulants?
- Do you have a history of blood clots?
- Do you have a pacemaker or defibrillator?
- Are you extremely overweight? Or do you want to lose an excessive amount of fat?
CoolSculpting vs Smart Lipo: Overall
When deciding on CoolSculpting or Smart Lipo, your personal goals and feelings about surgery are the most important considerations. Ask yourself what your goal is; what the timetable for your goal is; and assess whether or not you want to run the risks of surgery. Ask yourself: Am I ok with healing for the next month? Is healing going to get in the way of something else I need to do? The bottom line is, CoolSculpting and Smart Lipo are both FDA approved as safe and effective ways to treat stubborn fat.
They are both great alternatives to traditional Liposuction, which can take more than a month to heal from. Liposuction is considered the “gold standard” when it comes to fat removal, but if you’re comfortable with waiting a little bit longer to see results, we think CoolSculpting is the better option. CoolSculpting is the #1 body contouring treatment worldwide! It earned this top spot because it’s trusted and effective. It’s also been around longer than any other non invasive fat removal procedure, infact, it changed the game when it comes to nonsurgical fat blasting. Other technologies try to be like CoolSculpting, but the truth is, there’s only one.
Why choose Peakbody CoolSculpting of Westchester?
We believe CoolSculpting is the way to go and that’s because at PeakBody, CoolSculpting is all we do. We believe in the technology we provide because we’ve seen the results first hand – and not only the results of our clients; so many of our technicians and staff members have personally undergone CoolSculpting procedures. We think this fact puts us in a unique position to offer advice and insight on a treatment we know in and out.
For many of our clients, the decision to CoolSculpt is the first decision they make toward a happier, healthier and more productive them. And we hope that you decide to take the CoolSculpting journey with us. At PeakBody, we go beyond being a “good” CoolSculpting center – we are great. We are the best at what we do. Our goal is to give you the body transformation you desire while at the same time pampering you and providing you with an unparalleled experience you’ll always remember.
Call us for a consultation and we’ll walk you through the steps of creating your personalized treatment plan. Every step of the way we’ll treat you with professionalism, care and respect – and we wouldn’t have it any other way. At PeakBody, we transform lives one fat cell at a time.
