Differences between CoolSculpting and Emsculpt – What is Best for Me?
Believe it or not, fat is an important part of our body makeup. It helps to cushion internal organs, insulate our bodies against the cold, and protect against dangers like starvation. When properly distributed throughout the body in healthy amounts, fat can even contribute to a beautiful physique. The problem is when fat builds up in the body and creates bulges we’d rather avoid.
This is where fat reduction treatments can help. Whether you work your butt off (so to speak) at the gym, but stubborn fat pockets persist, or you’re dealing with deposits related to age, heredity, or other factors, you might be looking for options to eliminate unwanted fat. If you’re nervous about the prospect of invasive procedures like liposuction, effective, non-surgical body sculpting could be an ideal alternative.
Two great options to consider are CoolSculpting and Emsculpt. What are these treatments and what benefits can you expect? How are they different? Is one better than another? Here’s what you need to know to choose the body sculpting option that’s right for you.
What is CoolSculpting?
CoolSculpting is a fat reduction procedure that involves the use of cold temperatures (-11 degrees Celsius) to accomplish cryolipolysis (sometimes called fat freezing). The procedure involves the use of an external probe that pulls skin and fat cells up into the device using vacuum suction so that freezing temperatures can be applied.
While the skin is protected, fat cells are crystallized, causing them to die. This triggers an immune response to break down dead cells and eliminate them over the course of the next 2-3 months. Thanks to a variety of probes, CoolSculpting is suitable for both large and small treatment areas, including the stomach, flanks, inner and outer thighs, upper arms, and even the chin. This safe and effective treatment first received FDA approval in 2010 and has been in use ever since.
Benefits of CoolSculpting
While many people mistakenly assume CoolSculpting is a weight loss treatment, it’s important to understand that there’s a difference between weight loss and fat reduction. During weight loss, fat cells shrink in size, but fat reduction treatments reduce the number of fat cells in the body.
Specifically, Coolsculpting has been found to reduce the number of fat cells in treated areas by up to 20-25%. As the body breaks down and flushes away these cells over the course of 2-3 months, the target area will shrink, eliminating stubborn bulges that diet and exercise alone have been unable to address.
What is Emsculpt?
Emsculpt differs from Coolsculpting in that it is more focused on building muscle in targeted areas, as opposed to mere fat reduction. This muscle-building treatment relies on high intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy that stimulates intense, rapid muscle contractions, equivalent to completing about 20,000 sit-ups or crunches in roughly 20-30 minutes of treatment.
These supramaximal contractions work to quickly build muscle, much faster than you could do so naturally. Emsculpt is designed to create greater muscle definition in areas like the abs, arms, buttocks, and calves.
Benefits of Emsculpt
The twofold benefit of Emsculpt is that it effectively increases muscle mass by about 16% in treated areas, while also reducing fat by up to about 19%. Again, it’s not a weight-loss treatment, but it can certainly help to tone target areas, delivering the tight, muscular appearance that you simply can’t accomplish with exercise alone. Emsculpt is a painless treatment that entails no downtime. It received FDA approval in 2018 and was proven safe and effective in seven clinical trials beforehand.
Which is Right for Me?
Whether you’re using diet and exercise for weight loss and finding that stubborn fat pockets persist, or you’re simply looking to target fat in certain areas, the treatment you choose may depend largely on the results you want. If permanent reduction of the amount of fat is your goal and you want to target a wide range of areas, CoolSculpting is probably your best bet. If you want to increase muscle mass and definition in specific areas, Emsculpt is more likely to meet your expectations.
At Sculpt MD, our qualified team offers both CoolSculpting and Emsculpt treatments, and we’re always happy to help you select the right treatment to achieve your personal goals. Contact us today at 925-391-0999 or book your appointment online.