Once upon a time, if a person had unwanted fat that they couldn’t get rid of through exercise or diet, their only option was to have the fat surgically removed through liposuction. Luckily, today, there are many non-surgical, minimally or non-invasive body contouring and fat removal options available. According to the Cleveland Clinic, many of these non-invasive body contouring treatments work by destroying fat cells in an area. The fat is often heated or frozen away.
Emsculpt is a body-contouring treatment that’s different from the rest. It doesn’t just get rid of unwanted fat, it also tones the muscles in the treatment area. After several sessions, the area not only looks slimmer but also more toned.
What’s Emsculpt?
Emsculpt is an FDA-approved body contouring treatment that uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFEM®) to build muscle while eliminating fat, writes Dr. Goretti Taghva of Newport Beach, CA. Compared to other body contouring treatments, the goal of Emsculpt is not to eliminate fat but to build up and tone the muscle in the treated area, usually the abdomen or buttocks. And to do so non-invasively.
The elimination of unwanted fat is just a happy side effect of the treatment process. One study found that the average person lost about 19% of fat in the treated area.
During each 30-minute treatment, the electromagnetic energy (which is the same energy used by MRI machines), cause the muscles in the area to contract about 20,000 times. All of the muscles in the area are engaged during the treatment, compared to just about half of the muscles during a standard exercise routine.
The 20,000 contractions are also considerably more than any person could do during a regular sit-up or squats routine. According to Health, the contractions cause the muscles to produce a chemical that breaks down fat.
Pros of Emsculpt
For the right candidate, Emsculpt offers many benefits and advantages. Some of the pros of body contouring treatment include:
- There is no downtime. Since Emsculpt is non-invasive and relatively comfortable, most people can go back to their regularly scheduled activities right away. Some people even head back to the gym a day or two after treatment.
- Treatment sessions are short. While do you need multiple treatment sessions to get the best results from Emsculpt, each session is short, about 30 minutes.
- It builds muscles. While other body shaping treatments only focus on removing fat, Emsculpt focuses on toning and building muscle. You not only emerge from the treatment looking slimmer and more toned. You also end up stronger.
- It can reduce diastasis recti. Diastasis recti are the separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy, according to WebMD. It’s a fairly common problem women have after giving birth and it can make the abdomen area look bigger. After treatment with Emsculpt, people with diastasis recti were likely to report a 10% reduction in it.
- It’s a good option for people who can’t have liposuction. Emsculpt is ideal for people who don’t have a lot of excess fat in their abdomen or buttocks. The ideal candidate will have about one inch of fat (or less).
Cons of Emsculpt
As with any cosmetic treatment or plastic surgery, there are some risks and drawbacks of Emsculpt to be aware of.
- It can be intense. While Emsculpt isn’t uncomfortable or painful, the treatment process is very similar to doing an intense workout at the gym. It’s likely to be more intense than any workout you could do on your own since the electromagnetic waves are causing more muscle contractions than you could do during a series of crunches or squats.
- It’s not for everyone. Emsculpt is best for people who are at their goal weight and who have a minimal amount of fat. If you have more fat to remove, you might be better off choosing another type of body contouring procedure or surgical fat removal.
- You might feel sore afterward. Although there’s no downtime after Emsculpt, many people do report feeling sore in the treated area afterward. The soreness is similar to what you might feel after an intense session at the gym, but perhaps more so. Many people note that soreness fades after a day or so.
- You need multiple treatments. Emsculpt isn’t a one-and-done treatment. According to one study, people noted dramatic results after four sessions. It’s also worth noting that it can take another few weeks after the last treatment for results to appear. If you don’t notice much of a change after one or two sessions, don’t give up. Your body needs time to flush out the fat and build up the muscle.
- It doesn’t replace exercise. This last one can be a pro or a con, depending on your point of view. Although Emsculpt leads to muscle contractions, having the treatments performed doesn’t give you an excuse to skip the gym for the rest of the time. You’ll still want to maintain or start up an exercise routine to keep your muscles strong and toned
For the right candidate, the pros of Emsculpt far outweigh the cons. If you’ve long wanted toned abs or a firmer, rounder backside, but aren’t seeing much change through exercise or diet alone, treatment sessions with Emsculpt might be just what you need to get the body you want.
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