When first launched back in 2018, the original classic Emsculpt machine was the world’s first and only therapeutic treatment that utilises HIFEM (high intensity focused electromagnetic) technology to help to build muscle, tone, contour and sculpt the body, all in just a quick 30-minute session. Following the success of EmSculpt Classic, the upgraded Emsculpt NEO was launched in 2020, and expanded upon its predecessor’s capabilities by simultaneously delivering heat and magnetic energy. The result is more fat reduction and muscle growth. Clinical studies have demonstrated that on average, patients experienced a 30% fat reduction and a 25% increase in muscle in the treated areas. With over 1 million treatments administered globally to date, the Emsculpt Classic and Emsculpt Neo continue to be one of the leading gold-standard solutions in non-invasive body contouring therapies.

Hot on the heels of the Emsculpt Neo are the new and expanded Emsculpt Neo Edge applicators. By leveraging the existing tried and test Emsculpt technology and combining that with newly designed state-of-the-art Edge applicators which can now target curvaceous parts of the body not previously accessible, such as both sides of the entire lateral abdomen; also known as the flanks. Sleekly and cleverly designed to accommodate the curvy side contour areas of the body, the Edge applicators also utilizes the same radiofrequency and HIFEM technology to effectively target and simultaneously address fatty deposits and muscle groups that are primarily in the lateral abdomen region. The inner and outer thighs, back, arms, love handles, and other areas with intense curvatures are all perfectly suited and also accommodated by the new Emsculpt NEO Edge applicator design. The standard Emsculpt Neo applicators are mainly suited for treating the abdomen, buttocks, arms, and calves, but in combination with the new Edge applicators, it is now possible to effectively contour and tone almost any part of the body.

The new edge applicators also help to tone up the oblique muscles while treating the lateral abdomen. Many patients even experience a significant improvement in their core posture. According to Ron Borsheim, Vice President of Product Development of BTL, “With the exciting new addition of the Edge applicator, BTL is continuing to raise the bar in the aesthetics industry and innovate for versatility by extending the sculpting power of the award-winning Emsculpt NEO therapy. The unrivaled device treats more key muscle groups than any other non-invasive treatment. The latest launch further positions the body shaping therapy as the most expansive treating non-invasive contouring device on the market, capturing all major bodily regions.”

Dr Rohan Mendis of Mendis Aesthetics & Surgery says, “The Emsculpt Neo Edge increases your muscle tone, particularly in your abdomen and obliques. By improving your core muscle strength, people may find many improvements to their daily life such as balance, posture, strength, confidence, back discomfort, and even romance. Having better core strength can help in all areas of fitness, sports activities and any activities that require body movement. If there are any reasons why it is difficult for a person to go to the gym, then the benefits from the Emsculpt Neo Edge increases because it can be used to substitute and add onto an existing exercise regime. It is always best to exercise, but the Emsculpt Neo Edge can help deliver gains in muscle strength in order to substitute for time when you simply cannot make it to the gym, or further improve the gains you have already earned from working out. If you have reached a healthy weight and want to further contour your body and achieve a tighter and more toned physique, you are most likely a good candidate for this unique and effective treatment. Once you experience all the benefits of Emsculpt Neo Edge, you will have a renewed sense of confidence in your overall bodily appearance and will be able to push even harder during your workouts to achieve higher goals and standards.”

After feasting on a cornucopia of delicious food from various Christmas and New Year gatherings, I started to develop stubborn love handles that created an unflatteringly embarrassing muffin top look. Other than side crunches and side planks, there are no other specific forms of exercises that can spot target those lateral obliques. The first thing that I noted about the newly launched Emsculpt Edge is that it has four contact points as opposed to the one contact point offered with the Emsculpt Neo applicator. As I am ultra sensitive to touch, I did find the initial contractions to be a bit painful especially at the beginning, but less so than with the standard Neo in spite of having more body contact points. In any case, my body quickly adapted. Each series of gradually increased contractions were being alternated with vibrational tapping by the apparatus in order to ease out the lactic acid formation in the muscles and to give users a break and reprieve between the “work outs”. I could tangibly feel the sensation of the Edge applicators targeting the fatty deposits around my waistline and before I knew it, the 30 mins session was over.

