Achieving a smoother, sleeker body contour is easier today than ever before, thanks to a wealth of contouring options now available. But with different treatments to choose from, how do you know which procedure is going to give you the best outcome? At Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics, we offer an array of body contouring options to help all our patients achieve their aesthetic goals, including the popular CoolSculpting and the innovative SculpSure. We also have the experience and expertise to help you select the right treatment for you. To help you distinguish between the different procedures, here is a lowdown on the difference between fat freezing vs. fat heating.
More Alike than Different?
While SculpSure and CoolSculpting feature distinct differences, there are also numerous similarities between the two treatments. First, both devices destroy unwanted fat cells by changing their temperature. In the case of CoolSculpting, the fat cells are cooled down to the point of crystallization, while SculpSure heats the cells to liquefy them. In either instance, treated fat cells are eliminated by the regular processes of the body’s lymphatic system, and the natural-looking results appear gradually in the treatment area.
Both of these treatments are non-invasive, which means they do not require anesthesia or incisions. Patients resume their daily routine as soon as their appointment is over. SculpSure and CoolSculpting are designed to eliminate unwanted, isolated areas of fat and are not considered weight loss devices. The procedures are appropriate for nearly any patient, with few contraindications aside from pregnancy to consider.
Keeping Your Cool: The Benefits of CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is a proven method of body contouring through Cryolipolysis, gaining approval from the FDA for this purpose in 2010. Its original approval included treatment of the abdomen, flanks and thighs. More recently, the device was cleared by the FDA to eliminate stubborn submental fat underneath the chin, and is the only noninvasive method of body contouring to receive this clearance.
CoolSculpting works through controlled cooling. Because fat cells freeze at a higher temperature than other cells in the body, targeted cooling is delivered that destroys the fat without damaging surrounding skin and tissue. Suction is integrated into the process to pull the skin into the device so the colder temperatures can be applied evenly to the treatment area. As the “frozen” fat cells are flushed out by the body, the treated area becomes leaner. A single session of CoolSculpting can reduce areas of fat by about 22 percent.
If you select CoolSculpting as your body contouring treatment of choice, you will enjoy the following benefits:
- A session can be completed in half an hour using advanced technology
- Relax, read or answer emails as the comfortable treatment is underway
- Different applicators allow for precise sculpting of a variety of treatment areas
- Results appear gradually in the weeks following the procedure
- Because fat cells are completely eliminated, results are long-lasting
At Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics, we offer multiple applicators to address more than one area at a time, a technique known as DualSculpting. This allows you to achieve your full body contouring results in half the time it would take with just a single applicator option. With proven results and an extended track record of safety, we are confident that our patients that select CoolSculpting for their body contouring will be satisfied with both their treatment experience and their results.
Feel the Heat with SculpSure
Compared to CoolSculpting, SculpSure is a relative newcomer to the body shaping scene, gaining approval from the FDA in 2015 to treat the abdomen and flanks. This device can also be used to sculpt other areas safely, including the thighs and back. As an experienced SculpSure provider, our team at Dermacare can use this device to treat nearly any area that can be addressed using CoolSculpting.
SculpSure’s technology is based on heat, laser heat to be exact. The laser energy is delivered into the treatment area, where it targets the fat cells and liquefies them. Since fat also responds to a lower temperature than other cells in the body, heat can be used to destroy these cells without damaging surrounding skin and tissue. The liquefied fat is eliminated by the body in the weeks following treatment, so you see results develop gradually. In just one session, you can reduce the treatment area by up to 24 percent.
SculpSure offers a variety of benefits to the right patient:
- Comfortable treatment takes just 25 minutes to complete
- Flat applicators work more efficiently in areas with less fat
- Heat can be controlled to ensure a comfortable session without compromising results
- Four applicators can target multiple treatment areas at one time
- Fat is eliminated, providing long-lasting body contouring results
Despite its shorter history, the before and after photos of patients who have undergone SculpSure treatments speak for themselves. This procedure offers dramatic contouring results after just one treatment session, with your full outcome becoming evident within a matter of weeks.
Finding the Right Fit
When it comes to choosing the right procedure for you, fit is indeed an important consideration in terms of fitting the handpieces to the treatment area to produce the most dramatic body contouring. CoolSculpting requires pinchable fat that can be pulled into the device to be effective. Patients that don’t have the necessary bulge may find SculpSure applicators are a more preferable option. At the same time, CoolSculpting offers multiple shapes and sizes in applicators, which may provide the precision some patients require to obtain the best possible results.
Dr. Birchall and our staff at Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics offer both SculpSure and CoolSculpting so we can tailor each body contouring treatment to the unique needs and aesthetic goals of our patients. With extensive experience in both processes, we can also recommend the best treatment for you. To learn more about your choices in body contouring, contact Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics today in Rancho Bernardo at 858-943-2443 or in Carlsbad at 760-472-5088.