Body Contouring vs. Liposuction: A Comprehensive Comparison
If you want to ensure that you have a great look, methods such as body contouring or liposuction are very effective and comprehensive. With that in mind, they do very good fat reduction and body sculpting. But if you want to choose between the two, you really need to narrow down the best option to consider here. Naturally, going for non-invasive procedures is always the best approach. Yet there are other things to keep in mind as well, so keep reading to gain a thorough idea.
What is Body Contouring?
Body contouring is a very popular and also non-invasive cosmetic procedure. What it does is it uses unique technologies in an effort to help you contour and shape your body. For example, ultrasonic cavitation, vacuum suction, cool-sculpting, and so on.
The main focus is to target the body fat that resists things like exercise or dieting. On top of that, body contouring is exceptional for a variety of body parts. You can target your back, legs, arms, abdomen, and many other regions. For instance, options such as cryolyposis or CoolSculpting have been proved to be very effective and comprehensive.
Coming back to the question, is it a good idea to perform body contouring or liposuction? Some people choose body contouring mainly because it can help either destroy or remove cells without dealing with surgery. If the fat cells die, they won’t come back. However, remaining fat cells shrink or expand based on the diet. That means even if you go for a body shaping procedure, that’s not perfect. You will still need to exercise and diet.
Different Types of Body Contouring Treatments
What’s interesting about body contouring is that you have a large number of treatments. You can go and choose a variety of solutions based on your requirements, and it will convey a tremendous result if you manage everything adequately.
CoolSculpting or Cryolipolysis
It is a very popular body contouring method. What happens here is you are targeting any problematic body fat by freezing it. With this procedure, there are no needles involved; there’s no post-surgery care or anything. That’s why a lot of people gravitate towards it, because it is very effective, comprehensive, and it can help convey a much better set of results than expected.
Vacuum rollers
They use suction devices as the means to drain adipose tissue. That will help move the fat towards the lymphatic system, to help flush any extra fat out of the system. Some of the fat will be reused by our body, naturally.
EMS microcurrent machines
These use small electrical currents in order to sculpt your body. You choose the target area, and it will allow you to set the desired electrical stimuli intensity. That helps you ensure you focus on a specific area without any error.
Ultrasonic Cavitation
It relies on ultrasounds that target a specific area of your body where you have fat. That means a lot of body fat gets accumulated in a single area. Eventually, the fat bursts and it all gets drained via your lymphatic system.
Laser lipolysis
This is a great option if you want to use laser energy to heat up an area and remove fat cells from there. It can shrink a variety of areas from your body, while still keeping its effectiveness.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a type of surgery that has become very popular since the 1980s. The main focus is to make an incision in the body to remove fat cells via a cannula, a small tube. The great thing is that you can see the difference right after surgery. But the downside is that, yes, this is a surgery, so there is quite the recovery time. With that being said, it’s still very effective and powerful, and you will be able to resume your life.
Do keep in mind that the surgery removes body fat. But that body fat can easily be accumulated back. So, you have to change your diet and establish a workout routine for this to work. There are also inherent risks because it’s invasive and it will put your body through a lot of stress. And there are risks of infections, among other challenges.
Types of Liposuction Techniques
- Tumescent liposuction is the most common; you get injected with a medical solution in the desired areas. That fluid will numb the area after surgery, but it also contracts the blood vessels as well. It’s the lengthiest type of liposuction, but it’s also more affordable when compared to others.
- The super-wet technique is similar, but in this case, you are using less fluid. Usually, you use as much fluid as the body fat amount that you want to remove.
- Ultrasound-assisted liposuction uses various ultrasonic vibrations, so it turns fat cells into liquid. After that, you can vacuum the cells out, which is very effective. On top of that, it’s a good technique if you want to remove fat from fibrous areas.
- Laser liposuction relies on lasers to liquify fat cells. Those will be vacuumed out, or they get drained via small tubs.
Treatment Goals and Results
Each of the two treatments can be extremely effective, although there will always be risks to consider. While body contouring is something that you can recover from right away, that’s not the case with liposuction. Plus, one of them has immediate results, and the other takes quite a bit of time.
