What is the Emsculpt NEO?
The Emsculpt NEO is the first and only non-invasive body contouring device to treat both muscle and fat at the same time. The NEO uses patented High Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Energy (HIFEM) and synchronized RF (radiofrequency). The HIFEM component will tone and strengthen your muscles by contracting them to a level that we cannot achieve on our own, called supramaximal muscle contraction. In one 30- minute session, the entire muscle group will experience over 20,000 supramaximal contractions. At the same time, the radiofrequency (RF) will heat the fat to a therapeutic temperature which kills stubborn fat cells. The RF also heats the muscle to make it more responsive to the treatment.
How many treatments will I need?
The treatment protocol will normally be 4-6 treatments for a body area. At the time of your consultation, your Emsculpt NEO consultant will be able to assess to see if you’re a good candidate and make a recommendation on number of treatments. This is a customizable treatment!
How long in between treatments?
It is recommended to leave 5-10 days between treatments. Most people prefer to come once a week.
How do I know it will work?
The Emsculpt NEO is backed by science and clinical evidence. The studies use methods like MRI, CT, Ultrasound and biopsy to test outcomes. These tests look at the fat layer and muscle thickness. No other body contouring device can show hypertrophy (thickening of the muscle) and hyperplasia (new muscle fibre development) as well as fat cell death (apoptosis). The Emsculpt NEO has over 13 peer reviewed clinical studies showing its effectiveness on fat and muscle. The HIFEM technology itself has an additional 22 peer reviewed studies showing its impact on muscle. The Emsculpt NEO is a non- invasive treatment, not surgery. In your initial consultation you will learn about outcomes and expectations. Every person is different and results can vary. However, you will also learn about some things that you can do to help achieve great results such as proper hydration during your treatments.
What can I expect for outcomes?
On average, patients can see 30% fat reduction of the treated area, 25% muscle growth, 5.9cm circumferential reduction of the waistline and 19% closure of abdominal separation (diastasis recti). Many patients find that they see a nice retraction of the skin on the treated area also.
What areas of the body can the Emsculpt NEO treat?
We can currently treat 9 body areas: abdomen, buttocks, biceps, triceps, inner thighs, outer thighs/saddlebags, fronts of legs/quads, hamstrings and calves.
Does the Emsculpt NEO treatment hurt?
The energy is focused deep into the muscle and fat layer, not superficially where our pain sensors reside. As a result, the treatment can be intense, but should not be painful. The technician also has the ability to start the energy lower and move up gradually should you need to. You will feel a warm to hot level of heat from the radiofrequency but in general this is a very well tolerated treatment. Most patients feel exhilarated post treatment!
How does the Emsculpt NEO compare to CoolSculpting?
CoolSculpting targets fat only through cryolipolysis or freezing of fat cells. CoolSculpting is typically used to spot treat stubborn pockets of fat and is great for debulking. Applicators will be placed on targeted areas via suction to sculpt specific areas. You may need several applicators during your treatment to get the best coverage. The Emsculpt NEO offers more global fat reduction of the entire area and muscle toning of that area as well. Depending on your body composition and goals, you will learn in your consultation which treatment is best suited to you. You might also discover that your customized treatment plan might have both technologies involved! Best outcomes in body contouring most often involves different modalities and both will be explained fully to you in your consultation.
Are the results permanent?
Studies show that peak results on the fat and muscle are seen at 3 months post treatment. Fat reduction can be more permanent if you maintain the same lifestyle. We only have a certain number of fat cells by the time we reach adulthood and if we kill some off, they don’t grow back. Your muscle results usually need to be maintained. Studies show that even one year post treatment, the muscle thickness remains consistent. However, the tone will likely have diminished so additional treatments might be needed to keep the results. This is not unlike a gym training regime. If you were to hit the weights hard for 6 months and then did nothing for the next 6 months, muscles would start to soften. Patients can create their own maintenance plan. Some might do one treatment every 3 months; others might decide to do two at 6 months. There are no rules and you can work with your consultant to decide what works best for you.
How is the Emsculpt NEO different than the Emsculpt Classic?
If you’ve done some research, you might have learned that there are two different versions of Emsculpt. The Emsculpt classic has no radiofrequency component so it is intended to treat muscle only. The Emsculpt NEO is the newest version of the technology and treats both fat and muscle with synchronized radiofrequency and HIFEM in the same 30-minute treatment. Studies show that when we heat the muscle, we see accelerated muscle growth in comparison to the Emsculpt classic treatments. The Emsculpt NEO can also treat more body areas with options to treat for full fat reduction, muscle heating with no fat reduction, or the classic treatment with no heat.
How is the Emsculpt NEO different than other ‘muscle’ devices?
The Emsculpt technology was the first of its kind to create a whole new category in body contouring by treating the muscle layer. Since its inception, other technologies have come out claiming to be ‘the same or better than’ Emsculpt or Emsculpt NEO for treating muscle. The Emsculpt NEO is the only device to use HIFEM or magnetic energy. Other devices will use electrical stimulation which has serious
limitations. These types of treatments use electrodes so the energy will flow from one to the other taking the least path of resistance, so more superficially. As such, these treatments can feel pinchy or snappy because the energy is closer to the dermis where our pain sensors reside. This means, we cannot get the energy high enough to elicit the same kind of muscle contractions that we see with HIFEM because it would simply be too painful. It’s important to know if a technology has clinical evidence to support what they say they do. Many of these electrical stimulation devices are remakes of older physiotherapy technology with no ability to cause hypertrophy (thickening of the muscle) or hyperplasia (the development of new muscle fibres). In addition, other technologies require you to treat the muscle and the fat independently where as the Emsculpt NEO does both at the same time.
Is there downtime with Emsculpt NEO?
No. You can resume your normal activities after your session. Some people have reported a mild soreness or fatigue (much like day 3 after the gym) but, no downtime.
Will Emsculpt NEO tighten my skin?
Emsculpt NEO is not indicted for skin tightening, primarily because it has not been studied. However, we do know that at the therapeutic temperature of 42 degrees Celsius, we can see some improvement in skin laxity, tone and texture.
Why not just go to the gym?
Even the most avid gym goers reach a point where the brain says STOP. The muscle gets tired and the lactic acid begins to build and cause soreness. With Emsculpt NEO we are bypassing the brain’s function and are targeting the motor neurons responsible for moving that muscle. By delivering thousands of supramaximal contractions, we are taking the muscle beyond how it is able to perform on its own. Emsculpt NEO was not designed to replace a healthy lifestyle and diet but rather to compliment it. You will feel stronger, perform better at the gym and see results faster. Studies looking at levels of heat shock proteins present in the muscle show that just 4 treatments of Emsculpt NEO are comparable to 12-16 weeks of HIIT training, it’s a great place to start!