Thursday 13 June 2013

Is CoolSculpting an alternative to VASER Lipo?

Coolsculpting by Zeltiq, is a relatively new treatment where it is possible to reduce fat in localised areas by 25-40% according to clinical research. This is done without any surgery or any incisions, but simply by freezing the fat cells via a vaccum cup. The Coolsculpt system has gained popularity world wide and has been widely accepted by clinicians due to the good research and results achieved. But is it better than VASER Liposuction?

What is Coolsculpting?


Top dermatologist Dr Rox Anderson from the USA conducted a clinical study on the effects of Coolsculpting on fat cells and identified that up to 40% of fat cells which were frozen would die and would eventually disappear from the patient after about 3 months. This ground breaking study paved the way forward for cryolipolysis (fat freezing).

Coolsculpting works by applying a vaccuum cup to the fatty area (eg stomach, love handles, inner thighs) and then gently freezing the fat. This process is initially mildly uncomfortable due to the suction. Then once the tissue is frozen, the area goes numb. About 60-70 mins are needed to have an adeuqate effect. Then the cup is released and the frozen tissue is massaged til flat. This can be a bit sore for some people, but it only lasts a few minutes.




Over the next few weeks, you may experience numbness over the treated area or some mild discomfort. Occasionally there is some minor bruising, like a big love bite!
Results tend to start to show at about 4-6 weeks with end results at 3-6 months. Naturally it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle for best results and often. Often, combining fat freezing with radiofrequency treatments or Ultrasound and lymphatic massages helps gets even better results.

What is CoolTech?


CoolSculpt is a first generation system for fat freezing, and like most other first generation systems, is quickly superceded by later generations with modifications which improve the whole system. One of the biggest limitations of CoolSculpt is that it only has 1 cup and so can only treat 1 area per hour. This makes it very time consuming and also costly for patients. Another limitation of Coolsculpt is that the cup size and shape lends itself to creating pockets of fat removal with sharp borders, so that it is possible to see possible indentations after coolsculpting.
4 weeks after 1 Cooltech treatment

4 weeks after 1 Cooltech treatment
Cooltech is a second generation cryolipolysis system which offers significant advantages over its predecessor Coolsculpt. First of all it has TWO cups instead of one, allowing two areas to be treated at the same time, saving the patient a significant amount of money and time. When typical prices per cup with Coolsculpt are £800, you can see how much money can be saved with Cooltech where prices are typically £800 for up to 2 cups!

Secondly, the shape of the Cooltech cup is more graduated, and this allows better blending with the untreated tissues, and therefore giving more natural looking results with no obvious indentation as is possible with the Coolsculpt.

How does Coolsculpting compare with VASER Lipo?


I think Coolsculpting can be as good as a very mildly performed VASER Lipo, but not as good as total body contouring with VASER Lipo. It also depends on the area treated. Lower abdomens probably respond best. But I think if you are considering a totally new torso / waistline speak to your surgeon about the possible results with either system. You may be surprised!