CoolSculpting May Be Better Than Lipo For Treating These Body Areas
The phenomenal popularity of CoolSculpting is well deserved. Coolsculpting is an effective non-surgical treatment that can reduce fat by up to 20%-25% per treatment in the treated areas. While liposuction is the gold standard go-to procedure for fat removal, there are areas of the body that Coolsculpting may sometimes be a better option, depending on the characteristics of the individual patient.
We have previously compared CoolSculpting and liposuction in this previous post. One variable we discussed was expediency of results: liposuction results are immediate, whereas CoolSculpting requires multiple treatment sessions spaced out over months. While the immediate results of liposuction may be desirable, the more gradual fat removal inherent in CoolSculpting does provide the benefit of allowing the skin to adjust. Gradual contouring allows the connective nature of the skin to be maintained, minimizing any potential skin looseness and sagging in the treatment area.
The gradual nature of CoolSculpting may make it a more ideal choice at addressing certain areas of the body that are known to experience skin laxity from liposuction.
Here are the body areas where CoolSculpting oftentimes works better than liposuction:
Banana Roll
CoolSculpting is a great choice for treating excess fat along the anterior of the upper thigh (beneath the buttocks), sometimes referred to as a banana roll. Dramatic removal of fat from the area via liposuction can damage connective tissue, leading to looseness of the skin.
Double Chin (Submental Fullness)
CoolSculpting can be an ideal treatment for fat around the chin, especially for individuals who have a higher volume of fat in the area. The CoolMini, a specialized CoolSculpting applicator, was developed for treating double chins.
Inner Thighs
The inner thighs, specifically the upper inner thigh, is an area that can be prone to skin laxity after being treated with liposuction. We’ve seen patients experience tremendous contouring effects with CoolSculpting in this area. The less aggressive nature of the treatment really allows the skin in the area to remain taught.
Armpit (Axillary Fat)
This area can be difficult to treat with liposuction as patients may find incisions in the axillary folds to be painful during their recovery. This is another area where CoolSculpting really excels. It able to remove moderate amounts of fat from the area without the need for recovery.
Bra Bulge (Back Fat)
Excess back fat (sometimes called bra bulge, bra fat, or bra overhang) is an area of excess body fat in the upper back that becomes accentuated when women wear bras. CoolSculpting is a great option for treating bra bulge since this type of fat is often highly localized and responsive to cryolipolysis.
Gregory A. Nikolaidis, MD is a Board Certified Dermatologist. Dr. Nikolaidis serves as a Botox® Cosmetic Black Diamond Level National Education Faculty Member, and he has additionally trained numerous physicians on Sculptra Aesthetic, Radiesse, Restylane, and other non-invasive procedure techniques. He was among the first cosmetic surgeons in the United States to offer Smartlipo laser body contouring.
Short but very useful information. Thanks!