How Does Emsculpt
Tone And Contour Your Body At The Same Time

Millions of Americans suffer from stubborn pockets of body fat. Sometimes, no matter how many carbs we cut or how many times we hit the gym, we just can’t quite get rid of these problem areas. If that sounds like you, it’s time to stop despairing. This is where body contouring treatments come in: these popular techniques use recent technology to melt away fat almost like magic. One of the most popular forms of body contouring, and one offered by us at Princeton Aesthetics in Princeton Junction, NJ, is called EmSculpt.

EmSculpt is unique among body contouring treatments because it can not only melt away fat, but also tone muscle at the same time. It can flatten out a belly, firm and round a behind, or make thighs more muscular than ever, all with just a few quick, painless, half-hour treatments. This might sound impossible, but it’s all down to this treatment’s unique technology. In this article, we’ll tell you all about how this exciting body contouring technique works and help you determine whether it’s the right solution for you.

What Is EmSculpt?

When you hear the phrase “quick fix,” your mind might automatically associate it with another word: scam. We’ve all seen those late-night commercials for various fast fixes for belly fat. But this treatment is the real deal, and it’s backed by FDA approval.

EmSculpt is a non-invasive, FDA-approved treatment that uses electromagnetic technology to both eliminate fat cells and strengthen muscles in the area of treatment. It’s usually used on the belly, butt, and thighs, although it can be used elsewhere on the body. In order to understand how it works, we first have to explore how fat in the human body works.

The Science Behind Body Fat

Body fat is stored in fat cells. You might think that losing weight would cause you to lose fat cells while gaining weight would cause you to gain fat cells. Surprisingly that’s not how it works. In fact, the number of fat cells in the body remains more or less constant after adolescence. Once we’re grown up, our body doesn’t make new fat cells unless we’re gaining weight at a rapid rate.

Instead, fat cells shrink or expand depending on how much fat they have to store. If we gain weight, our bodies will store nutrients in the form of fat in these fat cells and they’ll expand. If we lose weight, our bodies will break down the fat stored in those cells and use its nutrients. In other words, you might be in tip-top shape, but unless you’re doing extreme workouts those fat cells aren’t going anywhere. That’s why most people have stubborn pockets of fat that fail to respond to diet and exercise.

In order to get rid of stubborn fat on the belly, butt, thighs, and other areas once and for all, we have to kill the fat cells. That’s where EmSculpt comes in.

How Does It Work?

EmSculpt uses a device that emits electromagnetic pulses, which trigger something called “supramaximal contractions,” meaning they are impossible to achieve using voluntary muscle contractions. In fact, the “E” and “M” in the name refer to the electromagnetic technology in this treatment. This technology forces the muscles in the treated area to do 20,000 contractions in just a half-hour; far more than you could achieve on your own. This would be like doing 20,000 situps in the same amount of time.

These extreme contractions force the body to adapt. It does so in much the same way it adapts to exercise but in an accelerated fashion. The muscle tissue restructures itself, making it stronger and more toned. As it does, it releases enzymes that tell the body to break down fat in the surrounding area. Your body needs that fat to keep up with the contractions, and it needs a lot of it quickly. That’s why these enzymes don’t just use fat: they break the fat cells down entirely.

That’s right: those fat cells we talked about above that are so hard to get rid of? This treatment forces your body to kill them outright. Once those cells are destroyed, the body will process them over time, flushing them out and leaving the treated area more toned and muscular than ever. One study found a 23% reduction in fat in the treated area three months post-treatment, and a 15% increase in abdominal muscle after two months. Results can continue to develop and improve over the course of six months.

The EmSculpt Treatment

What Is It Like?

This treatment is basically a superhuman workout for the treated area, and it largely feels like that – except you’re lying down and relaxing the entire time. If your abdominal area is the spot undergoing treatment, here’s how it works: the applicator rests on your belly and cycles through its program. This involves two modes of intensity: one that contracts the muscles a hundred times every couple seconds, and one that contracts them a thousand times every couple seconds. A third phase causes the muscles to contract slowly and deliberately.

