Before I go into my CoolSculpting experience with Cool Contours, I want to address the fact that I’m not writing this to make you feel pressured or feel like you have to make an augmentation to your body to feel good or better about yourself. As someone who encourages others to live confidently in their body- no matter size/shape/height/anything else- this post does not change that.
While I do live confidently most days (I’d be lying if I said I was 100% confident every.single.day.), there is one area of my body that I have struggled with for years. This area is my upper arms and I continuously find myself in this love/hate relationship, appreciating them one day and the next wanting to hide them behind long sleeves, even in summer.
When choosing to try CoolSculpting, it was a decision I made for myself and myself only. It was a decision I made knowing there was a section of my body that I wanted to enhance and was given the opportunity to do so with Cool Contours. In addition, I’ve been intrigued and have wanted to try CoolSculpting for myself to gain a genuine opinion of it.
You can’t have a true opinion of something like this if you haven’t tried/experienced it, so, I did… and here’s how it went…
Images in post by Arielle Lewis Studios
First Things First
If you aren’t familiar with CoolSculpting, it is an FDA approved non-invasive technology that freezes fat cells at cold temperatures without affecting surrounding tissue. As a result, the treated cells are crystallized and your body naturally eliminates the frozen cells over time.
My CoolSculpting Elite experience started with a consultation with Jennifer Kim, the owner of Cool Contours. During the virtual consultation, Jennifer gave me all the in’s and out’s of CoolSculpting Elite, told me what to expect, and addressed any questions I had. She also virtually assessed my desired treatment area- my upper arms. After the consult, I decided to move forward and we booked my first session. She recommended 3 treatments on my upper arms, 2 months apart at a time.
The timing was surprising to me, as I had a misconception that CoolSculpting showed immediate results. It actually is a lengthy process, depending on your treatment recommendation. Mine took 9 months in total from beginning consultation in March, to treatments in April, June, and August, ending with my final post-treatment consultation in December.
The Sessions
The sessions themselves were easy and low-maintenance. The amount of time each session takes depends on the area you are treating, but for me took about 1.5/2 hours in total per entire session/visit. I did not find the treatments painful, but it can feel weird/uncomfortable at first but you get used to it. It ultimately feels like a suction and then gets really, really cold. For my upper arms, I had each arm treated for 30 minutes x 2 due to the size of the area, but they did both arms simultaneously so I was hooked up to the machine a total of ~1 hour. During the sessions, I was hooked up to the CoolSculpting Elite machine and I was able to watch Netflix and zone out for my treatment time.
Immediately following the treatment there is a massage Cool Contours gives to the treated area that Jennifer warned me could be painful, but I personally did not find it painful or irritating at all.
In terms of downtime, I faced no downtime with CoolSculpting Elite. I did experience some soreness, minor swelling, and numbness, but that is normal. I felt the sorest after my first treatment, but it was completely manageable.
One note I do want to touch on is what to wear to the sessions! My first session I wore a spaghetti strap dress thinking it would be easier for my arms, but I was wrong and it was actually more difficult and I had to roll down my dress. Going forward, I wore leggings and a sports bra and it was much easier.
The Results
I started to visibly see the results a few weeks after my first session. While the results are subtle and not very noticeable to others, I can see the difference, especially when I raise my arms or see the backs of my arms. Seeing the before/after photo from Cool Contours also made me realize just how much of a difference the treatments made! As a result, my arms even look longer! I did find the change to be subtle, which I liked, as I wasn’t originally going for something major. I just wanted an enhancement that may help appease some of my personal insecurities, and that is exactly what I got.
Cool Contours
I want to add a note about the staff at Cool Contours and how friendly and professional they were to work with! To start, Cool Contours only offers CoolSculpting at their office, so you know they *really* know their stuff since its all they do all day every day. Working with Jennifer and the team was wonderful during all aspects of my visits. Jennifer did such a great job of informing me what to expect and how things worked and I didn’t have a single surprise during any of my treatments, and that was a huge relief. I always appreciate feeling welcome and extra supported during treatments like this- it can completely make or break your entire experience- and I felt supported, welcomed, and like I was in great hands from start to finish. It's no wonder they are ranked #1 in Virginia for CoolSculpting!
If you are interested in CoolSculpting and would like more information, you can contact Cool Contours directly here. Cool Contours is also offering a friends & family discount (up to 30-35% off!!!!) if you mention my name at booking!
XOXO
Blonde in the District