Three (3) Emsculpt NEO treatment areas carry meaningfully stronger clinical support than the rest: the abdomen, the thighs, and the buttocks.
- The abdomen leads when both fat and muscle contribute to the concern,
- The thighs work best when a specific region is mapped in advance, and;
- Buttocks are a muscle-conditioning area rather than a fat-reduction one.
Now, that isn’t to say it doesn’t provide any benefits to other body areas.
But based on the results our patients have seen, and scientific data to back it up, the abdomen, buttocks, and thigh are key body areas for Emsculpt NEO to help reduce fat and build muscle.
Below, you will find what the published evidence supports for each of the three areas, why outcomes differ between them, and what to confirm before a consultation at Kovak Cosmetic Center in Oakbrook Terrace.
Emsculpt NEO Treats Fat and Muscle But Not in Every Area
Emsculpt NEO does two different jobs. It reduces fat, and it builds muscle. What most people don’t realize is that it isn’t cleared to do both everywhere on the body.
For fat, the FDA cleared two areas: the abdomen and, later, the thighs. For muscle, it cleared five: the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, calves and arms. So the abdomen and thighs get both jobs. The buttocks, calves and arms get muscle only.
Quick note on FDA clearance: A clearance describes what the manufacturer demonstrated and is permitted to claim, which is the standard a clinic should plan around. It is not a promise about how your body responds to treatment, which is why a consultation is always encouraged.
So “it treats fat and muscle” is true of the device, but not of every area. What matters for you is which of those two jobs you actually need done.
Here is a way to tell: If a clinician could change only one thing in the area that bothers you, what would you pick: less pinchable fat, or firmer muscle underneath? Your answer points to the area worth treating.
And if the honest answer is neither, because what bothers you is loose skin or your overall weight, Emsculpt NEO is not built to correct either one directly. Better to know that now than after a course of treatment.
1. Abdomen: The Strongest Evidence of the Three
The abdomen has more evidence behind it than any other Emsculpt NEO area. It is also the obvious place to start if both the layer you can pinch and the muscle underneath are on your mind.
A 2022 study might shed some light: Researchers treated 48 people for real and gave another 24 a fake version, without telling anyone which they were getting. Three months later, the real group had around 28 percent less fat and around 24 percent more muscle. Those gains were still present at six months.
Why the placebo treatment? Because it’s the only way to tell whether a result came from the machine or from someone eating better because they had started treatment. The abdomen is the only area studied this way.
Those percentages are an average across a group, so yours could land higher or lower.
The abdomen is also where treating both layers at once earns its keep. You can build a stronger core and still not see it, because something is sitting on top of it. You can shrink that layer and still feel soft underneath. Doing both together is the reason this technology exists.
This is your area if you are pointing at one specific place rather than trying to lose weight overall, and if the softness and the tone both bother you.
When you look through before-and-after photos, find someone who started where you are. Then bring questions rather than expectations since camera angle and lighting do more work in those photos than most people realize.
2. Thighs: Best for a Specific, Well-Mapped Concern
Thighs are cleared for both jobs, fat and muscle. They work well, but only when you can pinpoint the specific place that bothers you.
Keep in mind, there are three different areas in your thigh that require different treatments:
- Inner-thigh fullness
- The back of your legs
- Front-of-thigh definition
The research around fat reduction for thighs mostly revolves around inner-thigh fullness. Sixteen women had four half-hour sessions, one a week. Three months later, inner-thigh fat was down about 27 percent, the muscle underneath was about 23 percent thicker, and their thighs measured roughly half an inch smaller.
The women in the study rated the discomfort at 1.5 out of 10, which is mild. People differ, so ask what it actually feels like before you book.
One thing to sort out early: loose skin is a separate problem. Firmer muscle can improve the shape of your legs, but it will not tighten skin. If that is your main concern, it’s important to mention because you may need a different approach.
