What is EMFACE?

EMFACE is a state-of-the-art radiofrequency and electrostimulation platform. It is FDA-cleared for the purpose of elevating tissue temperature for selected medical conditions. It is a no downtime, pain-free, nonsurgical means of building muscle tone to specific cheek and forehead muscles through HIFES and improving skin quality through RF.

Like other muscles in our body, facial muscles thin and lose volume with age.  Treating atrophic muscle groups on the face may provide an effective, nonsurgical means of tissue lifting, and muscle rejuvenation.

EMFACE creates facial muscle contractions through nerve depolarization–yielding better muscle tone and increased muscle mass to treated areas of the face.  EMFACE results are backed by 7 clinical studies that demonstrate increases in collagen and elastin production, skin lifting, and increases in muscle mass and tone to specific cheek and forehead muscles.

What Results are Typical with EMFACE?

BTL, the manufacturer of EMFACE, conducted multiple studies on HIFES/RF technology to demonstrate its effects on facial muscles and skin.  Clinical studies measured muscle changes by imaging (such as ultrasound  and MRI studies), monitored skin quality changes, compared photos before and after treatment, and collected patient satisfaction with the procedure.

On average, the following were achieved in EMFACE clinical studies on healthy patients:

• 37% reduction of facial wrinkles in treated areas
• 30% increase in muscle tone
• 19% increase in muscle density
• 23% improvement in lift of face
• 26% increase in collagen
• Two-fold increase in elastin production

How Does EMFACE Work?

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EMFACE combines two powerful technologies for the first time in a single treatment applicator:  high intensity focused electrical stimulation (HIFES) and radiofrequency (RF).  The combination of HIFES and RF treated muscle atrophy in the face and skin textural changes simultaneously.

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HIFES: EMFACE produces HIFES-induced muscle contraction.  Electrical stimulation targets depolarization of motor nerves, which cause associated muscles to contract.  In EMFACE treatment, the pulse patterns of muscle contraction alternate between forehead or cheek muscle engagement, or both.  For the forehead, the frontalis muscle is targeted.  For the cheek, three muscles, the zygomaticus major, zygomaticus minor, and the risorius muscles are targeted.

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A single EMFACE treatment produces approximately 75,000 electrical pulses that trigger muscle contractions.  This is accomplished over about 20 minutes.

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Synchronized RF: EMFACE delivers syndronized, monopolar radiofrequency.   The treatment applicators for forehead and each cheek feels warm during a treatment cycle.

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Radiofrequency creates bulk heating of tissues.  The extremely efficient delivery of RF through EMFACE applicators allows the skin to be warmed to 40-42 degrees Celsius within a few minutes of treatment.  Due to real-time feedback in the treatment applicator,  thermal sensing keep tissue warm, but not hot.  This special temperature is enough to induce new collagen and elastin growth in the skin, but not to effect facial fat.  A cooler, gentle heat is also delivered to the muscle tissue between 39.5 and 40 degrees Celsius, pre-warming muscle to receive more effective contraction.

EMFACE Treatment FAQ

How Many EMFACE treatments are needed?

Clinical studies with EMSCULPT for the face (forehead and cheek applicators) treated patients for 20 minutes, once a week, for a total of 4 treatments.  Maintenance is required to maintain the results, typically one treatment every 3-6 months.

Who is a Good Candidate for EMFACE?

Most adults that desire a nonsurgical means of facial rejuvenation and lift through skin and muscle toning are good candidates for EMFACE .  EMFACE is not a substitute for a surgical facelift, but offers more modest skin and tissue lifting as evidenced from clinical trials.

What Areas of the Face Can be Treated with EMFACE?

EMFACE is FDA-cleared for the following areas that benefit from either increased muscle tone and/or enhanced tissue/skin heating:

• Forehead (frontalis muscle, which may improve brow position)
• Cheeks (zygomaticus major, zygomaticus minor, and risorius muscles, which may lead to jowl improvement, cheek lifting, and jawline refinement)

What does EMFACE feel like?  Does EMFACE hurt?

EMFACE is not painful, it simply feels like a warm treatment pad with overlying mild muscle contractions.  In my personal experience, muscle contractions on the forehead feel like a caterpillar bending on the skin surface.  Cheek muscle stimulation feels like the applicator pad is being lightly peeled away, even though it is in place.  You may squint, clench, or smile lightly during cheek muscle treatment due to nearby muscle recruitment during treatment.

How much muscle mass will I tone with a series of EMFACE?

In clinical studies, patients gained 30% muscle tone and 19% muscle density after 4 treatments with EMFACE.

Won’t Forehead treatment with EMFACE make my horizontal forehead lines worse?

No, forehead wrinkles typically diminish with EMFACE treatment to the frontalis muscle.  The forehead muscle mass increases its resting tone, which supports the forehead tissues more adequately.  RF treatment of the skin with EMFACE helps stimulate new collagen and elastin formation, leading to improvements in skin texture.

What does building muscles in my cheek do for facial rejuvenation?

Increasing muscular tone of three critical cheek muscles helps to build the strength of deeper, supportive structures of our face.   Until now, we have not had an FDA-cleared device that significantly increases muscular tone and density.   With aging, muscles become finer, elongated, and less bulky.  As they lie deep to skin and fat, aging facial muscles provide less support to overlying tissues, contributing to telltale signs of facial aging.   Increasing muscular tone to our cheek muscles may provide a lifting effect to our face, including improvement of jowls, lifting of cheeks, and improvement in jawline definition.

What should I expect immediately after EMFACE treatment?

The area of EMFACE treatment may be warm and mildly pink or red following treatment.  This may persist for a few hours to a day following treatment.   Sensitivity to adhesive from the treatment applicator pads may exaggerate this response.  Muscular pain is possible but not likely following treatment.  If you experience any pain during treatment, there is a Therapy Discomfort Button you may press to stop treatment.

Is there any downtime following EMFACE treatment?

No, the majority of patients immediately resume normal activities following treatment.