A handheld cooling tool for drawing thermal energy away from a skin surface, the cooling tool comprising: a hollow, elongated body having: a proximal end, an opened distal end; and a central longitudinal axis; a metallic applicator head that is retained in and protrudes from the opened distal end of the body, the applicator head having a skin contact surface and a slot; and a metallic heat absorbing core that extends from the slot of the applicator head, down into the hollow body, the heat absorbing core having a proximal end and a distal end; characterised by: a spring disposed between the proximal end of the heat absorbing core and the proximal end of the body; and a switch that passes through a wall of the body, such that in a first position of the switch the heat absorbing core is forced to move proximally to compress the spring and, as the switch moves from the first position to a second position, the spring expands, forcing the heat absorbing core to move distally, wherein the body has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W/m-K, the skin contact surface has a roughness between 0.4μm and 70μm, the applicator head has a thermal conductivity greater than 10 W/m-K, and the heat absorbing core has a thermal capacitance of at least 25 J/K and a mass of 50g to 150g. a hollow, elongated body having: a proximal end, an opened distal end; and a central longitudinal axis; a proximal end, an opened distal end; and a central longitudinal axis; a metallic applicator head that is retained in and protrudes from the opened distal end of the body, the applicator head having a skin contact surface and a slot; and a metallic heat absorbing core that extends from the slot of the applicator head, down into the hollow body, the heat absorbing core having a proximal end and a distal end; characterised by: a spring disposed between the proximal end of the heat absorbing core and the proximal end of the body; and a switch that passes through a wall of the body, such that in a first position of the switch the heat absorbing core is forced to move proximally to compress the spring and, as the switch moves from the first position to a second position, the spring expands, forcing the heat absorbing core to move distally, wherein the body has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W/m-K, the skin contact surface has a roughness between 0.4μm and 70μm, the applicator head has a thermal conductivity greater than 10 W/m-K, and the heat absorbing core has a thermal capacitance of at least 25 J/K and a mass of 50g to 150g. a spring disposed between the proximal end of the heat absorbing core and the proximal end of the body; and a switch that passes through a wall of the body, such that in a first position of the switch the heat absorbing core is forced to move proximally to compress the spring and, as the switch moves from the first position to a second position, the spring expands, forcing the heat absorbing core to move distally, wherein the body has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W/m-K, the skin contact surface has a roughness between 0.4μm and 70μm, the applicator head has a thermal conductivity greater than 10 W/m-K, and the heat absorbing core has a thermal capacitance of at least 25 J/K and a mass of 50g to 150g.