Heather Valentine has found a new way to tackle stubborn fat and build muscle, using Emsculpt Neo technology at Skin Spot Laser Club in Cape Coral.
"I tried back in old technology, where it sucked on, and it made bruises on me, and it was terrible. And it didn't really work, and it hurt," Valentine said.
Frustrated with previous methods, Valentine now visits Skin Spot weekly for treatments. She has noticed changes, including less fat and more muscle.
"Tighten up the abs and melt away some of the puff on the outside," Valentine said.
Emily Tichy, owner and esthetician at Skin Spot, explained how the technology works.
"People are familiar with freezing fat, that it explodes the fat cell. Using heat actually heats the fat cell up to 45°C. The fat cell explodes, and then your body eliminates those fat cells gradually through your lymphatic system," Tichy said.
She added, "You're then causing contraction so that the muscle is working. So studies have shown that it actually is the equivalent, on the abs, of doing 20,000 crunches."
Tichy also noted that the heat tightens the skin during the process.
"We're stimulating collagen fibers ... we're stimulating elastin," Tichy said.
Dr. Mary Catherine Faust, dean of allied health at Florida SouthWestern State College, said there is evidence supporting the technology's effectiveness.
"There are some peer-reviewed studies that are out there on that. And so they have shown some effects," Faust said.
However, Faust emphasized that the technology alone won't deliver a six-pack.
"Using some of these adjunctive therapies, I think, can have its place, but it doesn't replace the hard work that you need to put in with exercise," Faust said.
Valentine agreed, saying, "It has to go kind of hand in hand. I can't eat whatever I want and then come in here and think that that's going to make it disappear."
Tichy highlighted that certain individuals should avoid using the machines.
"Someone who has a pacemaker, someone who has metal inside their body in the area that we're going to treat," Tichy said.
She also warned against using cheaper versions of the technology found online, which lack proper skin monitoring and can cause burns.
"There is all over TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, you will see people who are trying to tell you that they can melt fat and they can do stuff. And, you know, each and every single time, none of those devices have any clinical studies," Tichy said.
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