Body Contouring
In the case of body contouring, the primary goal would be to reduce body fat in specific areas of your body. You also want to use body contouring as a way to enhance the shape of your body. With that in mind, when you try body contouring, you will have great results. However, the fat reduction is gradual, not immediate. It also takes multiple treatments to help shape your body, and that can prove to be excellent in the long term.
Liposuction
When it comes to liposuction, the primary goal is to remove a lot of body fat right away. It’s not a long-term treatment; instead, it delivers immediate results and very good body sculpting. But that comes with certain challenges. That means the recovery time is quite long, and you can have anesthesia risks, among others. Even if you can go for ultrasound-assisted liposuction, it’s still a treatment that requires a long recovery time.
That being said, some people go for liposuction because it does provide immediate fat removal. Not only that, but you are also getting more dramatic changes too. Consulting with a professional and studying the different options is important, especially if you want to go the surgical fat removal route. That’s why you want to study body sculpting vs liposuction to see which is the better option in your case.
Treatment Process and Duration
Body Contouring
Depending on the body contouring option you choose, you will have a different process. But for the most part, you will be prepared for the session, and then you will have multiple 30-minute to 1-hour sessions. These are great because they will allow you to slowly remove body fat naturally. When it comes to the amount of time it takes for body contouring to deliver results, it’s usually months, anywhere from 3 months to 6 months or more.
Liposuction
During liposuction, you have a cannula inserted under the skin. That breaks the body fat and then the fat gets removed from your body. However there are other methods like radiofrequency treatment or ultrasound liposuction that rely on RF or ultrasounds to assist the fat removal process. Regarding the liposuction duration, it can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. It depends on the complexity of the situation, where the body fat is situated, and how much fat needs to be removed.
Safety and Risks
Body Contouring
In general, body contouring is a safe procedure. It’s non-invasive, which makes it much better when compared to other options. That means a very short recovery time; some methods don’t even need recovery. When it comes to risks, you can experience some here and there. But they are not very problematic. Known risks include bruising, swelling, scars, nausea, tenderness, and similar issues. As you can see, they are rather simple to deal with and tend to fade away with time.
Liposuction
Liposuction is not as safe because you can deal with side effects like anesthesia risks, fluid accumulation, along potential infections. Also, liposuction can bring in risks like scarring, allergic reactions, skin dents, thermal burns, bleeding, hyperpigmentation, and many others. That’s why you want to talk with a professional when you choose body sculpting or liposuction. In some cases, using a body contouring machine is the better option.
Recovery and Downtime
Body Contouring
In the case of body contouring, the downtime is very low, usually a few hours or up to a day. Some of the most common recovery guidelines include avoiding any lifting, straining, or bending. You also walk as soon as possible, drink plenty of fluid, and ensure you stick to your doctor's recommended regimen. Detoxing your body, gently massaging the treatment area, and wearing comfortable clothing will be great. Remember to avoid alcohol consumption after body contouring treatments.
Liposuction
Liposuction can take weeks to recover from. That’s why the aftercare guidelines are a bit more complex. In this case, you want to have a healthy diet, use a compression garment and also stay hydrated. You also want to avoid baths, along with smoking or drinking. Strenuous exercises are also not allowed. You need to focus on light cardio, brief walks, and moving in general; it’s very helpful.
Body Contouring Vs. Liposuction: Ideal Candidates
Ideal candidates for Body Contouring
The ideal candidate for body contouring is a person without a medical condition who wants to have a healthy lifestyle. You should also have stabilized weight loss. That means you shouldn’t have a massive amount of body fat to begin with, and you also need to stay committed to a long-term treatment.
Ideal candidates for Liposuction
Liposuction is good for those people who have a lot of body fat and who want to get rid of it right now. Also, it can be an option if your body is not responding to regular dieting or exercising. Although, you should try non-invasive procedures like body contouring first before you go to surgery.
Final Thoughts: Which Is Right for You?
It always depends on your expectations and requirements. Talking to a medical professional is always preferred because they can guide you towards a personalized treatment. In general, body contouring is the better option mainly because it’s non-invasive. Yes, it’s a long-term treatment, but it’s proven to work very well. If you have a lot of body fat and don’t mind going through surgery and a long recovery process, liposuction might also be an idea. But for the most part, body contouring is the preferred option, and it involves way less risks!
