CoolTone: What You Need to Know

Pros

• CoolTone is a quick (30 minutes), relatively painless, nonsurgical way to increase muscle strength, mass, and tone. It fills out and sculpts your physique in a way you can’t with workouts alone, creating visible muscle definition and increasing your fitness.  
• Feeling stronger and fitter may motivate you to maintain a healthier lifestyle.  
• You may feel stronger after a single session, with results that get better over time. 
• You won’t have any downtime, just some mild soreness the day after a session.
• CoolTone can be done over your clothing. 

Cons

• As with exercise, it can take time—usually at least six weeks—to see full results.  
• You’ll need an initial series of four to six muscle toning treatment sessions (every two to three days), plus occasional maintenance sessions and regular exercise on your own, to see and maintain optimal results. It's a commitment, and it can get expensive.
• CoolTone is newer to the market than its primary competitor, Emsculpt (and the new Emsculpt NEO), and so far, RealSelf members give it a significantly lower Worth It Rating. 
• People who aren't close to their ideal body weight may not see the results they're expecting, and some providers' offices may not screen well to ensure you're a good candidate.

• Average Cost:
• $2,414

• Range:
• $1,200 - $4,000

An initial series of at least four treatments is recommended. Many providers offer a package of four treatments at a reduced rate.

See our complete guide to CoolTone costs

The CoolTone photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Ideal candidates for CoolTone are at or near their goal weight, without a lot of excess fat that might prevent the magnetic energy from reaching the muscle. According to Dr. Allenby, “if there is a greater than 8cm fat padding, it is more limited in hitting the targeted muscle.”

“It’s not that I wouldn’t treat someone with more padding,” she explains. “They’ll have a response, it’s just that it will take more treatment cycles than [for] someone who’s in the ideal parameters.” 

Some people aren’t well-suited for CoolTone treatment. This includes those who suffer from certain conditions (including seizure disorders and GI disorders like IBS) and those with metal or electronic implants, such as cardiac pacemakers, metal IUDs, cochlear implants, and hearing aids. 

Women may find that their period comes sooner or cramping is increased or intensified after a CoolTone treatment, so it’s recommended not to undergo treatment in the week prior to menstruation.

You’re never going to be able to achieve these results in the gym. It augments what you’re already doing and assists you in getting better at the things you want to do physically.”—Dr. Janet Allenby, Delray Beach, Florida, dermatologist

You'll lie on a table, and your provider will place a paddle-like applicator on your stomach, thighs, or buttocks.

Once it's turned on, the device passes magnetic energy, bypassing your skin and fat to target the muscle layer, where it induces thousands of involuntary muscle contractions.

The intensity can be as light as you want, but a moderate to high level is recommended for better results. “We want to get to the intensity where people are just below the point of being uncomfortable,” says Dr. Allenby.  

Surprisingly, “If you have someone who’s more out of shape, you can go at 100% and they won’t be uncomfortable, because they don’t have as much muscle mass,” says Dr. Allenby. “If someone is more muscular, you have to go lower or it’s uncomfortable.”  

You can feel your muscles contracting as the device stimulates them. This can feel strange, but you can relax otherwise.

“It’s a very passive treatment. Most people watch TV during it or check their email,” says Dr. Allenby. 

Each treatment lasts 20-30 minutes, and—though there’s no published research yet outlining what kind of treatment protocol works best for CoolTone—doctors recommend an initial series of four to six treatments over the course of two weeks.

Smaller muscle masses like thighs get a 20-minute treatment, while a larger muscle mass, abs, and glutes get a 30-minute treatment.

There’s no downtime afterward, so you’ll be free to resume your everyday activities. 

Side effects are minimal. You may feel some soreness in the treated area, like you’ve had an intense workout. Any soreness should be very manageable and last only for a day or two. “It’s not like when you do squats for the first time and can’t sit down for a week,” says Dr. Allenby. 

There’s no specific post-treatment protocol, Dr. Allenby says. “We do encourage our patients to continue a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise and healthy eating will only enhance your results and help you maintain them for a longer period of time.”

Most providers recommend an initial treatment plan of four to six sessions, two to three days apart, for best results.

Some people see (or feel) results after one treatment session. Your results will improve with each session and for about six weeks afterward, as the targeted muscle fibers strengthen and muscle mass increases.

With a healthy diet and regular exercise (which will be easier to do, since you’ll be stronger), results can last up to six months for some people. After that, follow-up treatments are recommended to maintain them.  

The most effective schedule for follow-up treatments is still being determined. Some doctors recommend a maintenance treatment every three to six months. Dr. Allenby says sessions every four to six weeks can maintain results very nicely. 

One RealSelf member had six sessions that left his six-pack much more defined. Another RealSelf member, who had her inner thighs treated, says she saw a definite but subtle difference. “My inner thighs aren’t as saggy-looking. It’s about a 50% improvement, but I’ll take it.” 

After treatment in the abdominal area, some patients have even experienced less back pain. “What really surprised me is the significant relief of back pain from having my core strengthened,” says one RealSelf member. “My posture has dramatically improved, and the change in muscle tone in the treatment areas is significant. The pain relief was just a big bonus!”

“You don’t build muscle overnight, but this is as close to overnight as you can get! Three weeks after my last treatment, I’m still seeing the results getting better.”—Genius844748, RealSelf member

Not really. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) units send an electrical impulse through the skin, but they would have to be set to very uncomfortable levels to be able to penetrate the muscle. “The skin would feel like it’s being burned,” says Dr. Allenby. This is why TENS units haven’t been successful in treating muscles and work better for treating pain. 

CoolTone bypasses the skin completely and focuses solely on the muscle. “This is why we can achieve those intense contractions while patients are in a comfortable passive state,” explains Dr. Allenby.

The primary alternative to CoolTone is Emsculpt, which uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy to stimulate muscle contractions, toning muscles while burning fat.

Emsculpt can treat the same body areas as CoolTone, plus the arms and calves with their newest handpieces. A series of four 30-minute treatments is recommended.  

The manufacturer of CoolTone says that its device has “50% more magnetic intensity,” but that claim has not yet been clinically established. Dr. Eugene Nowak, a dermatologic surgeon in Chula Vista, California, says “There’s no study to show that this increase provides additional benefit.”

The new Emsculpt NEO, launched in fall 2020, offers enhanced HIFEM technology that delivers up to 20% more electromagnetic pulses than the original. It combines muscle toning with radiofrequency (RF) energy in the form of heat, to burn fat (an optional feature for areas like the butt, where some patients like to keep that volume). 

As mentioned above, RealSelf members give Emsculpt a significantly higher Worth It Rating than CoolTone (87% vs. 50%, respectively). 

Related: My Unfiltered Emsculpt Neo Review, from Cost and Pain Level to What Results Were Really Like

CoolTone works by activating the muscle layer, whereas a CoolSculpting treatment targets the fat cells. 

"CoolScuplting is an FDA-approved treatment that eliminates stubborn fat through a cooling technology," says Boca Raton, FL plastic surgeon Dr. Scott Farber in a RealSelf Q&A. "CoolTone targets muscle by strengthening, toning and firming the abdomen, buttock, and thighs through Magnetic Muscle Stimulation technology. A combination of these treatments often delivers optimal aesthetic results."

Related: CoolSculpting vs. Emsculpt: What's the Difference?