3. Buttocks: A Muscle-Toning Treatment
On the buttocks, Emsculpt NEO is a muscle treatment. It is cleared to strengthen and firm, not to reduce fat, so your expectations should be around shaping and toning.
The lift comes from the muscle underneath getting stronger.
One study of 67 people compared the full treatment against a muscle-only version of it. After three months, the full-treatment group had glute muscle around 25 percent thicker, against around 16 percent for muscle-only. Fat barely moved in either group; exactly what you would expect, given what the treatment is cleared to do.
This is a good fit if you want a firmer, more lifted shape, if fat is not what is bothering you, and if you go in knowing that how much shows depends on what you are starting with.
Why Results Vary From Person to Person
Two people can have the same treatment and leave with completely different results. There are three reasons:
- First, what the machine is cleared to do in that spot. Book your buttocks, calves or arms expecting to lose fat and you may get a different result than what you expected.
- Second, your starting point. Strong glutes already? Less room to add. A deeper fat layer? The same percentage drop shows up less on the surface. Every percentage is measured against your own starting point, and no two people share one.
- Third, how much research backs it up. The abdomen has the fake-treatment study. The thighs have sixteen women. The buttocks clearly show it’s ideal for muscle toning. All three point the same way, but the abdomen has the most weight behind it.
Who Should Not Get Emsculpt NEO?
Some people need to wait, and a few should skip it. Dr. Stanley Kovak at Kovak Cosmetic Center makes that call after your consultation.
Things worth flagging: pacemakers and other implanted electronics, drug pumps, metal implants, pregnancy, recent surgery, a muscle injury, trouble feeling heat or pain normally, and any active infection or inflammation. Most people clear this easily.
During your consultation, it’s worth mentioning any of the following:
- Pregnancy or the chance of one
- An implant even if it seems unrelated
- Anything that feels numb, unusually sensitive, or has broken skin
- Any recent surgery, injection or injury where you would be treated
- Medications that affect circulation or healing are worth raising too
After treatment, most people feel sore, much like the day after a hard workout, sometimes with a twitch or some redness. Rarer problems do exist, but that’s also the benefit of a pre-screening.
Emsculpt NEO – Frequently Asked Questions
What body areas can Emsculpt NEO treat?
Emsculpt NEO can treat the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, calves and arms, but what it does differs by area. Fat reduction is cleared for the abdomen and thighs only. Muscle work covers all five.
How many Emsculpt NEO sessions are needed?
Three or four Emsculpt NEO sessions, roughly a week apart, and measured results at one and three months. Dr. Kovak sets your actual schedule based on the area and what you want from it.
Does Emsculpt NEO really build muscle?
Yes, Emsculpt NEO has been proven to build muscle. Scans in published studies show real increases in muscle thickness, around 24 percent in the abdomen in the fake-treatment study, and around 25 percent in glute muscle in another. How much of it you can see depends on your starting muscle and the fat layer above it.
Which Emsculpt NEO area gives the best results?
The abdomen has the strongest evidence when both fat and muscle are part of the problem. The right treatment for you depends on which area is what bothers you, and that is what a consultation sorts out.
Choosing Your Emsculpt NEO Treatment Area in Oakbrook Terrace
Factors that significantly affect your Emsculpt NEO treatment include one, if not all — these factors: the body area that bothers you, how you are built, and what the treatment is actually proven to do all line up.
Most often that means the abdomen when both fat and muscle are involved, the thighs when you can name the exact spot, and the buttocks if you want a firmer shape.
Three questions worth asking during your consultation:
- Is this fat or muscle causing it
- What is the treatment cleared to do about that, and;
- What will it not change?
Straight answers are a good sign the plan was built around you rather than pulled off a shelf.
Kovak Cosmetic Center in Oakbrook Terrace and sees patients from across the western suburbs and greater Chicago. Reading up on Dr. Stanley Kovak and the practice’s Emsculpt NEO page is a good place to start, and a consultation will tell you whether this treatment has the right job to do for your body.