I just finished my 10th session of HIFEM on my abs in Medellin, Colombia. I’m happy that it’s over. I don’t live in LA but the traffic here has been awful!
You probably have a lot of questions like:
- Where is Medellin?
- Why 10 sessions? Isn’t the recommendation to have 4 sessions?
- Is HIFEM the same as EMSCULPT?
- How can you afford 10 sessions?!!!
These are all very reasonable questions and I will answer them all. I will also tell you why I did it, why I’m a good candidate, why you may not be, and just a couple of things that you should be aware of.
Where is Medellin?
Medellin is in Colombia. It’s the Silicon Valley of Latin America. It’s where Shakira, Sofia Vergara, Maluma, J. Balvin, and Carlos Vives were born. This city is known for having beautiful women and, seeing how common it is for the masses to get plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures, I see why. If you need to know more about Medellin, just Google it.
I live here because my husband and I love the weather; it’s like spring every day. We work from home and we decided to raise our daughter here. Congrats, Santana! She starts preschool this week. Check out my brief journal of that here.
Is HIFEM the same as EMSCULPT?
I’m not a practitioner and I don’t offer the treatment, however, I asked many providers in Medellin and did a bunch of research. EMSCULPT uses HIFEM technology to emit those magnetic pulses to provoke 20,000 contractions per 30-minute session. You can find the branded Emsculpt machine in Medellin and pay around US $1,000 for four sessions which is super cheap compared to what you’d pay in the US. But it gets better! Other machines that go by the name of HIEMT, BODYSCULPT, and ZIMMER do the same thing. The aestheticians and spas that have the equipment will sell you packages of 8 to 10 sessions for around US $350.
How can you afford 10 sessions of HIFEM?
And that is how I can afford 10 sessions of HIFEM on my abs. I was so impressed with the results that after my seventh session (see picture above) that I decided to give my ass a workout. I just finished my third session for my glutes and I probably won’t see a difference so I should aim for at least two more sessions. Even though waiting in traffic makes me miserable, the cab ride to and from cost about US $8. At this point, it’s more about how nauseated I get from waiting in a cab. Not like I’m able to read.
I could go to the chain Dermatologica and pay the full US $350 for one zone, but they had a 50% discount sale last December so I’m going to wait for that second boat.
Who’s a good candidate for HIFEM?
If your body looks anything like mine, you won’t notice a difference after four sessions. If your lifestyle is anything like mine, you’ll be disappointed after four sessions. Like most things in life, this isn’t a magic pill, HIFEM doesn’t produce overnight results but… it’s pretty close.
This is where I indulge myself by telling you about my body type and lifestyle. Here goes!
I’m a 33-year-old Latina from Los Angeles. I’m 5’1” feet in the morning and 5 feet flat at night. My weight fluctuates between 119 and 122 pounds. I never had tight abs. My belly was always pudgy because I love food. I love food so much that my Instagram profile boasts “Lives to eat!” I eat healthy for the most part and I’m quite picky about my salad… As a result, I usually don’t have one. I have a burger or two every month and indulge in a tantamount of fried spicy chicken sandwiches. I also love having a beer or glass of wine at night. I don’t covet chiseled abs but it is one of those things that I’d like to have before I die. For now, I’m content with sucking in my stomach to keep a good back posture and to fake a slender figure. Due to endless nights of salsa and tango dancing during my college days, my legs are still pretty toned.
Any moms reading this? I gave birth to my daughter over 20 months ago and because I exercised till the week before I gave birth (for the record: vaginally, no epidural, did poop on the table), I bounced back to my normal weight within four months. BUT, and this is a big butt, the skin on my stomach stretched. My abdominal muscles have separated (a condition known as diastasis recti). This contributed to my mild symptoms of incontinence.
Nowadays, my daughter keeps me active. I take her to playdates, I feed her, I clean up after her, she loves being carried, etc. I work from home three days out of the week (lots of sitting down, there). If I’m lucky, I’ll get in two Youtube workouts. I do the 7-minute scientific workout and the 10-minute, no-jumping, fat-burning cardio workout from Cassey’s Blogilates channel. Why no jumping you ask? Because my vagina smacks the floor every time I jump.
Does this sound like you?
