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It’s no secret that getting rid of excess fat is a hard thing to do. The concept may be very simple but pulling it off is not as easy as some people put it. This is why advances in technology offer some of the most attractive ways to deal with them.
The good thing is that there are tons of great options available when it comes to dealing with excess fat. You can go under the knife and have them removed physically or go for less invasive procedures with fewer and milder risks.
The bad thing is that there are so many different options available that it can be a bit overwhelming to pick just one. What makes things worse is that some of them even sound the same, making things a bit more confusing.
Take Coolsculpting and Cooltone as examples. These two are making a buzz in the beauty industry lately but because of their names, people often get conflicted as to which of the two to get. The Cooltone vs Coolscuplting confusion might have even made some folks consider other procedures altogether just to make things simpler. If you’re one of these folks who are torn between the two, keep reading.
Cooltone vs. Coolsculpting: What’s the Difference?
To help you get to know these two procedures, let’s break down their characteristics and differentiate them.
CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is defined as a non-invasive fat-reducing procedure that uses cryolipolysis to achieve its desired results. It’s developed by Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc. and is an FDA-approved technology.
The key characteristic of CoolSculpting is the fact that it freezes fats to get rid of them. This is where the name comes from – it’s a ‘cool’ method, in terms of temperature, to sculpt the body.
It’s marketed towards those who are having difficulties toning certain areas of their body, thanks to stubborn fats. Since regular diet and exercise can’t really target specific areas, some spots can be left with some flabbiness despite your best efforts. Procedures like Coolsculpting aim to help in that regard, allowing you to reach your desired body shape more quickly and effectively.
How It Works
Coolsculpting works by freezing the excess fats off so you’ll get a flatter and more defined body shape. To get the ball rolling, a machine with a vacuum-like applicator is placed on the problem area where fat is suctioned in order to deep-freeze the fat in the area.
Basically, the fat is sandwiched by the two panels in the applicator which cools the fat until it freezes. This causes the fat to crystallize which will eventually cause the fat cells to die. They will then be excreted by the body through the lymphatic system.
It may sound morbid but that’s where the benefits of the procedures come in. Fat cells increase the size of your body because they expand. They can be flattened out when their contents are burned but they can expand again when they’re used for fat storage again. By killing them off, there will be less storage for fat in the area.
According to studies, Coolsculpting can remove up to 25% of fat in the treated area. This is a significant amount since it won’t cut you open. The exact amount of fat that can be reduced per treatment is not guaranteed, however, but this is the most that researchers found.
Treatments usually take around an hour but it may take longer for bigger areas. On most occasions, you’ll only need one appointment for a specific area. Follow up appointments are possible, however, if you want additional results. This will be scheduled months after your first treatment.
Important Details
Like other non-invasive procedures, Coolsculpting has its limitations. This is why it’s not called a fat removal procedure. To reiterate, it’s a fat reducing procedure so it’s not meant for significant fat loss.
One crucial point that people need to know about Coolsculpting is that it’s only cleared for use for specific areas. These are the following:
- Lower back
- Thighs
- Abdomen
- Sides (“love handles”)
- Under the chin (“double chin”) and jawline
- Upper arms
- Under the buttocks
This means that it’s not necessarily an all-around procedure. If your problem area is not mentioned above, you might need to look for an alternative method.
Expect to experience some discomfort during the procedure as well. Since it will need to suck in your skin and fat as well as freeze the fat cells, you shouldn’t be surprised to feel cold in the area being treated and then some numbing. Many patients compare it to a limb falling asleep followed by a sensation often described as pins and needles. The aesthetician will massage the treated area after the procedure to ease the discomfort, however.
Results will also take a while to become evident. The process of crystallization of fats can take a while so it doesn’t offer instantaneous results. Nearly all laser and non-invasive fat-reduction treatments are the same, though, so this is normal. Don’t expect to see visible results at least two to three months after the treatment.
Coolsculpting also doesn’t promise to keep fat off. While the promised results are permanent since the procedure can kill off fat cells, it doesn’t guarantee that the problem area will not grow fat ever again. The procedure can only get rid of some fat cells, not all of them, so if you gain weight, the treated areas can grow in size once again.
Potential Risks
Like with any other procedure, Coolsculpting has its own risks as well. Here are some that you should take note of:
- Some kind of pain in the treatment site. Tugging, aching, stinging, tingling, cramping, or cramping can be experienced during the procedure but it will subside and feel numb eventually.
- Redness, swelling, firmness, and skin sensitivity in the treated area post-treatment. This can be brought on by the suctioning action done in the area and the low temperatures applied to it.
- On very rare occasions, enlargement of the treated area or paradoxical adipose hyperplasia. This is a condition wherein the number of fat cells are increased instead of decreased by cryolipolysis.
To lower your risks, make sure that you’re a good candidate for the procedure. You should also be thorough when choosing a clinic as there are counterfeit CoolSculpting treatments offered today.
Cooltone
Also from the same folks behind Coolsculpting is Cooltone, one of the latest body contouring procedures offered today. This process is designed for muscle toning, however, and not fat-reduction, so it’s very different from what Coolsculpting is.
