CoolSculpting vs. Kybella: Which Is the Right Treatment for Your Body?

Introduction

91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and wish there were things they could change, is that you?

Today there are many non-surgical options for an improved appearance. But, with so many options, it can be confusing to decide which one is best for you.

Each procedure provides a little different experience and results, so choosing the right one for you is important.

Let’s dive into the CoolSculpting vs Kybella debate to learn more about each, and which will work better for you.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive body sculpting procedure that freezes unwanted fat from anywhere on your body and even face to achieve amazing body contouring results. It can be beneficial particularly for athletes who can’t get rid of stubborn fat in certain areas by means of exercising.

CoolSculpting is the nickname for a scientific process called cryolipolysis. During this procedure, the fat cells are frozen to death. This leads to an overall fat decrease and a slimming of the particular area.

During this procedure, the technician will use a vacuum-like tool to suction up the excess fatty area. Once that area is in the applicator, it’s then cooled down significantly.

This cooling numbs the area, and the patient should feel no pain. The temperature continues to drop, and the fat cells get so cold that they die. After a period of time, the body will naturally release these dead cells, and the fatty area is decreased.

The extremely cold temperatures don’t have negative side effects on the other surrounding cells. Just the fat cells are targeted.

That combined with the non-invasive nature, there is no downtime after having this procedure done. The patient will be able to return to regular life and activities immediately.

But, the patient can expect the treated area to be red and cold for some time afterward.

This type of treatment is commonly used on larger areas of the body including the abdomen, neck, thighs, chin, flanks, and arms. The time a treatment session takes will depend entirely on the area being treated. Most sessions are around an hour, and most patients need two sessions for desired results.

The results from CoolSculpting aren’t immediate. It can take anywhere between four and six months for those dead fat cells to leave the body. Those cells obviously have to be released before any physical changes can be seen.

CoolSculpting under the chin has been a great option for those who haven’t seen the fat reduction they desire after diet and exercise.

How Does CoolSculpting Work?

CoolSculpting is the only procedure that is currently FDA-approved for non-surgical fat-reduction using a controlled cooling technology called Cryolipolysis. CoolSculpting literally freezes away unwanted fat from problem areas such as love handles and bra bulges.

Fat freezing lets you tone and sculpt your body to achieve amazing body contouring and definition without the need for plastic surgery. CoolSculpting is performed by means of a special device that gently freezes fat cells beneath the skin’s surface. Once the freezing temperature breaks down the fat cells, they are permanently destroyed, and the body will eliminate them by natural excretion methods.

CoolSculpting® is gentle and painless and smoothes away bumps and bulges, while also tightening the skin and improving definition in the area. Learn more about how Coolsculpting works and what to expect from it.

Deciding if CoolSculpting Is Right for You

CoolSculpting might be right for you if no amount of working out is achieving the toning and muscular definition that you desire. CoolSculpting is not a weight loss treatment but a weight reduction treatment, ideal for those who maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle with plenty of exercise.

You should be within 15-25 pounds of your ideal weight. CoolSculpting is especially popular with athletes such as weightlifters who desire excellent definition and muscle tone, and with individuals who want a more streamlined body with a more comfortable and loose fit to their clothing.

What is Kybella?

Kybella goes about this fat reduction in a very different way than CoolSculpting.

During this procedure, the patient is injected with deoxycholic acid that’ll break down the fat cells in the area. This acid is found naturally in the body. The liver produces it in order to aid in the breakdown of fat and removal of cholesterol.

When it’s injected into the desired area it has the same effect. It effectively kills fat cells so the body can remove them naturally.

There is much to learn and understand about to answer how does Kybella work? It has been proven to be a very effective fat reduction technique.

The overall procedure normally takes around 20 minutes for multiple injections in the problem area. The patient will also have between four and six of these sessions to see full results.

These injections have been proven to be effective, but are best when used on smaller fatty areas. The injections aren’t ideal for covering major areas like the stomach or thighs. Although, this doesn’t mean Kybella can’t be used for such areas.