Active mother, healthy, has no time to work out, used to work out, eats relatively healthy…
Going in for a consultation
The person who evaluated my abs, Caro, said that I have more flaccidity than fat. In fact, I don’t have much fat, just flaccidity due to my skin being stretched from giving birth. Caro suggested that I compliment my HIFEM sessions with radiofrequency and that I should treat my flaccidity first. I naturally searched for a second opinion.
At Clinica Somos whereas of February 2021, they don’t offer HIFEM technology, the aesthetician there also said that I have more flaccidity than fat. This means that I’d be a poor candidate for Kybella and Coolsculpting, not that I was looking into that.
How to tell your husband/partner about it
I told my husband that the reason I would be doing HIFEM is not for vanity reasons, but to help with my incontinence. As it turned out, it did help decrease leakage. Whenever I do kegel exercises, per my OB’s instruction, I also have to squeeze my rectus abdominal muscles. If you’re having issues with incontinence, remember that it’s not enough to do kegels, you also need to exercise those abdominals. If you just gave birth and this is of concern to you, be careful with your ab workouts. There are certain exercises that you should avoid.
What they should probably tell you about HIFEM
When Caro insisted on 10 sessions of HIFEM, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I really thought that I knew better than her and that I would only need a maximum of six sessions. So, I purchased the sessions a la carte at first. The picture above is the results from six sessions of HIFEM and radiofrequency. The first thing that they should tell you is that you might not see a noticeable difference after four sessions of just HIFEM. If you gave birth and if your body and lifestyle profile sound like me, you should really go for at least six.
Since traveling to see Caro took about an hour out of my day, I spaced out my treatments to 3–4 times a month instead of the recommended 2 sessions per week. I started the sessions in mid-October of last year and finished my sixth session in late November. As I type this, I’m realizing, wow, that was fast.
Second, Caro recommended that I compliment my HIFEM treatments with a multipolar radiofrequency apparatus to treat my abs and flanks. This would help tighten the area around my abs because as you age, you lose the ability to create as much collagen. For radiofrequency treatments similar to Thermage and Exilis, sessions that cover one area are around COP 120,000.
Third, Caro recommended that I do five mesotherapy injections. I don’t know how much that costs in the US, I heard that it’s popular in France and it’s popular in Colombia. Here, expect to pay between COP 50,000 to 200,000 per session, per area. The picture above includes the results of 1 mesotherapy session.
Fourth, HIFEM can make you hungry. I didn’t notice this till 10 minutes after my eighth session where the HIFEM worked my abs and my ass—I became ravenous! My hunger pangs hit me hard at breakfast and lunch for the next two days. Since I was so concentrated on work, I ate healthily. If I could’ve done anything differently, I would’ve drunk a whey protein shake before and after.
Fifth, it could be so uncomfortable that it hurts. I met a lady who couldn’t stand it so she only did it twice. Her intensity level didn’t even reach 50%. I, on the other hand, reached an intensity level of 100% on the first day (see picture above). I have a short torso so the plates feel uncomfortable on my hip bones but the discomfort vanishes after a few minutes. Since I’m lying there for 30 minutes (60 when I work my glutes), I took my phone and caught up on emails. I listened to a podcast and read a book. In the last session, I almost fell asleep. Whatever you do, it’s probably best not to make any calls as the machine can get pretty loud.
Since I just finished the full package and my daughter will go to preschool, I’m hoping that I’ll have more time to be consistent with exercising. I’m going to give HIFEM a break for two months. Seeing how affordable it is, I plan on buying a second pack of 10 sessions for my abs and glutes at a place that’s closer to where I live.
To learn about my initial reaction to HIFEM, click here. Nowadays, whenever I suck in my stomach to keep a good posture, I notice an outline of a six-pack. Could be my imagination but I don’t remember ever seeing that before.
Have you tried HIFEM technology or EMSCULPT? If so, where? How did it go? How much did you pay for it?! I’d love to hear your stories!
Should I do three more sessions on my glutes? If so, would you like to see the results after five sessions?
WHAT’S NEW!
2024 May — A Suit For Your Tooth — Orthodontics and Dentistry in Medellin
MOST READ
2022 — Where to Go For Fillers & Botox in Medellin, Colombia
LEAST READ
2024 — Microdermabrasion, Peels, CO2 Laser, And More Botox In Medellin
