During the past 5 years, we’ve seen quite a few new technologies for non-invasive fat reduction, including Exilis, Liposonix, Zerona, CoolSculpting, and now, SculpSure. CoolSculpting has been the industry favorite for the past few years. SculpSure is a little different than CoolSculpting, and they both have advantages and drawbacks, so which is better? Find out in this head-to-head face-off of CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure:
CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure: Safety
Great results shouldn’t come at the cost of safety. Both SculpSure and CoolSculpting have been shown to be extremely safe, and have been approved by the FDA for their safety and efficacy.
Winner: Tie
CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure: Results
CoolSculpting is FDA-Approved to remove up to 22% of fat in the treatment area, over a period of a few weeks to a few months, following a single treatment2,3*. SculpSure is FDA-Cleared to remove up to 24% of fat in the treatment area, over a period of a few weeks to a few months, following a single treatment1*. However, both procedures’ results vary from person to person, and a 2% change is by no means visible to the human eye. So don’t make these numbers your deciding factor.
CoolSculpting has come out with even more handpieces throughout the last year, allowing for smaller treatment areas making it more competitive with SculpSure in both time and versatility.
Winner: More or Less a Tie
CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure: Comfort
SculpSure is a very comfortable procedure, and doesn’t require numbing. That’s because of the precision a laser allows. Just like the lasers in laser hair removal target the hair follicle without damaging the surrounding skin, the SculpSure laser targets only the fat cells, and protects the skin from any ambient heating with a smart cooling cycle. There is also an ability with SculpSure, to adjust the treatment to the individual patient’s comfort level. If a certain area feels too warm, that particular laser panel can be turned down, to achieve a comfortable treatment. CoolSculpting works by damaging the fat cells with cold, using a suction-based handpiece. Just as you might experience numbing with icing after an injury, some patients experience numbing during the procedure, and immediately following the procedure. Occasionally, patients report this numbness as discomfort. With the new CoolSculpting CoolAdvantage system, treatments are more comfortable, with fewer reports of tingling or long-lasting numbness.
Winner: More or Less a Tie
CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure: Affordability
For our practice, the difference in cost between the two procedures is generally very small. We’re happy to quote your specific procedure costs during your complimentary consultation. For example, say you want to target your love handles, and they’re medium-sized (about the size of 2 iphone 5’s). For SculpSure, you’ll likely need 4 panels, with 2 positioned on each side, for a single 25-minute treatment. That would cost $1500. For CoolSculpting, you would need 2 small handpieces, run for an hour each (1 per side of the body), at $750 a handpiece, which totals $1500.
CoolSculpting uses a treatment handpiece that allows 1 area to be treated at a time. Each treatment cycle is 35-60 minutes, depending on the handpiece style used (which is determined by the area treated and your individual anatomy). With the newer handpieces, Coolsculpting is now boasting a shorter time of 35 minutes. If your desired treatment area is mirrored on the other side of your body, as with love handles, saddlebags, chin fat and bra fat, then you’ll need 2 treatments. Treatments on different areas can be treated one after another, in the same appointment.
SculpSure uses up to 4 laser treatment panels per 25-minute session. If your desired treatment areas are on opposite side of your body but are small enough in the total area to be covered by 2 treatment panels, then you can treat those 2 areas simultaneously. You can treat up to 4 different locations, totaling 100 square centimeters in a single SculpSure treatment. If you have two or three larger areas, SculpSure treatment sessions can be run one after another, during the same appointment.
Winner: When the area is small, SculpSure wins. For larger areas, it’s a tie!
CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure: Downtime and Restrictions
With CoolSculpting, patients can expect the treated area to remain numb and red for a few hours after treatment. This may somewhat limit you in your choice of clothing (if you wish to conceal the treatment). Other than that, neither has any downtime or recovery period.
Winner It’s a tie, again!
CoolSculpting vs. SculpSure: Limiting factors and excluded patients
With both technologies, the results are in the fit of the handpiece to your body. CoolSculpting has several different handpieces with unique curves and depths to fit all kinds of body parts, but since the system is rounded, it’s best-suited to rolls of fat. SculpSure’s panels are flat, so they don’t work as well on rolls, but they do work well for people with a thin, even layer of fat, large or small. Our practice offers both of these technologies and makes recommendations for our patients based on a physical exam where we determine which technology will best fit your body.
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So Why Choose One Over the Other?
With both of these technologies, the results are in the fit of the handpiece to your body. CoolSculpting has several different handpieces with unique curves and depths to fit all kinds of body parts, but since the system is rounded, it’s best-suited to rolls of fat. SculpSure’s panels are flat, so they don’t work as well on rolls, but they do work well for people with a thin, even layer of fat. Our practice offers both of these technologies and makes recommendations for our patients based on a physical exam where we determine which technology will best fit your body.