After the treatment session, a patient will experience extreme swelling in the affected area. Many also have bruising as a result of the injections. This swelling can last up to two weeks, if not more.

The swelling can be a hassle to deal with, but sometimes results in tighter skin as it heals itself.

Full results are often not seen for a significant amount of time. Anywhere between two and four weeks before physical changes. But, the results can be dramatic and are generally very long-lasting.

Kybella is a great option to lose those final few stubborn fatty areas. It’s often considered one of the best treatments for a double chin.

CoolSculpting Vs Kybella

These two fat reduction procedures are very different approaches to the same desired result. Both have been seen to be very effective in giving their patients a positive result and a changed physical appearance.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A good comparison of both can help a patient to decide which is the better option for them.

CoolSculpting is on average less expensive than Kybella injection costs. This is often due to how many treatment sessions are needed. But Kybella doesn’t require the large initial investment of equipment for the clinic, so it’s often available in more places.

Kybella is a very effective, non-invasive way to treat smaller fatty areas. There has to be enough extra skin and fat tissue available for the CoolSculpting machine to work.

For those who don’t want as long of a down time, CoolSculpting is the better option. But those who want quicker results may lean toward Kybella. Each of these treatments has significant time periods, so the patient must decide which is more important to them.

Each treatment can be an effective tool for double chin treatment, so the patient will have to look at their specific situation.

Tips to Enhance Your CoolSculpting and Kybella Results

Develop a Plan

Your doctor should help you develop a body contouring plan depending on your individual goals and your current condition. While some patients may achieve desired results after only one CoolSculpting treatment, others may require subsequent treatments.

You may also wish to combine CoolSculpting with another non-invasive treatment to further optimize your results, such as Legacy to provide ultimate skin tightening, or EmSculpt to provide enhanced definition in the torso, such as six-pack abs.

You should also plan to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen after the procedure to ensure that your results remain optimal.

Post-Session Massage

A CoolSculpting session should be immediately followed by a vigorous 2-minute massage. This post-treatment massage is essential to break up the frozen fat cells and ensure optimal elimination. Clinical studies have demonstrated that patients who receive the post-treatment massage obtain superior results versus those who don’t receive the massage.

Wear a Compression Garment

It is beneficial to wear a compression garment to compress the treatment area and encourage its optimal healing, while also helping the body to conform to its new contour. Wearing a compression garment also increases your comfort level during the initial healing period and dramatically reduces swelling following the CoolSculpting treatment.

Drink More Water

Since you will be eliminating your frozen fat cells through your body’s natural elimination system of excretion, increasing your water intake will facilitate this process and optimize your results, also speeding up the process a bit, so you can appreciate your final results sooner.

Exercise

Exercising is the best way to enhance the results of your Coolsculpting and Kybella treatment and ensure that fat won’t come back after CoolSculpting. If you want to maintain your results over time, as well as speeding up the process of elimination right after treatment, you must commit to doing fat-burning exercises regularly.

These three highly-efficient fat burning exercises will enhance the results of your CoolSculpting or Kybella treatment:

Running – Running is a great way to burn fat and build endurance while also improving circulation and stimulating your metabolism so that you burn more with any exercise that you do afterward.

Since running will work up a sweat, it’s a great way to eliminate those frozen fat cells through natural excretion methods.

Jumping Rope – Another popular and efficient cardio exercise that provides you with a full body workout and helps you get rid of extra calories even faster than jogging. It also increases the density of your bones, improves coordination, and reinforces your feet and ankles.

Elliptical Machine – The elliptical machine not only provides excellent cardiovascular benefits but also gives you a full body workout that efficiently burns fat, builds strength and endurance. The elliptical is great for those who want to lose weight or tone the entire body. It is easy to use and provides excellent results. Here is more information about their types and how to choose the best one for your needs.

