What Is CoolTone Sculpting Like? One Patient Shares Her Story

We like to tell our patients that a single CoolTone cycle is the equivalent of doing a lot of crunches in one sitting. So many crunches, in fact, that you can see results after just one appointment. This unique treatment actually strengthens your muscles, so not only do you see the results, but you can experience them in the gym when you do abdominal exercises.

Looking to get a more sculpted and toned look but can’t quite get there through diet and exercise alone? This could be the non-surgical body contouring solution you’ve been looking for. Learn more about what CoolTone looks like through the eyes of a Donaldson Plastic Surgery patient! 

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CoolTone, From A Patient’s Perspective 

I’d Always Been Thin But Never “Toned.”

It felt like my body was naturally opposed to having a defined stomach. Even at my peak of health – exercising for two hours a day and eating balanced meals – my stomach never got to where I wanted it to be. My arms, legs, and back muscles would get stronger and more defined, but there was something about my stomach that was resilient against my efforts. I hadn’t been to the gym in a while, but I wanted to start prioritizing my health again.

Knowing how hard it is to achieve my abdominal goals, I felt discouraged even going back to the gym.

Here Were My Goals:

• Noticeable muscle definition
• A more taut, vertical bellybutton
• Possible alleviation of my back pain
• Motivation to continue going to the gym

Yes, seeing results right away would be cool, but it was also going to motivate me. I wanted to be reassured that abdominal results would even be possible for my body! My birthday was also coming up in a few weeks, so I unintentionally set a goal to see what results I could get by the time I turned 24.

How It Started: An Accidental Consultation At Donaldson Plastic Surgery

I never really meant to learn about Cooltone, but I’m so glad I did! I was in the office getting lip filler when I found out that there was a treatment that could help with a long-time insecurity of mine. I didn’t have to have surgery, it wasn’t going to hurt, and I would see quick results. It almost seemed too good to be true. I trusted the insight of the nurse who performs my injectables though. She was upfront and honest. Even though I was skeptical about Cooltone, her recommendation sold me on it.

I had previously seen information about CoolSculpting on the practice’s Instagram, which I thought might be an option for me. I talked with my injector about it, and she told me about the differences between CoolTone and CoolSculpting.

CoolTone Is Not CoolSculpting

CoolTone and CoolSculpting sound the same, but they are quite different. CoolSculpting freezes away fat, while CoolTone strengthens and tones your muscles (no freezing involved).

We did an impromptu consultation during my filler appointment to see which I’d be a better candidate for. Since I didn’t have that much belly fat, she recommended I try CoolTone to get the results I was wanting.

What Does CoolTone Feel Like?

If you watch a video of a CoolTone treatment, it looks kind of scary. Manually working out your ab muscles to the point of seeing definition after one treatment seems like a lot. How can I see results without this hurting? I’m not sure why it doesn’t hurt, but it just doesn’t! It feels weird at first, but I fell asleep during almost every treatment. It was a really calm environment.

Here’s How Each Stage Of My CoolTone Experience Went

The First Treatment – 35 Minutes

What I wore:

Leggings and a t-shirt. The CoolTone applicator should be applied over a thin fabric on top of the treatment area.

How it’s set up:

My nurse placed the paddle on my stomach and then secured it with a Velcro strap. The machine’s power is measured as a percent. She explained that the goal was not to get to 100% power and that I probably wouldn’t get to 100% during the series. During my first treatment, I made it to about 55% power.

What the machine does:

The treatment includes two different sensations which are tapping and contractions. Once the machine was on, it takes a while before it starts contracting the muscles.

What the tapping felt like:

Cooltone starts by tapping on the muscles which is painless. The tapping breaks up lactic acid that builds up after exercise, so you don’t get sore. (They really thought of everything.)

What Cooltone contractions feel like:

The contractions are when the actual strengthening starts. The treatment is not supposed to hurt, but it is essentially a cramp. It feels like your muscles are being gently tugged and then squeezed. It’s weird, but they start you at a low setting. Once you’re used to it, you’ll want to turn it up more and more. The squeezing lasts for a couple of seconds and then there are a couple of seconds of tapping, then back to squeezing. This goes on for about 25 minutes.

After The First Treatment

There was no residual discomfort or downtime. The difference I saw after my first treatment was the imprint of the CoolTone paddle on my tummy, but I still had five more appointments to go. Nonetheless, I was still so excited to be doing this. I went to the gym that night feeling stronger. Was that in my head? Mostly yes, but I felt motivated to work harder in the gym. Essentially, I had already achieved one of my goals!

The Rest Of The Treatments

By the second treatment, I was a Cooltone pro. I was able to tolerate more machine power during each session that followed. I could really start to see differences after about my third treatment. It was crazy how I could see changes in just 20 minutes.

My Final Treatment

During my last treatment, I made it to about 85% power on the Cooltone machine. Considering I started with hardly any abdominal strength, I thought this was pretty good. After my last treatment, I looked in the mirror and was excited about my results. I could see more definition!

My Actual CoolTone Results

After six treatments, I definitely saw a difference. It tightened and toned my stomach. Do I have six-pack abs? No. But that’s not what it was supposed to do. The biggest change I see is that my belly button looks more vertical. This was a major insecurity for me. CoolTone essentially lifted the look of my stomach.

An Interesting Side Effect: Some Additional Gym & Diet Motivation 

Throughout the three weeks of my treatment series, I was incredibly motivated, not only to go to the gym but to live a healthier lifestyle – particularly with food. Although sometimes the thought of “well, CoolTone is basically exercising my body, so why do I need to go to the gym today?” Those were days that I went to the gym but probably didn’t work as hard as I would have liked. If I could change anything about my treatment series, it would be to put more effort into my health journey when I was outside of the CoolTone facility.

Treatments like CoolTone are meant to emphasize the hard work you put in when living a healthy lifestyle at home. It isn’t meant to completely transform your body.

Is CoolTone Worth It?

I saw results. It made my tummy flatter and more defined and it also changed the shape of my belly button. I think they may look slight to some people, but these results genuinely helped with a long-time insecurity. CoolTone is definitely worth it for the right patient. No pain, no downtime, no scarring, and you will see muscle definition. The treatment was also quick and relaxing. Sometimes I would fall asleep to the white noise sounds of the machine.

One of the best things about CoolTone is the time it takes to see results. As soon as the paddle is removed, you can look in the mirror and see slight differences.

The real, noticeable results are seen after the initial series of six treatments, but you can continue to see improvements with further treatments. You can go as frequently as you want, so I am definitely going to periodically receive treatments.

Now I am continuing to go to the gym to maintain and enhance my CoolTone results! 

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Ready To Highlight The Hard Work You’ve Been Putting In?

CoolTone can be coupled with a sustainable weight management program and other non-surgical treatments – like Kybella – to get even greater results, depending on your unique situation and goals. We invite you to get in touch with our Columbus CoolTone experts to ask any additional questions you may have about the experience and to book your first cycle!