What Is the Difference Between CoolTone™ and CoolSculpting®?

With numerous procedures on the market promising to help you lose weight, determining what works — and what doesn't — can be confusing. When it comes to any cosmetic treatment, the best place to start is always a qualified and certified plastic surgeon's office or med spa. The knowledgeable, professional team at Après Plastic Surgery has performed numerous procedures for Portland, OR patients looking for a firmer, more toned figure under the direct supervision of our board-certified plastic surgeons.

Two of the most exciting and effective options for trimming fat and toning muscles are CoolSculpting and CoolTone. Après Plastic Surgery is proud to offer both of these revolutionary treatments at our convenient Portland office, just across the bridge from Vancouver, WA. While both CoolSculpting and CoolTone can produce stunning results, they are two very different procedures, each of which uses a unique technology for a specific purpose. To determine whether CoolSculpting or CoolTone may be right for you, it is helpful to first have a basic knowledge of the various aspects of each treatment.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is a nonsurgical procedure that is designed to permanently reduce fat cells. This noninvasive treatment works by employing a cooling technology known as cryolipolysis to freeze fat cells. The targeted fat cells are destroyed and ultimately passed from the body.

Can CoolSculpting help me lose weight?

While it should not be thought of as a weight-loss tool, CoolSculpting can be used to help reduce the number of fat cells and volume of fat by up to 20 – 25 percent in certain areas of your body. Patients who maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise routine in conjunction with their CoolSculpting treatments generally realize the most dramatic results in terms of weight and inches lost. However, it is important to have realistic expectations about this noninvasive body sculpting procedure and your potential results. If you have slightly larger areas of stubborn fat that you are concerned about, talk to your experienced provider at Après Plastic Surgery about alternative fat reduction procedures such as liposuction.

Which areas can be treated with CoolSculpting?

One of the things men and women love most about CoolSculpting is its ability to reduce fat in several different places. Some of the areas most commonly treated with CoolSculpting include:

• Abdomen
• Buttocks
• Thighs
• Flanks
• Hips
• Male chest

What is CoolTone?

CoolTone was developed by Allergan, the same company that created CoolSculpting. CoolTone is a noninvasive external procedure that is used to tone the muscles and produce a tighter, firmer physique. During a CoolTone session, the patient's muscles will be artificially contracted at a level that is not possible otherwise — a 30-minute CoolTone session gives your muscles the same amount of exercise as 25,000 crunches.

Who is a good candidate for CoolTone?

Patients who undergo CoolTone treatment should be at or near their ideal weight without a significant amount of fat to lose. CoolTone works best for patients who are looking to tone and firm their physique and may not be seeing results despite consistent work in the gym. CoolTone is most often used to help define the abdominal muscles but can also be effective in firming the butt and thighs.

CoolSculpting vs. CoolTone

When deciding whether CoolSculpting or CoolTone is most appropriate for you, it is important to remember that the two treatments are very different. The main goal of CoolSculpting is to reduce fat. While CoolTone can result in a minimal amount of fat reduction as a side effect in some cases, it is designed primarily to help patients achieve better muscle definition.

Both CoolSculpting and CoolTone can help Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and Irvington-area patients improve and enhance their bodies, but there are some cases where surgical intervention may be more appropriate. For patients who have lost a significant amount of weight and are struggling with loose or excess skin, a tummy tuck may be the most effective solution. Men and women who don't have any excess skin but are burdened with stubborn fat can consider liposuction as a surgical alternative to CoolSculpting.

Ultimately, the best way to determine whether CoolSculpting, CoolTone, or another procedure can help you best achieve your goals is to be evaluated by an experienced physician. Call Après Plastic Surgery in Portland, OR to schedule your one-on-one consultation with one of our exceptional board-certified plastic surgeons today, and discover why CoolSculpting or CoolTone may be the next step in the journey to a new you.