CoolSculpting vs Body Contouring Alternatives: What You Need to Know

CoolSculpting (cryolipolysis) was for years the most recognized non-surgical fat reduction brand in the world. In 2023, AbbVie discontinued CoolSculpting for commercial reasons, exiting the body contouring device market entirely. The technology still exists and some practices still have the equipment, but the brand and its parent company are no longer actively marketing or supporting new installations. The core question patients are now asking is: what are the best alternatives, and do they work as well?

What Cryolipolysis Actually Does

CoolSculpting worked by applying controlled cooling to localized fat deposits, cooling fat cells to a temperature that triggers apoptosis (cell death) without damaging the overlying skin. Over 8 to 12 weeks, the body cleared the dead fat cells through lymphatic drainage. Average fat layer reduction in treated areas was 20 to 25% per session. Multiple sessions or applicators were often required for meaningful results. The technology was effective but expensive (50 to ,500 per treatment cycle), required multiple sessions for significant results, and treated one small area at a time.

The Best Current Alternatives

Ultrasonic cavitation (available at Tactus Health). Uses low-frequency ultrasound waves to disrupt fat cell membranes through mechanical cavitation. No suction, no cooling, no post-treatment bruising from the applicator. Multiple areas can be treated in a single session. Results are comparable to cryolipolysis for mild to moderate fat reduction at significantly lower cost per session. Requires more sessions (6 to 10) than cryolipolysis for equivalent results. Dr. Ashar’s primary non-surgical fat reduction offering.

Radiofrequency lipolysis (Vanquish, BodyFX). Contactless or contact RF devices heat subcutaneous fat to cytotoxic temperatures, producing fat cell death through thermal rather than cooling mechanisms. Effective for larger areas than cryolipolysis, can treat the full abdomen or flanks in a single session. Results similar in magnitude to CoolSculpting at the individual session level.

Surgical options (liposuction, BodyTite). Still the gold standard for fat reduction in terms of magnitude, precision, and predictability. BodyTite (RF-assisted liposuction) simultaneously reduces fat and tightens skin. For patients with meaningful amounts of fat to remove rather than minor contouring, surgical options produce results that non-surgical alternatives cannot match in one or two treatments.

GLP-1 medications for systemic fat reduction. For patients whose contouring concerns are driven by overall body fat rather than isolated deposits, semaglutide or tirzepatide produces the kind of full-body fat reduction that no contouring device can replicate. Body contouring after significant weight loss can then address residual focal deposits.

Reviewed & Written By

Dr. Ashar N., DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Medical Director at Tactus Health. Dual board-certified nurse practitioner specializing in medical aesthetics, hormone therapy, and weight loss. Sugar Hill, GA.