Many people have areas of stubborn fat on their bodies that no amount of exercise or dieting seems to remove.
Liposuction and CoolSculpting are some of the most popular cosmetic procedures for people looking to reduce fat in specific areas and enhance body contouring. These treatments provide a faster way to achieve a firmer appearance.
However, while many people tend to group CoolSculpting and liposuction into one category, these treatments are not the same. While CoolSculpting shrinks fat cells in select areas, liposuction removes them completely.
CoolSculpting is often an initial preference, as it’s noninvasive and requires virtually no downtime. While many patients have seen success with the treatment, others have spent thousands of dollars before realizing their desired results were best achieved with liposuction.
Learn more about liposuction, realistic results to expect from liposuction, good candidates for liposuction, the differences between CoolSculpting and liposuction, and more.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a surgical procedure used to remove fat from localized areas. Also known as lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, liposuction works to improve body shape by extracting paunchy areas of fat. It is not a weight-loss solution or obesity treatment.
What Areas Does Liposuction Treat?
Liposuction is commonly used to remove fat deposits in the following areas:
- abdomen
- back
- buttocks
- cheeks
- chest
- flanks (“love handles”)
- hips
- inner knees
- inner thighs
- neck
- outer thighs
- under the chin
- upper arms
- waist
How Does Liposuction Work?
Liposuction is generally performed in five steps:
- Medication: the patient is put under local anesthesia with or without sedation, or general anesthesia
- Incisions: the surgeon makes tiny incisions, often only a few millimeters in size, near the treatment area.
- Insertion: the surgeon inserts a thin, hollow tube, called a cannula, under the skin.
- Suction: the cannula is attached to a vacuum-like apparatus which creates suction. The suction is used to loosen and remove fat from the body.
- Closure: the surgeon may use traditional stitches or dissolvable stitches, or surgical glue or strips to close the incision, or they may not use anything. The closure used depends on the surgeon’s preference.
How Long Does it Take to See Results with Liposuction?
Immediate results are achievable with liposuction because fat is physically removed from the body. Results become more pronounced as swelling decreases during the healing process and over the next few weeks and months.
How Noticeable Are Liposuction Results?
Results from liposuction are generally quite noticeable. However, the extent of the results depends on the amount of fat removed from the patient and their skin elasticity.
What is the Recovery Process for Liposuction?
Recovery from liposuction can take up to six months or more, depending on the areas treated, the patient, and other key details.
The few days are the most intensive recovery-wise. However, patients may return to desk work within three to seven days post-op. Light activity may begin around the three- to five-week mark. By six months, swelling may largely subside, revealing final results.
Note: this is a general timeline. Actual timelines are determined on a patient-by-patient basis.
During recovery, patients are required to wear compression garments. After liposuction, compression garments help reduce swelling and aid in skin shrinkage. Patients may also wear absorbent pads underneath their clothing to absorb any fluid draining from incision sites.
Who is a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
Adults who are in good shape, live a generally healthy lifestyle, and maintain a consistent weight may be good candidates for liposuction.
Good candidates for liposuction typically meet the following criteria:
- close to ideal body weight, typically within 30% of one’s ideal body weight, with a BMI under 30
- localized pockets of fat that remain despite diet and exercise
- moderate skin elasticity, ensuring that skin will shrink over targeted areas after surgery
- maintain a healthy weight with little fluctuation
- non-smoker, as smoking raises the risk of infection
Liposuction candidates should have realistic expectations from the procedure. Liposuction is not a rapid weight-loss solution but is intended to reduce localized fat in specific areas.
Who is Not a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
Some patients are not ideal candidates for liposuction, or may consider other procedures to meet their expectations.
Those who meet the following criteria are generally not the right candidates for liposuction:
- people looking to lose large amounts of weight: liposuction is not a weight loss or obesity treatment; it is only intended to remove pockets of fat
- people with severe loose skin: liposuction may worsen skin sagging around target areas
- people with medical issues: liposuction is generally not recommended for people with serious medical issues or chronic conditions, which can increase risk of infection or complicate healing
- people who are pregnant or breastfeeding: treatment may be considered after recovering from birth or after nursing
People who are considering getting pregnant or actively trying to become pregnant are encouraged to wait until after their childbearing phase. Normal weight changes in pregnancy and afterward can undue the work of liposuction.
When to Consider Liposuction over CoolSculpting?
People expecting more dramatic results and fat removal should consider liposuction over CoolSculpting. Liposuction is for people with higher concentrations of fat in localized areas.
While CoolSculpting is nonsurgical with virtually no recovery time, results are subtle and may take a few months to notice.
Liposuction is surgical and involves recovery, but results are immediate and become more pronounced with decreased swelling.
What’s Cheaper: CoolSculpting or Liposuction?
It’s difficult to determine the more cost-effective treatment without knowing the selected area(s) and proposed treatment plan.
Liposuction costs cover a wider range of factors, including the initial consultation, medical tests, surgeon, anesthesia, surgical facility fees, follow-up visits, compression garments, and prescription medications.
Pricing for CoolSculpting is determined by session and treatment area(s). Some patients require more or fewer treatments than others.
Comparing the total proposed cost of liposuction with the complete number of recommended CoolSculpting treatments, will provide the most realistic cost comparison.
How to Decide if Liposuction is for You
If you’re thinking about liposuction as a way to achieve the look you want, book a consultation at Bend Plastic Surgery.
A qualified and experienced member of the team will meet with you to learn about your goals, discuss realistic treatment expectations, and assess your desired treatment areas to propose a comprehensive plan for you.
Our team can also answer any questions you may have about whether liposuction is suited for your goals and expectations.