Two treatments, one name
| Laser-assisted liposuction | Non-surgical laser sessions | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Surgery. A laser fibre goes in through a small cut, melts fat, and the fat is suctioned out. | Laser pads rest on the skin for a session. No cuts and no suction. |
| Who does it | A surgeon, in a clinic or hospital. | Often a salon or aesthetic clinic. |
| Anaesthetic | Usually local anaesthetic. | None. |
| Result | Fat cells removed for good, final shape after the swelling settles. | A small change in measurements at most, and it depends on keeping weight steady. |
| Recovery | Bruising and swelling, a garment for weeks. | None to speak of. |
Before you pay for a course of sessions
Non-surgical laser sessions are advertised in Ireland from about €75 for a first session to €900 for a course. Ask what result the provider expects for someone like you, how it's measured, and what happens if you see no change. A course of sessions that costs as much as surgery and removes no fat is the worst of both.
If you want fat gone from an area for good, the honest choices are liposuction, or fat freezing if you'd rather avoid surgery and accept a smaller change.
Laser-assisted liposuction: who it suits
Small areas with firm skin: the chin and neck, the arms, the knees, the flanks. The heat may tighten the skin a little.
Liposuction is probably not for you if:
- you are still losing or gaining weight, or your BMI is well above the healthy range
- the problem is loose, hanging skin rather than fat (that needs a skin-removal operation)
- you smoke and won't stop before surgery: smoking slows healing and raises the risk of blood clots
- you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy soon
- you hope it will change how you feel about your whole body, not one area
Recovery and risks
Laser-assisted liposuction is usually done under local anaesthetic, so most people go home the same day. Recovery is like other liposuction: a compression garment for several weeks, bruising, swelling and numbness, desk work after about a week, and the final shape at up to six months.
Common in the weeks after any liposuction:
- bruising and swelling, which can last up to six months
- numbness, which usually settles in six to eight weeks
- small scars where the tube went in
- fluid leaking from the cuts for the first days
Less common, and the reason you want a specialist and a proper hospital or clinic:
- burns from the laser's heat, inside or on the skin, which are uncommon
- lumpy or uneven results, sometimes needing a second operation
- bleeding under the skin (a haematoma)
- numbness that lasts for months
- changes in skin colour over the treated area
- infection, or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic
- a blood clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs
- fluid on the lungs from the fluid injected during surgery
- damage to internal organs, which is very rare
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they do if it happens. See the full guide to liposuction risks and side effects.
What it costs
Surgical laser-assisted liposuction is priced like other liposuction: one area from about €2,200 to €2,500 under local anaesthetic, and up to €7,000 for several areas.
Checking the surgeon
By law every doctor practising in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council, and a doctor can only practise independently as a specialist if they hold specialist registration. For liposuction, look for an entry in the Specialist Division under Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. You can search the register yourself on the Medical Council's website.
Questions people ask
Does laser lipo really work?
Laser-assisted liposuction is surgery and removes fat for good. Non-surgical laser sessions remove no fat, and any change is small. Ask any provider which one they are selling.
Is laser lipo painful?
The surgical version is done under local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure rather than pain, then soreness for some days. The non-surgical sessions are usually painless.
Is laser lipo the same as fat freezing?
No. Fat freezing cools fat cells so the body clears them over weeks. Non-surgical laser uses light and gentle heat. Neither is surgery.