Electric muscle zapper as good as 20,000 sit-ups
Sceptical? Just look what it’s done to Tiffany’s tummy!
IT IS, unarguably, the Holy Grail of slimming: a treatment that promises to deliver a toned, taut stomach and a pert bottom, without the hardship of endless dieting and a punishing exercise plan. Now a breakthrough medical device, which mimics the effect of 20,000 sit-ups in one 30-minute session, is promising to do just that.
The EMsculpt, l aunched this week in a number of UK clinics, is a non-invasive therapy that simultaneously hones and tones midriffs and buttocks by blasting the body with high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy.
Rapid pulses of these waves – emitted from paddles the size and shape of a large iron that can be strapped to the body – activate the nerves that control the muscles, making them contract spontaneously.
The intensity can be dialled up or down, depending on the patient’s comfort level.
At maximum, it can cause over ten muscle contractions a second. As the treatment taps directly into the nerves, it is able to target the entire muscle, rather than the 40 per cent that can be activated by consciously tensing.
Alt hough non- i nvasive body sculpting treatments, dubbed ‘flab zappers’, are not new, this is the first to target the muscles as well as fat layer. This means it could be helpful for new mothers suffering from a condition called diastasis recti, in which the largest abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy, and fail to ‘ knit’ back together after birth, leading to a ‘saggy’ stomach appearance.
Seven studies of the treatment, which costs £750 a session and can be carried out while fully clothed, have been held, with remarkable results. The research used photographs and computerised tomography scans – which show the inside of the body, including soft tissues, in a similar way to X- rays – to assess the effectiveness.
They showed that four sessions of EMsculpt can reduce the depth of the fat layer that covers the stomach by up to 20 per cent, or 3.4mm on average, and boost abdominal muscle size by 18 per cent. Waist circumference decreased in one trial by 3cm after the fourth cycle.
Historically, there are always ‘ non- responders’ to similar nonsurgical fat-reducing treatments. But the studies suggest that almost all of those who undergo EMsculpt treatment experience a result.
Some patients even claim it has helped them achieve sought-after athletic ‘six-pack’ abs that simple core exercises were never able to deliver, with one woman gaining a significant 26 per cent reduction i n the stubborn pocket of fat beneath the tummy button.
THE EMsculpt can also be used on the bottom to provide a lift: in another study, 75 patients received four treatments to the buttocks, with 85 per cent reporting a significant improvement in appearance. Eight in ten claimed their silhouette was lifted and toned. They also reported improved tightness, shape and fullness post-treatment.
The results come as surgical methods of changing the appearance of the buttock area have fallen out of favour, with surgeons earlier this year calling for the best-known operation, dubbed ‘the Brazilian butt-lift’, to be discontinued as it was so dangerous. Only last week, a second Briton died after having this procedure.
The controversial t echnique involves sucking fat from the midriff during a liposuction procedure, then reinjecting it into the bottom. However, one patient in 3,000 dies during the procedure, as fat injected into the buttock muscle can lead to rupture of the delicate blood vessels in the area and fatal blood loss.
Researchers reported no complications or side effects after the EMsculpt procedure, and there was no bruising or no downtime needed afterwards.
Similar technology is used in the EMsella treatment, also from Czech manufacturers BTL, which uses HIFEM transmitters hidden in the seat of a specially designed chair to target the pelvic-floor muscles.
As reported first in The Mail on Sunday earlier this year, by toning this area, patients report a significant reduction in urinary incontinence problems.
Cosmetic expert Dr Rita Rakus, who has a clinic in London (drritarakus.co.uk), called the technology a game- changer. ‘ We have one machine at the moment and it’s going day and night. We’ve had to open for longer on Saturdays to cope with demand,’ she said. ‘As well as helping people who are after a six-pack, we’ve found it is really good for those who have a bad back and so find core exercises difficult. And we’ve found that by improving muscle tone, bad-back symptoms are reduced after a few sessions.
‘Women who are unhappy with their stomachs after having a baby have seen great results, too.’
Grandmother- of- seven Tiffany Suchard had the EM sculpt treatment at Dr Rakus’s clinic last month. The businesswoman – who preferred not to reveal her age but admits she modelled with Twiggy in the 1960s – says: ‘I like to keep in shape by doing classes at the gym, but I’m not very good at stomach exercises because they hurt my back. I was happy with my figure, but I felt my midriff could do with some TLC.
‘The treatment isn’t painful, but it is intense. I’ve tried those Slendertone stomach gadgets that make your muscle twitch, and it’s mild enough that you can wear it while doing other things. This is the same feeling but you do have to lie down as the contractions are strong.
‘After two sessions I am amazed with the results. It looks as if I’m holding in my stomach, but I’m not.’