When diet and exercise just aren’t working to get rid of those stubborn fatty areas on the body, millions of men and women seek out alternative and cosmetic treatments. These treatments don’t have to involve surgery.

Two of these trending and popular procedures are Zerona and CoolSculpting, both non-invasive body contouring treatments, where Zerona has no downtime and no side effects. If you’re looking for help with stubborn body fat, and considering the pros and cons of laser fat loss cosmetic treatments, one these two innovative procedures could be right for you.

The Basics About Zerona

Developed by Erchonia, the Zerona Z6 procedure is a body fat loss treatment that can be used for body contouring and targeting specific areas of the body to remove stubborn body fat deposits. This safe treatment technology has been clinically tested and is FDA Market-Cleared to treat the overall body. Zerona is a non-invasive alternative to liposuction and other surgical fat-loss procedures and requires no downtime or side effects.

Zerona works by using a low-level laser technology (LLLT) or “cold laser,” which is applied externally to stimulate and emulsify fat cells in the body. This unique treatment shrinks the fat cells, rather than killing them. The cold lasers work to disrupt the fat cells’ membranes and shrink the fatty tissue, which causes fatty materials to seep out from the cells. The fatty tissue is then taken care of by the lymphatic system. The smaller fat cells not only make the body look slimmer, but supports the processes that keep us lean, and assists our bodies with regulating our metabolism, supports our immune systems, produces hormones and proteins, and assists the liver in processing or removing fat and toxins, and our muscles in keeping blood sugar down!

The cold lasers can be applied to the target areas of the client’s choice, including the waist, hips, back, thighs, chest, arms and neck. Although the lasers can shrink fat cells effectively, the light in the lasers is low enough to not heat or damage other bodily tissues.

The Zerona treatment is cleared by the FDA to treat the whole body, but most clients opt to focus on the waist, hips and thighs — common trouble areas for fat deposits. The treatment can also be applied to the neck, arms, ankles, back or chest, depending on the client’s preferences. During the Zerona process, a client lies comfortably on the treatment table for a total of about 40 minutes — 20 minutes on their back, and 20 minutes lying on their front. Throughout the 40-minute session, six lasers are aimed at the target areas of fat to contour the body. The treatment is generally repeated 2-3 times a week for 6-10 sessions depending on your situation and goals.

Clients experience no downtime after the procedure and can resume normal activities right away. Clients can expect to see results as drastic as 3.72 inches lost after only about six sessions and experience absolutely no side effects, resulting in thousands of satisfied clients.

The Basics About CoolSculpting

The CoolSculpting process, also called cryolipolysis, uses cold temperatures to freeze away fat cells for good in a certain target area of the client’s choosing. It is also an FDA-cleared, non-invasive procedure with minimal downtime, and it can be an excellent alternative to liposuction and other surgical procedures. The treatment uses a CoolSculpting device with an attached applicator. The applicator varies in size according to the target body area being treated.

The device uses a combination of suction and freezing temperatures applied to the skin to target and freeze fatty deposits under the skin and reduce overall body fat. When the fat cells are frozen, they crystallize. These crystallized cells then need to be broken up so they can be more easily reabsorbed and flushed through the liver to be excreted properly. Depending on the treatment center, this is either done through the use of manual massage or with radio waves.

Most CoolSculpting procedures last about 35 minutes each, but some treatment areas, like the outer thighs, can be anywhere from one to two hours long. After the procedure, clients can expect to notice a difference after 2-6 months or more after treatment. It takes about three months for the body to fully metabolize the frozen fat cells and see the full results.

Although CoolSculpting is considered safe and effective, there are some risks and side effects associated with the treatment. Many clients report discomfort during the procedure in the form of a tugging or pulling sensation at the treatment site. It can be quite uncomfortable to sit for up to two hours with a pinch of your body fat being suctioned and frozen. Clients also report post-treatment pain, bruising, numbness, skin sensitivity and swelling at the treatment site for up to two weeks after the procedure. It should be noted that statistics show that killing fat cells can at best provide temporary improvement in your appearance, and within the first year, the fat cells will regenerate or grow larger in new areas of your body to compensate for what was taken (perhaps our organs attempt at healing itself). This can result in those killed fat cells regenerating up to 300 billion within 4-5 years. The procedure is not meant to treat obesity, and should only be used on problem bulges that remain stubborn with diet and exercise.

How Are Zerona and CoolSculpting Similar?

In some ways, Zerona and CoolSculpting, are similar cosmetic procedures. Both treatments are above-the-skin body contouring procedures that target body fat that’s proven difficult to remove through traditional methods like diet and exercise. Both are good alternatives to more invasive surgical procedures such as liposuction. The procedures for both treatments involve no incisions or anesthesia, a relatively short appointment for each treatment and have minimal or no downtime for recovery.

Zerona and CoolSculpting both work best for those who are relatively fit already and should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise plan. Clients of both procedures should be prepared to maintain their results through healthier lifestyle plans after their treatment. Both men and women can benefit from Zerona or CoolSculpting.

Neither procedure should be used to treat the severely overweight or obese, and should not be a replacement for a healthy, active lifestyle.

Both Zerona and CoolSculpting have been clinically tested. Both treatments give similar results for clients in terms of a slimmer body and reduced body fat in the targeted area.

CoolSculpting vs. Zerona: How Are Zerona and CoolSculpting Different?

