Are you looking to target stubborn body fat and sculpt your body without surgery?
When it comes to non-surgical body contouring, two popular options often come up for discussion: fat dissolving injections and fat freezing treatments. While both methods aim to eliminate fat pockets in targeted areas of the body, they differ significantly in their mechanisms, safety, effectiveness, and overall patient experience.
In this blog, we’ll compare fat freezing vs fat dissolving injections, helping you to make a safe and informed choice about non-surgical fat reduction treatments.
Understanding fat dissolving injections and fat freezing
Fat dissolving injections work by breaking down fat cells in targeted areas of the body. Once broken down, the cells are then eliminated by the body permanently, leaving a more sculpted appearance.
Alternatively, fat freezing treatments such as CoolSculpting Elite use a science-backed process called cryolipolysis. This uses controlled cooling to freeze and destroy fat cells without affecting surrounding tissues. The frozen fat cells are then naturally metabolised and removed by the body.
With both treatments, once fat cells are broken down by the body, they’re gone for good. This means results can be permanent, provided you maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
While these treatments sound similar, we ultimately recommend CoolSculpting Elite as a much safer and more effective fat reduction treatment. Let’s look at some of the key differences in the treatments to understand why.
Fat dissolving injections vs CoolSculpting
Invasiveness
Although both treatments are classed as non-surgical, they differ in how intrusive they are. Fat dissolving injections are slightly more invasive, requiring needles to inject the substance into the targeted region.
Alternatively, CoolSculpting is completely non-invasive, using an advanced applicator to deliver fat freezing technology through the surface of the skin. This eliminates many risks associated with needles, such as infections.
Effectiveness
CoolSculpting is hailed as one of the most effective targeted fat loss treatments on the market, with evidence showing it can reduce up to 25% of fat in just one session. It’s highly effective for larger areas and can treat multiple areas at once. The advanced applicator also ensures precise, even contours, offering natural-looking and smooth results.
Fat dissolving injections can be effective in small, localised fat pockets such as under the chin. However, results are usually less predictable and multiple treatments are often needed.
Safety
CoolSculpting is FDA approved (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and boasts a very well-established safety record. What’s more, it has advanced safety technology to minimise any risks to the individual and ensure a safe procedure.
Alternatively, any treatment involving injectables carries more potential risks than a completely non-invasive treatment, including the risk of an infection. Most of the time these risks tend to be low. However, the FDA has warned against using fat dissolving injections that are not FDA approved (spoiler – that’s most of them), because of reports of complications including infections, scarring, skin deformities, and painful knots.
While some fat dissolving injections have been approved for use, the injectables industry is relatively underregulated. This means fat dissolving injections are usually less predictable in terms of safety. For those considering this treatment, it’s important to ask a qualified and highly experienced professional about which treatments are approved and what the best fat dissolving injection is for you.
Treatment areas
CoolSculpting has shown consistent and predictable results in multiple treatment areas, including the stomach, back, arms, love handles, thighs, saddle bags (fat on the outside of the thighs), bra fat, and chin.
On the other hand, fat dissolving injections are usually only effective for small targeted areas and very specific concerns, such as fat under the chin. This makes the injections a less versatile treatment than CoolSculpting.
Suitability
Neither CoolSculpting or fat dissolving injections are able to get rid of large amounts of body fat or are a substitute for healthy weight loss.
Instead, both treatments are best suited to those who are almost at their target image, experiencing specific concerns in areas where fat can typically be hard to lose.
Fat dissolving injections are also not suitable for individuals with certain medical conditions. It’s important to have a consultation with a professional to understand whether you are suitable for a treatment.
Pain, side effects, and recovery time
Some people find fat dissolving injections painful as the procedure requires inserting a long needle into targeted areas. This can cause discomfort for several days following the treatment. Some people also experience short-term swelling, bruising and redness or several days after treatment, but this is only temporary.
CoolSculpting is a lot more comfortable during treatment. Some people report a mild ‘pulling’ sensation, but most clients usually find they can relax during treatment. The side effects are very minimal and most people can get back to everyday life straight after treatment.
Choosing CoolSculpting Elite for your unique goals
When comparing CoolSculpting (fat freezing) vs. fat dissolving injections, the choice becomes clear for people who value safety, comfort, and consistent results. CoolSculpting offers a non-invasive fat reduction solution that avoids the risks of injections, while delivering natural-looking, effective outcomes.
At Health & Aesthetics, we specialise in tailoring CoolSculpting treatments to your personalised goals and use the most advanced CoolSculpting technology available. To learn more about CoolSculpting Elite, get in touch with our expert team today by scheduling a consultation.
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