What is Vanquish ME and Coolsculpt? Many of you have probably heard of Vanquish Me and Coolsculpt – two of the recent popular non-surgical fat reduction treatment.
They are often used as an alternative to liposuction or tummy tuck surgery.
Both treatments are US FDA-approved, and work by breaking down fat cells in specific areas such as the abdomen, love handles, and thighs.
The fats are then passed from the body via the lymphatic system. The treatments are non-invasive and have little to no downtime, unlike liposuction or tummy tuck surgery.
Vanquish ME uses radiofrequency waves to heat and destroy fat cells.
Coolsculpt, or fat-freezing, uses controlled cooling to kill fat cells without destroying surrounding tissue.
How are these treatments similar?
1. Area of treatment
Vanquish ME covers a large area for circumferential fat loss – it has the largest treatment field among the many body sculpting devices on the market.
The entire abdomen and flank can be treated in one session! Vanquish ME can also be done for the thighs.
Coolsculpt covers a small area at a time, as the contact surface is smaller. Hence it will take a longer time to treat a larger area.
Coolsculpt is more suitable for people who want to target specific pockets of fat. Vanquish ME is more suitable for people who wants overall circumferential fat reduction.
2. Long term results
Vanquish ME has been shown to have long-lasting results, even up to 4 years after treatment!
One follow up study 4 years after treatment found that patients still maintained an average of 75% of their original reduction in waist circumference.
It can be concluded that Vanquish ME kills fat cells, rather than just reducing the size of fat cells which can lead to fat being reaccumulated.
3. Skin tightening benefits
The radiofrequency waves of Vanquish ME also stimulate collagen regeneration and skin tightening at the same time.
Coolsculpt does not have the skin-tightening benefit, therefore just removing fat by freezing may lead to more obvious loose skin.
4. Side effects
As Coolsculpt covers a small area at a time, lumpiness and demarcations between the treated and untreated areas can happen. This does not occur with Vanquish ME due to the large treatment field which ensures even treatment.
Some patients find Coolsculpt uncomfortable. There is also a risk of numbness, pain, bruising, and paradoxical enlargement of fat cells.
On the other hand, Vanquish ME is generally well-tolerated, and most patients report it as a warm heating sensation. The treatment panel does not contact your skin. Mild redness can happen after the treatment and it will usually subside after a couple of hours.
In summary, Vanquish ME is preferred for those who have a larger target area for fat loss, and for more even body sculpting. Coolsculpt can be added on to target more specific areas.
For more information and assessment on our weight loss and body sculpting programs, make a consultation with our doctors today.
References:
Fritz, K., Salavastru, C. (2017). Long‐term follow‐up on patients treated for abdominal fat using a selective contactless radiofrequency device. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 16(4), 471-5. DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.12429
Bernstein, E.F. (2016). Long‐term efficacy follow‐up on two cryolipolysis case studies: 6 and 9 years post‐treatment. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 15(4), 561-4. DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.12238
Kelly, M.E., Rodríguez-Feliz, J., Torres, C., Kelly, E. (2018). Treatment of Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia following Cryolipolysis. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 142 (1): 17e DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004523
