Trusted dermatologists and plastic surgeons based in New York, Los Angeles, and London weigh in on the latest beliefs and the most effective advanced-technology procedures and injectables.
By Sunhee Grinnell
Vanity Fair: CoolSculpting—what are the true pros and cons?
Laura Dyer: CoolSculpting is the first and only F.D.A.-cleared device for the non-surgical, permanent reduction of fat. It uses a patented cooling technology called Cryolipolysis, which causes fat cells to solidify, freeze, and die during the procedure. It safely and consistently removes 20 to 25 percent of a patient’s diet-and-exercise-resistant fat after each treatment, with no needles, no surgery, and no downtime. The true pros are that it works, it’s safe, and it’s consistently effective. There is no downtime. Plus, since the new generation of applicators last year, the treatment time is now only 35 minutes instead of the full 60 minutes. With the newer, gentler-shaped applicator, one can expect much less bruising, swelling, or tenderness after the procedure. Cons, if any, would be that some patients may need more than just one treatment.
V.F.: Any other fat-reducing procedures that you can recommend?
Laura Dyer: There are a number of treatments out there, such as SculpSure, that have recently come out. However, no treatment has been as safe, well-tolerated, and consistently effective as CoolSculpting. With over four million CoolSculpting treatments done globally over the past eight years, there is lots of data and science to back this up. The same is not true for any of the other technologies, and only time and data will tell if they are, in fact, as safe and effective and CoolSculpting.
V.F.: Tell us what’s different between traditional CoolSculpting and CoolPetit Advantage?
Laura Dyer: The CoolPetit Advantage applicator is a new-generation applicator that allows for a shorter treatment time and less side effects, but compared to the CoolAdvantage applicators, the CoolPetit is a bit smaller, allowing us to treat smaller diet-and-exercise-resistant bulges, and it is F.D.A.-cleared to treat arms.
V.F.: Instead of Botox and fillers, what about one’s own fat injections? Too many risks, because, unlike the typical injections, it’s not reversible?
Laura Dyer: There are several disadvantages with fat injections. First of all, when injecting fat, a provider has to overfill to about 100 percent of the desired correction. This is because 50 percent of what is injected will not take and will die. Which 50 percent will die is not always an exact science. It is hard to finesse and treat delicate areas and create good symmetry with fat, knowing you have to overfill and knowing that fat globules are much larger and less precise than a smooth hyaluronic-acid product. Fat injections can be great to create a new body, shape such a Brazilian butt lift, however, aren't always a great option for filling a patient’s face. Unlike Botox and the H.A.-based fillers that have F.D.A. clearance and that we are currently using now, that can last from one to two years depending on the filler. And because these fillers are fully reversible with an antidote called Vitrase, as a provider we have very good control over what we are injecting, and we know what to expect in regards to results, precision, and longevity of the product. With the new fillers on the market, such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella, that last up to two years, 18 months, and 12 months, respectively, there is really no need to undergo the risks, recovery, uncertainty, and downsides of fat injections for treating delicate areas of the face.
Dyer is the Physician Assistant at Dr. Amy Wechsler Dermatology
45 East 85th Street, New York, NY 10028
(212) 396-2500