Difference Between SculpSure® and CoolSculpting®

Plastic surgeon nears you describe the main difference between sculpsure® and coolsculpting®

Fat is stubborn, complicated, and often misunderstood. People have different approaches towards reducing or eliminating the fat, with plastic surgeries being one of the quickest methods to get rid of fat. Liposuction, as we all know is a very popular way of eliminating fat despite experiencing a significant decline since 2000. Yet it remains in the top five cosmetic surgery procedures in the world.

Then came the non-invasive fat reduction procedures, such as CoolSculpting® and SculpSure®. These were designed to provide people who wanted to get rid of the fat with a great alternative and apparently, they succeeded in doing so. Since they are practically the closest things you can get with a fat-removing magic wand, it is not surprising that the American Society Of Plastic Surgeon (ASPS) reported a huge increase in these procedures in the last few years. Both procedures may look similar in the first look, but there is a significant difference between CoolSculpting® and Sculpsure®, which you will find in the sections below.

Here is what it is and what you need to know if you are considering a non-invasive fat reduction procedure.

What is SculpSure®?

SculpSure® is meant to achieve the same thing as CoolSculpting® does, but the approach is totally different. Instead of freezing the fat cells, the treatment involves heating the fall cells to kill them. In SculpSure®, applicators are placed over the area from which the fat cells are to be removed and a laser is used to heat the fat cells to a point of irreversible damage. After the fat cells are damaged, they will be flushed away from the body through the lymphatic system of the body. The effects won’t appear right away, but take as much time as they do in CoolSculpting® treatment.

FDA has approved SculpSure® for treating fat in the stomach area, double chin, thighs, back, and love handles. Most treatments go for about 25 minutes. Dr. Pacheco at Aesthetics Medical Skincare Center offers SculpSure® services for her patients. Inquire for your evaluation today!

What is CoolSculpting®?

CoolSculpting®, which is also known as Cryolipolysis is a procedure in which the fat cells are frozen and then killed. The treatment works when an applicator (think of it as a giant vacuum tube) applies suction to the target area of the body. Once that happens, the applicator carefully applies regulated cooling plates to the target area to reduce the temperature of fat cells where they are irreversibly damaged. The process takes around an hour.

The fat cells will not be able to withstand the deep-freeze damage and thus, succumbing to it. The elimination of fat from the body is going to take some time, but after a few weeks, you will begin to see results, with more conspicuous results coming in the next 2-3 months.

In theory, CoolSculpting® can deal with virtually any unwanted bulge – it is FDA approved for the abdomen, “love handles”, thighs, arms, “bra fat”, back fat, “banana roll” under the butt and “double chin”. However, there is a big warning; you must have “enough fat to make the applicator stick,” In other words, there must be enough fat to tighten for the treatment to work.

Differences Between These Two Treatments

FDA has approved both SculpSure® as well as CoolSculpting® to treat areas where the presence of stubborn fat is there. However, you can interchange the treatments for fat removal, as both processes are different and have varied applications. After reading the below list, you will see why we have decided to offer SculpSure® over CoolSculpting®.

1. Treatment Duration: Where CoolSculpting® sessions go up to 60 minutes or longer, SculpSure® sessions last for about 25-30 minutes and at the end, you can see significant results on the targeted area.
2. Temperature: In CoolSculpting®, the fat cells in the target area are frozen, so the applicators can’t go beyond the target area. Whereas in SculpSure®, fat cells are heated, thus allowing applicators to extend beyond the target area. If you have excess fat in more than one part of your body, then SculpSure® is better for you, as it smoothly transits between different areas.
3. Technology: The technology used in CoolSculpting® is based on ‘Cryolipolysis’, which in simple terms is called ‘targeted cooling’, whereas, in SculpSure®, cutting-edge laser technology is used to heat fat cells, which are then removed from the body naturally. Laser technology has the added advantage of stimulating the production of elastin and collagen, which create natural and smoother skin appearance.
4. Multiple Area Treatment: With CoolSculpting®, only one area can be treated at a time whereas, in SculpSure®, multiple parts of the body can be targeted at once, courtesy of four applicators.
5. Cosmetic Risks: CoolSculpting® can produce a “step deformity”, along the edge of the treatment area, where the applicator ends: the treatment area can sink down a bit relative to the surrounding area. However, the laser from the SculpSure® applicators feathers out a bit along the edge of the applicator, blending into the untreated areas. Therefore, it is less obvious that you’ve undergone medical treatment with the SculpSure® treatment.
6. Post Treatment Effects: Some of the less favorable effects of CoolSculpting® are avoided with SculpSure®. Specifically, pain after the procedure is considerably less with Sculpsure®. Usually, CoolSculpting® patients are advised to take a nerve pain medicine Neurontin and continue for 6-12 weeks after the procedure, to eliminate the nerve pain associated with CoolSculpting®.
7. Results: Both treatments offer results, but it’s the duration and possible pain after treatment of CoolSculpting® that make SculpSure® the preferred treatment method. Along with that, SculpSure® starts showing significant results in one session whereas to see similar effects with CoolSculpting®, you will have to undergo 2-3 sessions. As a result, SculpSure® is more time and cost-efficient. Ask Dr. Pacheco to get started on your SculpSure® treatment today!