While the Zerona and CoolSculpting procedures are similar in some ways, there are some key differences. The biggest difference is in the way that each method gets rid of body fat.

Zerona uses cold laser technology, or low-level laser technology (LLLT), in which a group of six lasers is aimed at the target area of the body to shrink fat cells. The lasers disrupt the membranes of the fat cells to emulsify fatty tissue and make the cells smaller. In this treatment, the fat cells lose tissue and shrink, but they do not die. The cells can keep contributing to healthy bodily functions. Clients are not able to feel the lasers penetrating the fat cells, they can simply lay there and relax.

In the CoolSculpting procedure, a device is used on the target area of the body to apply both suction and freezing cold temperatures. The device freezes and crystallizes fat cells, killing them in the process. Either radio waves or massage are then used on the area to break up the crystallized cells so that the body can flush out the dead cells naturally. Clients can expect to feel sensations of pulling, tugging, mild pinching, intense cold, tingling, stinging, aching, and cramping at the treatment site.

Aside from the treatment process, the overall cost and number of treatments can vary with each treatment. Coolsculpting costs between $2,000 and $4,000 depending on what area you treat and how many treatments are needed whereas it generally costs $1,500 to $1,800 for 8 Zerona treatments depending on the provider. Additionally, Zerona is FDA-Cleared to treat the overall body whereas Coolsculpting is cleared to treat visible fat bulges under the chin, under the jawline, thigh, abdomen and flank, bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks and upper arm. A practitioner can help determine your treatment plan for either procedure when you are evaluating the pros and cons of CoolSculpting versus laser fat loss with Zerona Z6.

Which Treatment Is Right for Me?

Many of us have areas of stubborn fat we’d like to take care of. When diet plans and exercising just aren’t working out, or if you don’t have time to devote to longer workouts and complicated meal planning, it may be time to look into alternative treatments.

If you think body contouring treatments may be right for you, first assess your health and motivations. Are you relatively fit, with just a few problem areas of fat you want gone? Are you willing to keep up a healthy lifestyle to maintain the results of the treatments? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, a treatment like Zerona or CoolSculpting could be right for you. If you are severely overweight or have underlying health issues, consult with a doctor first.

Once you’ve decided to use body contouring treatments, how do you choose between Zerona and CoolSculpting? You should weigh the pros and cons of CoolSculpting and the pros and cons of Zerona to determine which procedure makes sense. There are some key differences that might make one better than the other for you.

• Is there downtime? Each of these procedures can be done over a lunch period, but Zerona can be expected with absolutely no downtime.

• When Will You See Results? It may take several sessions over weeks or months to see the results you want. Depending on the body area you want to target, CoolSculpting may take fewer sessions than Zerona.

• How are results measured? Another factor to consider when choosing a treatment is the way that the results are measured. CoolSculpting measures clients’ results in terms of percentage of body fat lost, typically around 20% of the total body fat in the area being targeted. Zerona measures clients’ results based on overall inches lost. After completing six sessions, Zerona clients in the clinical test study lost an average of 3.72 inches. While individual results can vary with both treatments, choose the treatment program that aligns more closely with your personal fat loss goals.

• What happens to the fat cells? The way that each treatment works on fat cells may also be a consideration. The CoolSculpting procedure uses freezing temperatures to freeze and kill the targeted fat cells. These frozen cells eventually disintegrate and the body excretes them through normal bodily processes over the course of about two months, getting rid of these cells forever.

However, consider the fact that fat cells play an important role in normal body functioning and overall health, so you may not want to get rid of them completely. Adipose tissue, another term for fat cells, is vital to the body’s endocrine system in producing hormones, as well as storing and releasing energy. The hormones released by adipose tissue are responsible for metabolizing sex hormones, regulating glucose and cholesterol, sending messages between cells and playing a role in blood clotting and blood pressure regulation. Fat cells help the liver and endocrine system regulate hormones and metabolism, so you may want to think twice before getting rid of these cells completely.

Because adipose tissue is so critical to hormone regulation, it can play an important part in so many bodily functions that keep us healthy. The Zerona procedure doesn’t kill off these essential cells. Instead, Zerona shrinks them down to a smaller size so you get the slimmer look you want without losing these crucial helpers of the endocrine system. Zerona gets rid of fatty tissue in the fat cells, but leaves the cells themselves intact so they can keep on contributing to the endocrine system. When the fat cells shrink down, they become the healthier, leaner cells they should be to function properly in the body.

If you want to keep those cells around and still achieve a leaner, slimmer body, Zerona might be the right choice for you. Zerona is an excellent option for anyone — man or woman — looking to shed fat and inches and regain their figure and confidence.

Choose Zerona Treatments to Trim Your Body and Feel Empowered

When you’re ready for a body contouring treatment to supercharge your fat loss journey, let Zerona help you attain your goals. Zerona’s main goal is to make you feel empowered. With our treatments, in just a few weeks you’ll notice a difference, and you’ll feel like a better version of yourself — leaner, sexier, more fabulous. Those lost inches mean your clothes will fit more comfortably, and you’ll have more confidence in yourself.

You’ll be amazed at how quick and easy the Zerona process is, and impressed with your results. Enjoy a non-invasive procedure in a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere and leave your appointment feeling great — with no recovery time, bruising, or scarring. We are confident you’ll love the process and the results!

Call us at 970-243-1388 to schedule your free consultation with Alyssa our laser tech.