People who undergo this treatment describe it largely as odd. Your body isn’t built to contract its muscles like this, so while it’s not dangerous in any way, it will certainly feel unnatural. Your muscles might be a little sore post-treatment, just as they would after a strenuous workout, but that’s the worst side effect you can expect.

How Many Treatments Do I Need?

Each treatment lasts a half-hour, and it’s recommended each patient undergo four treatments over a two-week period, spaced a few days apart each. Each of these treatments lasts the requisite thirty minutes, which means you’ll be able to get a flatter, more muscular tummy in just two hours spaced over two weeks. With zero recovery downtime, you could even get these treatments over your lunch break and head right back to work, with no one the wiser!

In the end, the number of treatments you need is down to what kind of results you want to see and how many sessions it takes to achieve those results. To find out, talk to one of our professionals at Princeton Aesthetics.

How Long Until I See Results?

As mentioned above, it can take some time for your results to fully manifest. That’s because it takes time for your body to process and remove the dead fat cells and because your abdominal muscles are undergoing a deep restructuring. Some people will see their results continue to improve up to six months after their last treatment. As the body removes the fat cells and the muscles grow stronger, the treated area will grow firmer. If it’s your belly, you’ll see it flatten out over time, and you won’t have to do a thing but stick to your normal diet and exercise routine.

Are the Results Permanent?

How long your results last will depend largely on how active your lifestyle is. As we talked about above, four treatments will reduce the fat cells in the treated area by roughly 23% over three months; that means there are plenty of fat cells left that could expand if left unchecked. If you maintain a good diet and exercise regimen, there’s no reason to expect your results to disappear anytime soon.

Some people, however, choose to undergo EmSculpt more than once, returning for regular maintenance treatments. If the muscles that are treated aren’t worked out regularly, they won’t be maintained, so some people go back for additional treatment rather than adding an exercise regimen to their routine. These treatments, however, are far less frequent than the initial treatment. Maintenance can be done as frequently as once a month to as infrequently as once a year.

What Makes a Good Candidate for EmSculpt?

This treatment might be the rare quick-fix miracle, but it’s not a fix for everyone. Generally, the treatment won’t be administered to people under 21 years of age, for example. Women who are pregnant or think they may be pregnant should inform their practitioner during their consultation, as it may affect their candidacy. Here are some other ways to know if this treatment is right for you:

You Are Already in Good Shape

It’s important to note with body contouring treatments like this that they are not cures for obesity, nor are they weight loss treatments. They are purely cosmetic in nature, intended to provide aesthetic results that make the patient more comfortable in their own skin. That means that this treatment is best suited for people who are in decent shape and already at or near their ideal body weight.

You Are Physically Active

As we discussed above, this treatment kills plenty of fat cells but not all of them. That means that there’s always potential for the fat cells remaining in the treated area to expand again, covering up the results of the treatment. If you don’t currently exercise and eat well, you’ll risk your results disappearing over time. If you are physically active and maintain a healthy diet though, you can expect your results to stick with you for as long as you keep your health-focused lifestyle.

You Have Ruled Out Surgical Options

Invasive surgical procedures like liposuction have their time and place, but they come with a lot of caveats, including a high price tag and plenty of downtime. If you already know that a surgical body contouring option is not right for you, this treatment might be a great option. There are other body contouring treatments out there, but this one is the most painless, and it’s the only one that strengthens and tones muscle at the same time that it burns fat.

You Are Sick of Stubborn Body Fat

Pockets of body fat are perfectly normal and natural. Most people don’t look like Hollywood celebrities, and that’s okay. If, however, you are frustrated with your body fat and have been trying to rid yourself of it through diet and exercise to no avail, this treatment could provide you with the change you’ve been striving for.

Conclusion

This FDA-approved treatment seems almost too good to be true, but professionals and patients alike all over the country are embracing it. Unlike liposuction, it’s non-invasive and requires zero downtime. You can get a treatment over your lunch break and be back at work in no time. In just a few short weeks, the stubborn body fat you’ve been trying to get rid of for years will melt away, leaving tones muscle behind, all thanks to this stunning technological innovation.

If this sounds like the fix you’ve been looking for, give Princeton Aesthetics in Princeton, NJ a call and set up a consultation to learn more.