Cooltone is designed to tone and strengthen muscles. The device used for this procedure will cause your muscles to contract faster than what you can do when working out. As a result, it helps define the muscles, creating a more appealing look.
It also builds muscle mass so it’s not just for aesthetic purposes. As retaining muscle mass gets more difficult as you age, this procedure also aims to help keep you in better shape as you get older.
How It Works
To reiterate, Cooltone does not use freezing or cryolipolysis to achieve its desired results. What it uses instead is Active Magnetic Pulse™ (AMP™) technology which delivers pulses to the muscles that replicate strong contractions.
These are very high intensity contractions that the body will not be able to create on its own so it promises more immediate results. Compared to its leading competitor, Cooltone can provide 50% more magnetic intensity.
The process is quite simple, just like with other non-invasive body contouring treatments. You’ll just need to lay down on the clinic chair and a paddle-like device will be attached to your target area. Depending on the size of the treatment site, one or more devices can be attached to you.
When powered on, the device will apply an alternating tapping and intense vibrating sensation to the treatment area. This will cause your muscles to tense up and contract. The intensity will depend on how much you can take, some go as high as 100% while others only go as high as 70%.
Because of how it works, many tend to compare it to a high intensity workout. It makes sense since it does strain your muscles.
The Cooltone is FDA-approved to be used on three body areas: the abdomen, thighs, and butt. Each appointment lasts for thirty minutes and it’s recommended to have about four to six sessions to see noticeable results. These sessions don’t have to be spaced far apart like other non-invasive treatments. In fact, you can book appointments at one to two weeks intervals.
You can go for more sessions if you’d like, especially if you wish to tone a few different body parts. There are available plans for several sessions so you can get more bang for your buck.
Important Details
Like with Coolsculpting, there are a number of things you should know before signing up for a Cooltone treatment. For starters, its results will depend on how you will maintain the treatment area. As Cooltone is practically a result of an intense workout, maintaining it with regular exercise would be ideal.
Since this procedure can be done in several sessions, you can also just book appointments for it regularly to stay in shape. It’s said that it’s safe to have the treatment every quarter, so you can book an appointment or two up to four times a year.
It’s crucial to reiterate that Cooltone is not a fat loss or fat reduction treatment so if you’re looking for something that will do that, you might need to look elsewhere. This procedure is best for those who need muscle toning and body contouring when they’re just about to reach their ideal shape.
Potential Risks
Unlike with other non-invasive treatments, Cooltone doesn’t have a lot of possible side effects. It could cause pain in the treatment site since it will essentially replicate a high intensity workout in the muscle group but nothing worse. Some redness, temporary muscle spasms, and joint or tendon pain might also be experienced.
What should be noted, however, is the fact that Cooltone isn’t for everyone. Those with metal implants near the treatment sites should not get this treatment. Pregnant women, those with Graves disease, as well as folks who have health issues concerning the area near the treatment site also shouldn’t go for this procedure. Those who are menstruating or about to menstruate will also need to time their appointments accordingly.
Cooltone vs. Coolsculpting: Which Should You Choose?
If Cooltone and Coolsculpting are two very different things, why is there a Cooltone vs. Coolsculpting topic at all? Looking at what these two procedures offer, they’re not meant for the same people, so why are they pitted against each other?
This may have a lot to do about branding. They are named alike since they’re from the same makers. It’s probably for consistency that they gave Cooltone its name, in order to stay in the same realm as Coolsculpting. Cooltone still has a hint in its name, though, so it’s still not too difficult to tell the two apart.
So which one should you go for? It depends on what you need. You should be able to tell by now how different the two can be, so it’s up to you to assess which one you need better. If you want to deal with excess fat, CoolSculpting should be your best bet. If you’re having trouble toning muscles in your tummy, arms, and other problematic areas, then, Cooltone is something you should consider.
Aside from your specific body issue, you should also look into certain details like the requirements of the machines that are going to be used in the process. For example, for Coolsculpting, you need to have enough fat for the applicator to suck in. Due to how this procedure works, it needs to have a good hold on your fat from both sides in order to freeze it. If you have minimal body fat in the area you wish to treat, CoolSculpting may not really work.
If you can pinpoint exactly what you want to address in order to achieve your desired body shape, you won’t find yourself debating between Cooltone vs. Coolsculpting. The two are very different procedures so some might find it easy to choose which one to go for.
However, despite their differences, some might still find themselves torn between Cooltone vs. Coolsculpting. This is especially true for those who are not sure about what they’re going for. In such cases, it’s also worth considering getting them together.
Based on their procedures, they won’t necessarily negate or counteract each other since they target different layers. Coolsculpting targets the fat under the skin and Cooltone affects the muscles that sit underneath. By combining the two, you’ll be able to get rid of stubborn fats and define your muscles with greater ease.
If you wish to give it a go, it’s recommended to do Coolsculpting first to remove excess fat. Follow the procedure with Cooltone sessions a few months later to further refine the appearance of your problem area.
