Sponsored by BTL Aesthetics
Without aesthetic intervention, the long-held belief has been that as we age, we have to choose between a toned figure resulting in facial volume loss, or conversely, keeping more fat to maintain facial fullness but at some expense of a youthful body tone. With classic Emsculpt®, or Emsculpt Neo®, for the body, and Emface® for facial improvement (BTL Aesthetics, Boston, Mass.), one does not come at the expense of the other, offering an additional impetus to get both the face and body treated. In addition, these two unique technologies make treating aesthetic concerns of both face and body an accessible – and attractive – option.
Emsculpt and Emface have the unique ability to transform patients and practices with their dependable and highly sought efficacy. BTL has spared nothing in its work to build awareness, but in the end, the treatment experience and results speak for themselves. “With classic Emsculpt, and especially Emsculpt Neo, so many of our patients have seen a visible reduction in fat that results in more definition and a visible improvement in their silhouette with or without their clothes on,” said Joel Cohen, MD, director of AboutSkin Dermatology in Denver, Colo., and lead investigator in recent key clinical trials for BTL’s forefront technologies.
“It is exactly what they are looking for,” Dr. Cohen continued. “Consistent with the Emsculpt Neo experience at our office, in the past year of clinical trials on Emface, as well as the new Emsculpt Edge applicator for the lateral abdomen, we are seeing noticeable clinical improvement. The Edge applicators are decreasing the ‘muffin top’, while helping define the oblique muscles. And Emface is actually lifting and toning the face so that the jawline is more defined, jowls are reduced, and the eyebrow is lifted.”
“Never before have we had a way to improve the muscle density and tone in our facial muscles, which allows us to keep that youthful look,” said Amanda Holden, MD, medical director of Holden Timeless Beauty (San Diego, Calif.). “Traditionally we lose muscle mass after age 30, and even if we work hard to maintain the muscle mass in our body, there has never been a face workout before. We finally have a solution to tone those muscles of the face with the additional benefit of lifting the face back into a more youthful position, and then we can add Emsculpt or Emsculpt Neo to sculpt the body as well.”
Emsculpt and Emsculpt Neo use high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM®) brand energy, delivered in specific patterns directed at the musculature, to induce thousands of supramaximal contractions in a treatment session, far exceeding what one could achieve via regular exercise. The resulting muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia, coupled with localized metabolic activity, reduce fat and build muscle support from beneath for a firmer, toned appearance and functional improvement.
In addition, Emsculpt Neo adds its unique simultaneous and Synchronized RF (radiofrequency) component, which gives even more muscle growth and fat reduction. Given the well-known reality that we lose muscle mass from our early 30s to more dramatic levels as we reach middle age and beyond, Emsculpt provides an excellent solution for combating this loss of muscle and functionality.
Facial aging is also well understood as a reduction in skin quality, loss of volume, and facial muscle atrophy that manifest over time, accelerated in some ways by photodamage to the skin, some of which can be uniquely addressed by Emface. Using high-intensity facial electromagnetic stimulation (HIFES®) brand technology and Synchronized RF delivered simultaneously at key points on the face, Emface stimulates elevator muscles such as the frontalis, risorius, and zygomaticus major and minor. RF provides additional improvement to the skin for a fuller correction on top of this firmer and tighter facial musculature. So, whereby Emsculpt builds muscle on the body, Emface tones and restores youthful contours on the face.
Owing to the aesthetic, functional, and natural-looking improvement – all needle-free, non-invasive, and no-downtime – the potential patient base for Emface and Emsculpt Neo is huge. “We see people looking for functional improvement on the abdomen with Emsculpt Neo so they can take their workouts, their toning and their core strength to that next level. People come in wanting to look better not only in a bathing suit, but also even in their everyday clothes. They end up looking toned, in shape and also feeling the stability of more core strength during workouts and everyday activities,” Dr. Cohen reported.
“This same concept is true with Emface; tightening some laxity in the face by augmenting the baseline muscle tone that interconnects the ligamentous structures in the face,” Dr. Cohen explained. “The appeal is there; we just need to harness it.”
A key factor in the potential success of this paradigm is considering the number and type of procedures one might choose to undergo for correction later in life, versus the possibility of early intervention – or ‘prejuvenation’ – and maintenance, according to dermatologist Lesley Clark-Loeser, MD, who has a practice in Davie, Fla. “I never liked the term ‘prejuvenation’ because, for one thing, aging is natural, and young people are still young! However, if we consider what is becoming possible, we are in a position to help people hold onto the building blocks of a naturally youthful appearance of the face and body by preserving their structure and function in a more naturally derived way,” Dr. Clark-Loeser expressed. “It is well studied though we don’t see it initially. Intuitively, if we lengthen the timeline with this kind of effective and appropriate early intervention versus seeking aesthetic medicine in middle age, we may see a long-term reduction in the number and variety of procedures required or how profound of a correction is needed when more intervention becomes necessary.
“Moreover, these technologies work well with other treatment options,” Dr. Clark-Loeser continued. “They also provide excellent results non-invasively and with minimal or no consumables to drive up cost artificially.”
Outside of the main driver of desire for aesthetic intervention, Dr. Cohen sees two main avenues to attract patients. “First, we have the growing cohort of patients who understand the concepts behind Emsculpt Neo because they have experienced the results for themselves,” he began. “They are already excited and interested in not only the Emsculpt Edge applicators but also Emface.”
The second group includes those stoked by the buzz the company is generating through media exposure. “Emface does not replace facelift surgery, but it does realistically offer a chance for needle-free, non-invasive, no-downtime improvement for those with mild to moderate facial laxity in a way that can stave off some of the signs of facial aging, and also help tweak or maintain results of previous surgeries through enhancing muscle tone, improving laxity as well as decreasing lines/wrinkles,” Dr. Cohen noted. “At our offices we have seen an increasing number of inquiries about Emface just from media placements and the social avenues BTL has been using to get the word out, which is remarkable considering that Emface was just launched in late September.”
“These are game-changing technologies,” Dr. Holden emphasized. “Now you can really work on both face and body, non-invasively to enhance the way you look in both areas without risky and high-priced surgery.”
