Dr. Bruce Katz was featured in an article by Byrdie entitled "EmSculpt Neo Is Officially My Favorite Treatment Ever—Here's Why."
Here, we spoke to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Bruce E. Katz, MD, and medical esthetician Evelyn Ramirez, MA, to get all the details on EmSculpt Neo and how to tell if this treatment is right for you. Keep reading to learn more and to see how I fared as I test-drove the treatment. MEET THE EXPERT
Dr. Bruce E. Katz, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. He is the director of the Juva Skin and Laser Center, as well as a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine.
What Is EmSculpt Neo?
EmSculpt Neo is a non-invasive body contouring treatment that harnesses the powers of radio frequency (RF) and high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy (HIFEM) to simultaneously tone muscle and melt fat. “The HIFEM is what causes your muscle to contract,” Dr. Katz explains. “At the same time, the machine is firing RF to warm the muscle as you would during a warm-up, while also melting fat cells.” According to Ramirez, the warming action of the muscle helps to better prepare it for exposure to stress. Additionally, the fat cells are heated up to about 42 or 43 degrees Celsius, which causes apoptosis, or the controlled death of said fat cells. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
Strengthens Your Core
All those HIFEM-motivated muscle contractions are great news for your core strength. Aside from the aesthetic payoff and better ability to keep up with a HIIT workout, Ramirez calls out that a stronger core packs additional health benefits. “Strengthening your core helps your posture and allows you to put less pressure on your back and hips,” she says. Echoing that sentiment, Dr. Katz notes that the improved core strength also led to lessen the lower back pain some of his patients faced before the treatment.
Improved Muscle Tone
While you’ll notice a more toned appearance, the benefits of conditioning your muscles run more than just skin-deep with this treatment. According to Dr. Katz, our bodies lose between 2 and 5% of our muscle mass every 10 years as part of the natural aging process, with almost 30% being lost over the course of one’s lifetime. “Because EmSculpt Neo builds muscle and restores the volume you lost, there are anti-aging benefits in restoring the muscle mass that would be lost naturally,” he says. “During the pathology studies, we also noticed new muscle fibers being created in areas that were treated, which is beyond what you’d see in exercise alone.”
How to Prepare for EmSculpt Neo
For the most part, EmSculpt Neo doesn’t require any pre-treatment preparation, according to Ramirez. However, she and Dr. Katz both note that you’ll want to remove any metal jewelry, as the radio frequency and HIFEM will heat them up. If you have a metal implant (like an IUD), make sure to check with your doctor before booking your EmSculpt Neo treatment to avoid any complications.
EmSculpt Neo vs. CoolSculpting
Considering that both methods are non-invasive body contouring treatments, EmSculpt Neo and CoolSculpting may seem similar on the surface, but Dr. Katz notes the technologies are entirely different. “CoolSculpting freezes the fat cells, but doesn’t touch the muscle, with roughly a 17 to 19% reduction in fat,” he says. “EmSculpt Neo eliminates fat while building the muscle, and you’ll see a 30% reduction in fat after completing the treatments.” The sensations between the two are also vastly different—with CoolSculpting, the temperature makes your skin go numb, followed by a massage to break up the fat cells. EmSculpt Neo is warmer in the way a hot stone massage is warm, but feels more active with the HIFEM contracting your muscles.
Aftercare
Would you believe us if we told you there's no downtime associated with EmSculpt Neo? “After an EmSculpt Neo treatment, you can resume all of your normal activity, and go about your day as you typically would,” Dr. Katz says. While you won’t want to apply an ice pack to the treated area (the tissues should stay warm for a bit), there aren’t any restrictions to any of your activities afterwards—whether you decide to do an additional workout or house a bowl of pasta is entirely up to you.