I decided to be brave and gung-ho enough to test out if I am unable to handle and tolerate a back-to-back session of the Emsculpt NEO right after I was finished with the session of the Emscuplt Edge. As the nurse working at Mendis Aesthetics gradually cranked up the intensity level on the NEO applicator that was being placed on top of my abdomen, I started to cringe slightly. She then held my hand and soothed me with words of encouragement like a compassionate doula or midwife assisting someone to give birth. The empathetic nurse advised, “Relax into it. Try not to fight or resist the machine. Just allow the Emsculpt to do the work for you.” Her words of wisdom worked as my threshold for pain tolerance increased the more I relaxed into the session and I even managed to meditate and do some simple breathing exercises that further allowed me to ease into and enjoy the entire experience.

Melissa, Founder of The Wellness Insider, had a slightly different experience in terms of pain. She said that it was tolerable and almost akin to period cramps. In fact, the nurse had cranked up the intensity level on the Neo applicator a lot faster for her as women tend to have higher threshold of pain. However, Melissa did comment that one side did feel a bit more intense than the other and there were moments during certain ‘patterns’ that did cause a bigger cringe and made her wonder whether this would even come close to the pain of child birth.

The best thing that I like about the Emsculpt Neo and Edge are the warm sensations emanating from the heating effect of the apparatus as they felt akin to being pampered with a soothing hot stones spa massage therapy. The heat felt comfortably warm and fuzzy, yet was ample enough to induce a temporal slight redness and a thin layer of sweat to form and accumulate on the surface of my skin where the applicators were being placed. Before the session, my festive season paunch was spilling over the waistband of my jeans and I had to leave the waistband unbuttoned to create some ease. Immediately after the one hour combined session of both the Emsculpt Neo & Edge, I could comfortably button up my jeans again. That is quite amazing! But do note that not everybody gets the same results as Emsculpt Neo is meant more for body contouring rather than a quick fat-loss solution. Melissa did not have the same noticeable difference as women do tend to have more fat storage around the waist. Nonetheless, she gave the feedback that due to the obliques ‘workout’ from the Emsculpt Neo, her body wasn’t so stiff in the mornings and she could easily get out of bed as well as twist to reach. It felt like the effects of a month of pilates squeezed into 30 minutes and without the usual muscle aches.

After each treatment, the dead fat cells are being safely flushed out and eliminated by the body’s natural metabolic process. The normal treatment protocol is usually 4 x 30 mins sessions that are scheduled between 5-10 days apart. Thereafter, the best results are seen and gotten by the 3rd week after the fourth and final session. My personal opinion is that this works best when paired with a sensible diet and a regular exercise regime, and if you are looking for an add-on supplementary treatment to help speed up and accentuate your consistent efforts towards your fitness goals. If you already have some visible abs going on, then the Emsculpt will likely further enhance them and make you look closer to the sculpted ideal that you are seeking. If you have a little bit more of the ‘good stuff’ around your waist or are severely overweight, you might just be able to see some slight tangible results, but it is highly unrealistic to expect drastic results from just a single session of Emsculpt alone without doing anything more than that.

The Emsculpt Neo Edge is touted by Hollywood celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, as well as been widely showcased in many reality TV shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives of Orange County. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Boston, the Emsculpt’s manufacturer BTL has developed to become one of the world’s major medical and aesthetic equipment manufacturers. The company has revolutionised the beauty industry by supplying the most advanced non-invasive solutions for body shaping, skin tightening and other medical aesthetic treatments with their trademarked machine apparatus such as the Emsculpt NEO, Exilis Ultra and soon to be launched Emface.

“When the innovative Emsculpt surprised the aesthetics market in 2018, BTL committed to continued investment in creating an extensive pipeline of ground-breaking therapies. Utilizing 20+ years of institutional knowledge, we continue to round out the body solutions with our Emsculpt Neo platform and have our sights set on tackling facial applications with the Emface platform,” says Scott Mills, President of BTL, in a media news release. Stay tuned for our upcoming review of the exciting Emface once it is being officially released and launched in a few months’ time.

For more information on Emsculpt Edge and BTL Aesthetics, visit www.bodybybtl.com

To try out the Emsculpt Neo or Edge, you can go to:
Mendis Aesthetics
https://www.drmendis.com/
[email protected]
333A, #04-17 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238897
Tel: +65 6235 1728

Images: BTL