Emsculpt has taken the world of aesthetics by storm and has garnered a lot of attention online, both for its ability to sculpt the body, and for unusual sensation experienced during the treatment.
Emsculpt is the first FDA cleared non-invasive treatment that sculpts your body using
HIFEM (high intensity focused electromagnetic) technology. Build muscle and burn fat with 20 000 supramaximal contractions in each 30-min session.
The procedure is currently FDA-approved to treat the abdomen, buttocks, arms, calves and thighs.
How does Emsculpt work?
Emsculpt works differently to Electric Muscle Stimulation devices currently on the market. It does not use electrodes to flow current in the body, but instead creates a magnetic field in the tissues. Electric stimulation devices are localised, superficial and flow electric current from one electrode to another while stimulating a specific muscle. Emsculpt penetrates much deeper below the skin and polarises all the motor nerves in a neural network, which causes the stimulation of all the muscles in the treated area – not just one localised one.
Emsculpt induces powerful muscle contractions not achievable voluntarily. These powerful contractions induce excessive demand for energy which commonly results in an intramuscular fat decrease, as well as growth in volume and multiplication of muscle fibres. The results? Improved tone, strengthened muscles and a firmer and more sculpted look.
A 30-minute Emsculpt session is the equivalent of doing 20 000 sit-ups or squats.
What does Emsculpt feel like?
Emsculpt does not cause pain, but some may describe the unusual sensation it causes as uncomfortable. The machine starts working at a low level, working its way up to 100% intensity as your muscles get used to the vibrations. The contractions feel like super-intense vibrations, and the tapping motion (that breaks up lactic acid released by your muscles) may feel like you are being flicked with a rubber band.
Is Emsculpt safe?
Emsculpt is approved by the FDA, and when the treatment is performed by a trained professional, it is safe for most people (scroll down to learn who shouldn’t have this treatment done).
Are there any side effects?
There is no downtime after an Emsculpt session, and possible side effects are minimal, but include:
• Muscular pain
• Temporary muscle spasm
• Temporary joint or tendon pain
• Local erythema or skin redness (at the site of treatment)
Is there anyone who should not go for Emsculpt treatments?
Yes – Emsculpt is best avoided while pregnant, but can be performed post-pregnancy, as soon as you receive the all-clear from your doctor. The new non-invasive technology has the ability to transform the abdomen and significantly improve diastasis recti that can form after pregnancy.
It is not suitable for anyone with electronic implants, defibrillators and neurostimulators. The best candidate for Emsculpt is someone who is within a healthy BMI range.
How effective is Emsculpt?
While Emsculpt offers measurable results, it is not a miracle treatment. It won’t completely change your body shape or give you a six-pack overnight. What it will do, is strengthen your muscles, improve tone and give you a more sculpted look, which could result in a flatter stomach with abdominal muscle definition, or more sculpted, firmer buttocks. What’s important to note is that Emsculpt works best when done in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle: getting regular exercise, eating healthy foods and drinking lots of water will support your Emsculpt journey and ensure you achieve maximum results, and maintain those results.
How many sessions do I need?
It is recommended to do a course of 6 sessions, with at least a day between sessions and preferably nothing longer than 7 days between sessions. The reason for doing the sessions closer together is because muscles have the highest potential for improvement during the first few treatments, and every additional treatment may bring an incremental improvement, but not a dramatic result.
After completing 6 sessions, a rest period of 2-3 months should be taken where after you can complete another course if you’d like. During the rest period you should still continue with normal exercise.
Our editor’s review
Our editor experienced a session of Emsculpt on her buttocks, at the lovely Scinmed clinic in Wembley Square, Cape Town.
“I’ve tried many beauty treatments during my career, and I am always interested in experiencing new technologies and innovations, so I jumped at the chance to go for a session of Emsculpt. I didn’t know much about body sculpting beforehand, and I was grateful to get a wonderful therapist who explained the procedure and answered all the questions I’d prepared.
The question I’ve been asked most frequently post-treatment, is whether it was painful. In short – no, I did not experience any pain whatsoever. However, I would describe parts of the treatment as uncomfortable, but certainly not unbearable.
I chose to have the treatment done on my buttocks. The device was strapped over my body, with one panel firmly secured on each buttock. The procedure starts off slowly, with the therapist setting the device to a lower power setting, before (hopefully), working up to 100% intensity after 5 minutes.
The device alternates between contractions (which occur a few seconds apart, and feels like intense vibrations deep within the body) and tapping motions (which break up lactic acid, and feels a bit like you’re being lightly flicked with a rubber band). I found myself laughing involuntarily a couple of times as the sensation was sometimes ticklish, and at other times it felt like intense pulling and gripping of muscles. I could feel vibrations, or strange sensations, running from my buttocks into my thighs and legs with each contraction, which my therapist assured me is completely normal.
It’s difficult to describe in words exactly what it feels like, as it is unlike anything I’ve felt before, but I can truthfully say that it did not hurt, and it became more comfortable as the session went on and I got used to it. I was able to hold a conversation with my therapist throughout, who assured me that with each new session a patient goes for, it becomes more comfortable due to the strengthening of the muscles.
The session went by quickly, and did not feel like 30 minutes! While there is no downtime, I was told that it’s normal to experience some muscle tightness, pain or spasms over the next 24 hours. I had my session done after lunch, and felt my first muscle spasm during my early evening walk, around 18:30 that same day. Throughout that evening my buttocks felt tight (similar to when you overdo the squats at the gym) and I experienced another few spasms and some muscle pain (but again, nothing serious or debilitating). The next day, I had absolutely no stiffness or pain, and felt good as new.
While I did not expect to see any results after one session (and my therapist explained that six sessions are needed to see maximum results), I definitely felt an improvement in the area. My muscles felt stronger and tighter (which was especially evident in my next exercise session), and while I’m not sure if it’s just in my head or not, I felt like the area was already firmer after just one session.
If you’re interested in having this treatment done, my advice would be as follows:
Visit a reliable clinic like Scinmed, where staff are trained and qualified to perform the procedure (don’t fall for dodgy online specials from unheard of “backstreet” salons!). Have realistic expectations (your therapist will guide you here) and maintain a balanced, healthy lifestyle to get the best results. If you go for these treatments but you never exercise, eat unhealthy foods every day and smoke / drink excessively, you won’t get the best results and it won’t be worth the investment.
While it’s quite pricey, it needs to be looked at as an investment and the before-and-after results I’ve seen have definitely been worth it.”
Anien – Editor
What does it cost?
Scinmed (with branches in Wembley Square, Cape Town, and Hyde Park, Johannesburg) offers Emsculpt treatments for the abdomen and buttocks.
Emsculpt is available at R5000 per session, but Scinmed is currently running a promotion in conjunction with Exilis (Exilis is a no-downtime, no pain, in-office procedure used for both combined skin tightening and non-invasive fat removal and body contouring) for R2750 per session, which includes 30 min of Emsculpt and 20 min of Elixir.
To book a session, or to learn more, contact Scinmed here or give them a call on 021 465 6557 (Wembley Square branch) or 010 350 0800 (Hyde Park branch).
Learn more here: https://scinmed.com/treatments/emsculpt/
