Body shaping is one of the fastest-growing treatments in the salon. Within that field, two technologies are often set against each other: cryolipolysis and EMS. Yet they do something quite different. If you understand that difference, you will not only choose the right device, you will also be able to explain it honestly to clients. And that last part is what brings clients back.
Cryolipolysis: reducing fat with cold
Cryolipolysis makes use of the fact that fat cells are more sensitive to cold than the surrounding skin and the tissue around them. An applicator draws in a fold of skin and cools it in a controlled way. This damages the fat cells, which the body then breaks down and removes over the following weeks. The result is not visible straight away: allow eight to twelve weeks before the effect is complete. The literature often mentions a reduction of the fat layer in the treated area of roughly twenty per cent per treatment, but that varies per person and per zone. So mention it in your salon as an indication, not as a promise.
Cryolipolysis is intended for localised fat deposits in people who are already at a healthy weight: the abdomen, the flanks, the inner thighs, the upper arms. It is not a slimming method, nor is it an alternative to weight loss. Clients who do expect that will be disappointed, however good the treatment is.
EMS: building muscle with electromagnetic stimulation
EMS stands for electromagnetic muscle stimulation. Using an electromagnetic field, the device triggers muscle contractions that are far more intensive than anything you achieve by exercising. A half-hour session is often compared to thousands of sit-ups, although that comparison is more marketing than measurement. The effect is a firmer and stronger muscle layer, which shows in a more defined abdomen, buttocks or thighs.
EMS reduces fat only to a limited extent, and indirectly. If the main aim is to tackle a fat deposit, it will be of little use. If the aim is to turn a flat but slack feel into a muscular shape, it will be all the more useful.
Not either/or, but when
Most successful salons see the two technologies not as competitors but as successive steps. First reduce the fat layer with cryolipolysis, then make the muscles visible with EMS. Some suppliers even combine both in one device. Whether that makes sense for your salon depends on your clients and your space.
What to look out for when buying
With cryolipolysis: the temperature control and the protection against frostbite, the different applicator sizes and the cost per treatment (with some brands, membranes or gel pads are consumables). With EMS: the maximum field strength, the number of handpieces that can work at the same time and the cooling of the coils. In both cases: ask about the CE marking and the certification, and have them explained to you. There is more on this in our article on MDR and safety.
The most important advice is simple: choose the device that fits the demand from clients in your area, not the one with the story that sounds best.