There has been a steady and dramatic increase in requests and interest by patients of all ages, women as well as men, for improvement in body shaping. Despite efforts in improving exercise and diet, many patients are unable to reach their goals due to weight gain and loss, time demands, aging and a more sedentary lifestyle. Although liposuction, fat grafting and surgical body lifts remain the gold standard in state-of-the-art body contouring and shaping, the costs and downtime are not always possible for many patients.
In the past, non-surgical body contouring options have been few and results often disappointing due to limitations with less invasive technology. Some excess fat reduction and skin tightening were possible but inconsistent and often not meeting patient expectations. I would like to discuss the most recent game changing technology that has all of us at evolv so excited. As Bob Dylan once said….’The times they are a changin’ and here’s why!
Emsculpt – patented and proprietary high frequency electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy is the leading and most exciting game changer in the non-invasive body contouring arena. Emsculpt is a 30-minute no downtime office procedure that stimulates specific muscle contraction at higher rates (supra maximal) than voluntary movement, resulting in an increase in muscle cell size as well as number. An additional benefit of supra maximal muscle contraction is fat reduction and improved muscle definition. The result is truly transformative for patients who experience not only body sculpting but also an increase in muscle strength, tone and definition.
The Emsculpt technology is the first and only FDA cleared device for increasing muscle mass and simultaneously burning fat. The Emsculpt has a number of peer-reviewed research publications supporting the efficacy and safety of this truly revolutionary option for non-invasive body contouring. Although initially used for abdominal and buttock contouring, Emsculpt has recently been approved to treat the arms and calves for contour improvement and muscle definition. evolv Plastic Surgery and Medical Aesthetics is proud to be the first medical practice in the Northwest Ohio area to introduce the Emsculpt.
Vanquish ME – The Vanquish ME (maximal energy) is the most effective and research validated option for non-surgical fat reduction. This is a non-contact radio frequency technology that has been proven to be more effective in permanently eliminating excess fat cells than cryolipolysis (CoolSculpting). The Vanquish technology can be used to treat the entire waistline, abdomen, hips/flanks and thighs.
Exilis Ultra/Cellutone – Tissue tightening and firming has always been a priority in non-surgical body contouring but often not significantly improved. BTL Aesthetics has combined the benefits of ultrasound energy delivery with their proprietary and proven radio frequency technology in the Exilis Ultra to improve tissue firming and fat reduction non-invasively. Simultaneous use of the BTL Cellutone uses sound wave therapy to deeply penetrate tissue and improve lymphatic drainage and tone which benefits surgical and non-surgical outcomes. The most exciting potential involves ‘pre-treating’ patients with the Exilis Ultra/Cellutone protocols before Vanquish fat reduction and now the Emsculpt for muscle definition to provide body shaping outcomes never possible with non-surgical treatment options previously.
Biologically Active Topical Growth Factors – Obtaining the best possible result in non-surgical body contouring not only requires proven and effective energy devices, but also optimal skin health. All of the exciting treatment options above are utilizing energy non-invasively to stimulate the soft tissue of the body and the ability of the skin and cutaneous circulation to respond maximally is a critical component in great outcomes. Recent research has identified bioactive growth factors and signaling proteins that can be applied topically to the skin to significantly improve the response to body contouring treatments.
Clinical evidence of dermal and epidermal restructuring has been proven with ZO Skin Health’s Growth Factor Serum, Defenage’s Bioserum and recently with Alastin Skincare’s TransForm Body Treatment. The pretreatment of the skin, as well as post treatment protocols, have the potential to provide significant and long-lasting results in non-invasive body contouring that truly surpass anything we have seen previously.
At evolv we have always believed that comprehensive programs provide the most beneficial and safe outcomes for our patients. This philosophy is particularly applicable to obtaining the best results in non-surgical body contouring and recently published clinical studies, as well as research-proven outcomes support it. The Emsculpt now provides a new dimension in body sculpting by adding the advantage of improved muscle definition and tone with a proven technology that can be effectively combined with non-invasive fat reduction and tissue firming options as described above. The addition of pre and post treatment topical biologically active growth factors offer additional benefits and outcomes in reducing the appearance of cellulite and improving skin tone and texture that we predict will provide long-term benefits that have not been possible previously. This is truly an exciting time in aesthetics, so we encourage you to stop in at evolv to learn more!