The thighs and buttocks are where cellulite shows most and where EMtone was studied: the back and outer thighs, the inner thighs, and the buttocks, treated together or one at a time. In the 2018 study of 30 women treated on exactly this area, specialists grading photographs without knowing which was before or after found cellulite reduced in 93% at three months, with the hips 2.3 cm and the thighs 2.1 cm smaller on average. A course is four sessions of about 20 minutes per area, once or twice a week over two to four weeks, with no downtime, at EMtone Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, with the price in writing at a free consultation.
Why this area
Cellulite on the thighs and buttocks is the classic pattern: fibrous bands pulling the skin down, fat chambers pushing it up, skin that has lost elasticity and circulation that has slowed. EMtone's radiofrequency heat and targeted pressure energy act on each of those at once, in BTL's account, warming the skin to 40 to 45°C so it builds collagen and elastin, loosening the bands and moving fluid. It is FDA-cleared in the US for the temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and the thighs, hips and buttocks are three of the four areas BTL names.
What the studies measured on the thighs and buttocks
- 30 women, 2018: four weekly sessions on the thighs and buttocks; cellulite reduced in 93% at three months, good or better in 73%; hips 2.3 cm and thighs 2.1 cm smaller.
- 30 patients (28 completed), 2023: grade 2 or 3 cellulite, four sessions over two to four weeks; the severity score fell from 9.1 to 4.9 at six months, the thighs 3.2 cm smaller, 86% satisfied and 82% with firmer skin.
- 32 patients, 2023, EMtone combined with EMsculpt NEO in each session: the 15 treated on the thighs measured 3.0 cm smaller at three months.
Which thighs, and how it is quoted
The front, back, inner and outer thigh are each a surface, and the buttocks are their own area. Many people ask for the back of the thighs and the buttocks together, where the dimpling shows when sitting or in a swimsuit; the inner and front thighs are added where the dimpling carries on there. The written quote from the free consultation names the areas, says whether both thighs count as one area or two, and gives the course price with a price match on any comparable written quote.
The session and the result
About 20 minutes per area, and in our experience 45 minutes to an hour for a full thigh treatment, longer with the buttocks, with the skin held at 40 to 45°C; it feels like a hot stone massage with strong vibration. No downtime. In our experience the skin feels smoother after the second or third session, the main change builds over three months, when we take the after photograph, and it holds for several months with a top-up session every three to six months. The sessions page sets out the course.
Who it suits
Moderate cellulite in someone whose weight is stable, the strongest responders in the studies, on any skin type the studies covered (skin types II to V, fair to brown). Heavy cellulite with deep dimples and loose skin after large weight loss respond less, and a flat or soft bottom under the cellulite is where EMsculpt NEO at our sister clinic is added first. The clinician plans the combination at the free consultation. The full EMtone guide covers who it does not suit.
Not sure you are suitable? Ask the clinician, it is free
Book a free consultation
Call EMtone Clinic on 0207 099 9641 or use the form below. The clinician grades the cellulite on your thighs and buttocks, takes the before photograph with your consent, and gives you the course price in writing.
