Laser Lipo or Traditional Lipo?

How it works: Uses laser energy delivered to the tissues with a fiber to purportedly break up fat cells. Some plastic surgeons believe it offers the added benefit of slight tightening of loose skin, although these claims are debatable, the effects are unpredictable and results may be only slightly better than other liposuction techniques.

Upside: Purportedly less swelling and bruising than other techniques, but not supported by scientific data.

Downside: There’s the possibility of burns and lingering tissue injury (firmness and swelling). This procedure costs more and takes longer. Liposuction is still required to remove fat after the laser treatment. There has been a lot of marketing of laser-assisted lipo and little attention to proving that it represents a better adjunct to other forms of liposuction.

Traditional liposuction

Best for: Soft fat areas (arms, inner thigh, neck and lower abdomen

How it works: Traditional liposuction uses hollow metal tubes called cannulas to remove fat from areas of the body where it is localized into fatty deposits. While effective in areas where the tissue is less fibrous, other forms of power-assisted and energy-based ultrasonic liposuction may offer better outcomes in more fibrous areas (upper abdomen, posterior waist, bra rolls, etc.).