I heard Emsculpt builds muscle in addition to melting fat. Can it help build my muscles for me?

Question

I recently lost 80lbs (went from 220 to 140) and was told by my personal trainer at the gym that I need to build muscle to help with my excess skin. Can Emsculpt help me with this? I do not want to get a tummy tuck.

Sanjay Grover, MD, FACS · Answer

Emsculpt does not treat loose skin of the abdomen or buttocks.  Emsculpt treatments by BTL utilize HIFEM or high intensity focused electromagnetic energy to cause supramaximal muscle contractions of the abdomen and buttocks resulting in muscle development and fat reduction.  Additionally, an 11% improvement was seen in initial studies for correcting diastasis recti or muscle separation of the abdominal muscles.  Skin laxity is not directly improved, however, one may feel this is improved in the buttock area as the muscle mass is increased.  Patients with minimal abdominal skin laxity of the abdomen may benefit from Exilis Ultra radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments from BTL.  Patients with significant diastasis and skin laxity will benefit from an abdominoplasty.  I offer both of these services in my Newport Beach office.

Janet Allenby, DO · Answer

Hello,Thank you for your question. EmSculpt can absolutely build muscle in the abdomen area. It is not designed to help with excess skin, but the tightening may help provide some improvement. Good luck!

Deborah Pan, MD · Answer

For this amount of weight loss (80lbs), most likely Emsculpt may not help adequately with your excess skin. In most cases a surgical solution would be the best. If you are hesitant about surgery, seek a consultation to get a true opinion. If more than one surgeon tells you the same thing, then you know that you probably only have one option, which is surgery.

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  EmSculpt will help you build muscle, but I would not rely on this as your primary goal for skin tightening.  You may see some mild improvements, but with massive weight loss, I don't think this will be sufficient to make you happy.  There are other non-surgical or non-incisional procedures that may also help, but you may find that the tummy tuck procedure would give you the best results.  To evaluate your options carefully, I would visit a board certified plastic surgeon who can help discuss both surgical and non-surgical approaches to help you with your goals.

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

HI Tiff,Emsculpt does build muscle as well as decreasing fat cells in the abdomen in general.  It is a great treatment for those patients who do not wish to undergo tummy tuck or butt lift surgery.  Individual patients need to be evaluated by their treating physician to determine whether the treatment is indicated for their needs.  Most likely you will be a good candidate for the treatment.  Choose your treating physician most carefully.  Good luck and be well.Dr. P

Manish Khanna, MD, FRCP(C) · Answer

Hi Tiff 928,Thanks for your question. Congratulations on your weight loss! Without photos or a consultation to assess your tummy, it is difficult to advise as to whether non-surgical procedures would provide you with satisfactory results. Emsculpt will definitely build abdominal muscles but if you have a lot of skin laxity (loose and hanging skin) then a no-surgery approach may not make you happy. I would consult a board-certified specialist who will be able to determine realistically what you can expect with the procedures like Emsculpt and possibly other skin-tightening devices that improve skin laxity. Hope this helps, Best, Manish Khanna, MD FRCPC

Shalini Gupta, MD · Answer

Yes absolutely.  Emsculpt uses HIFEM (Electromagnetic pulsed energy) to achieve supramaximal contractions of your muscles emulating doing 20,000 crunches in a 30 minute session.  It is clinically proven to build muscle and also melt fat simultaneously.  However, Emsculpt is not designed to shrink skin.  In patients with good skin elasticity, we do see the skin tightening and even cellulite improving with Emsculpt, but if there is excess skin present, other modalities such as ThermiRF, Thermage, Ultherapy and Exilis Ultra may work better.  Procedures can be done concurrently.  Best wishes!

Usha Rajagopal, MD · Answer

Congratulations on losing this tremendous amount of weight! With weight loss you can have excess skin and the Emsculpt can help with improving the overall tone of the skin by increasing muscle mass in the abdominal area, but if you have a remarkable amount of loose skin, the Emsulpt will not take care of all the loose skin and you may need to have a surgical procedure to achieve the final skin tightening that you want.

Lisa Airan, MD · Answer

EmSculpt can most definitely help you build your core strength.   The EmSculpt treatment is the only device on the market right now to actually stimulate muscle contraction and build muscle strength.  One treatment with EmSculpt is the equivalent of performing 20,000 abdominal crunches in a thirty minute treatment session.  Patients in my practice have noticed improvement in strength, posture and muscle definition.   Keep up the excellent work in the gym!

Yael Halaas, MD · Answer

Hello, and congratulations on the weight-loss. It's great to get your body moving and back in shape. In my experience, Emsculpt is beneficial with building muscle, showing up to a 19% improvement. However, depending on the degree of skin laxity you experience, Emsculpt alone probably isn't the best fit. There are other non-invasive procedures, but a tummy tuck might achieve the smooth results you desire. When performed by a qualified surgeon, a tummy tuck results in efficient healing time and wonderful aesthetic results. I recommend visiting a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options and what's best for your particular concerns.

I heard Emsculpt builds muscle in addition to melting fat. Can it help build my muscles for me?

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