Keep a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet can also help you get better results from CoolSculpting. By reducing your intake of junk food, high-carb items, and fatty treats, and increasing your intake of natural lean meats, fresh fruits, and lots of vegetables, you’ll not only feel healthier, but you’ll also look better as well, while stimulating the fat elimination following your CoolSculpting treatment.

Even though the fat removed through CoolSculpting is permanently gone from the treatment area, it will not prevent you from gaining fat in other areas, damaging the results of your procedure. Take a look at this nice article with tips on planning a healthy diet.

Z Wave—a Shockwave Therapy Treatment

The Z Wave is another amazing non-surgical procedure that can be used to enhance the effects of CoolSculpting through shockwave therapy. The benefits of manual massage following CoolSculpting treatments have been consistently demonstrated.

CoolSculpting with Z Wave is actually an improvement on the use of manual massage, as the Z Wave device delivers radial pulse therapy that achieves more comprehensive as well as faster results from the CoolSculpting procedure, making it a perfect treatment to combine with CoolSculpting, because it helps to break up frozen fat cells and achieve more uniform results.

The Z Wave also effectively treats cellulite, creating a smoother and more streamlined contour than CoolSculpting alone.

EmSculpt

EmSculpt is a non-invasive treatment that enhances muscle definition and achieves some fat reduction on the abdomen. It uses focused electromagnetic technology to simulate intense muscle contractions that produce an effect similar to doing 20,000 sit-ups in one 30-minute session.

EmSculpt is ideal for individuals who have less than one inch of extra fat around the midsection and good muscle tone. It works all of the abdominal muscles, toning and sculpting the upper and lower abs and obliques, and may burn up to 19% of the fat in the treated area. This resource provides detailed information on how EmSculpt works, its benefits and more.

CoolSculpting actually eliminates more fat cells, but combining it with Coolsculpting can produce much greater fat reduction and more comprehensive results. EmSculpt is usually used to tone and define the abdominal muscles, while CoolSculpting trims down the love handles, flanks and back.

This combination helps to create a totally sculpted waist and midsection. Both treatments can be performed the same day, but they should not be applied to the same areas on the same day. You may choose to combine both treatments into one treatment session.

Conclusion

Both of these procedures can benefit someone who is looking to reduce fat in a specific area. The ideal patient is someone who isn’t obese, but simply has an excess of fat cells under their chin.

These treatment options allow the patient to see the desired results without having to have any surgery or invasive procedures.

In the case of CoolSculpting vs Kybella, it just comes down to specific circumstances, and what’s more important to the individual patient. Each will allow them to reduce their double chin and improve the appearance of that area.

If you’re interested in learning more about different health trends, check out our other articles.

About Jason Spencer

Jason Spencer has a tremendous enthusiasm for all facets of health, fitness and physical performance that stems from an athletic lifestyle from childhood. Jason was fortunate enough to compete in collegiate football and learned to love the challenges that physical activity placed on the body. As Jason progressed through his higher education and became increasingly aware of how science is applied to physical activity and how it reveals the benefits of exercise, he realized very quickly that he wanted to pursue a career that gives him the opportunity to teach others to compete, challenge, and push themselves towards something more valuable to them than anything else; health, fitness and self worth. Being a fitness professional allows Jason to do this for them and he is always incredibly grateful for that. Jason has a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Neuroscience and his acquired knowledge of the nervous system and muscle stimulation techniques has been extremely instrumental towards building a unique ability and feel for training the body for optimal form and function. As a personal trainer he is certified with ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). He's also a strength & conditioning specialist with NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association). He has additional certifications in both kettlebell principles & techniques (Equinox), and Flexibility & Corrective Exercise (Swedish Institute of Health Sciences in NY). Jason has worked as a trainer and conditioning specialist in a variety of fitness facilities over the years such as: LA Fitness in Piscataway, NJ, the YMCA in Metuchen, NJ, and Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York, NY. He also does private in-home sessions all over the Manhattan area.