EMFACE

Non-Surgical Facial Muscle Toning and Periorbital Rejuvenation with Dr. Melanie Palm, BTL Clinical Investigator on the EMFACE Eyes US Study

Fast facts: Dr. Melanie Palm and EMFACE

• Board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon (American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, La Jolla).
• Clinical investigator, advisory board member, national speaker, and consultant for BTL Aesthetics — the manufacturer of EMFACE, EMFACE Eyes, EMSCULPT, and EMSCULPT NEO.
• Principal investigator on the U.S. clinical trial evaluating EMFACE Eyes for the infraorbital / submentum application — the trial that supports the EMFACE Eyes applicator now available to patients.
• Art of Skin MD performs among the highest volumes of EMFACE treatments in the United States — approximately four to five times the typical national per-practice volume.
• First practice in San Diego — and among the first in California — to offer EMFACE.
• Approximately 100 peer-reviewed publications and seven book chapters; 600+ invited lectures on five of seven continents; Newsweek Top 25 Cosmetic Dermatologist; Allergan Emerging Leaders Advisory Board — the only dermatologist from San Diego selected.

Art of Skin MD is the clinical home of Dr. Melanie Palm and her team at 437 S. Highway 101, Suite 217, Solana Beach, CA 92075 — convenient to patients across the North County San Diego coast and inland, and a destination for EMFACE patients across the country.

Why patients travel to Art of Skin MD for EMFACE

EMFACE is a precision technology. The same applicator placement, energy level, and treatment cadence will produce meaningfully different outcomes in different hands — and the technique evolves with each new applicator generation and each new published study. Art of Skin MD is one of the highest-volume EMFACE practices in the United States because patients self-select for the practice that has the most repetitions, the deepest BTL relationship, and the closest connection to the clinical-trial work that underwrites the product. That national-volume position is the through-line in why patients travel from across San Diego County, Southern California, and beyond for their EMFACE series here.

What is the EMFACE family?

EMFACE is a non-invasive, no-downtime treatment platform from BTL Aesthetics that combines two technologies in a single applicator: High-Intensity Focused Electrical Stimulation (HIFES) for muscle toning, and synchronized monopolar radiofrequency (RF) for skin tightening and collagen induction. The EMFACE family now includes three primary indications:

• EMFACE (face) — applicators for the forehead and cheeks to tone the frontalis, zygomaticus major, zygomaticus minor, and risorius muscles and improve skin quality, brow position, cheek lift, and jawline definition.
• EMFACE Eyes — an applicator for the periorbital region that toned the orbicularis oculi muscle and addressed under-eye bags, crow’s feet, dark circles, and infraorbital fine lines. Dr. Palm was a U.S. clinical-trial investigator on the study that supported this indication.
• EMFACE Submentum — application of EMFACE technology to the submental (under-chin) region to address platysmal banding, mild submental laxity, and definition of the cervicomental angle.

Patients are not “an EMFACE patient” or “an EMFACE Eyes patient” — they are usually candidates for a coordinated plan across multiple EMFACE family members and frequently in combination with other modalities (Botox, hyaluronic acid filler, Sculptra, microneedling, or CoolSculpting to the submentum).

How does EMFACE work?

HIFES (High-Intensity Focused Electrical Stimulation) induces supramaximal contraction of the target facial muscles by depolarizing motor nerves. A single EMFACE treatment delivers approximately 75,000 electrical pulses over a 20-minute session. The result is increased muscle tone and increased muscle density in the treated muscle group — the same physiologic response that progressive resistance training produces in skeletal muscle elsewhere in the body. As facial muscles age, they thin and elongate, providing less support to the overlying skin and soft tissue. Rebuilding their resting tone restores some of that structural support.

Synchronized monopolar radiofrequency simultaneously delivers controlled thermal energy to the dermis (40-42 degrees Celsius) and a cooler pre-warming heat to the underlying muscle (39.5-40 degrees Celsius). The dermal RF stimulates new collagen and elastin production while the muscle pre-warming allows for more effective HIFES-driven contraction. The combination of HIFES and RF in a single applicator is what differentiates EMFACE from any standalone RF or standalone muscle-stimulation device.

What results are typical with EMFACE?

BTL conducted multiple clinical studies on EMFACE using ultrasound imaging, MRI, photographic assessment, and patient-reported outcomes. Across these studies on healthy patients, the average outcomes following a series of four treatments were:

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

Individual results vary, and these are average outcomes from clinical study populations rather than guarantees. The published results that supported EMFACE Eyes specifically — a U.S. trial of 30 patients undergoing four weekly treatments — showed at one month post-treatment a 62 percent reduction in dark circles, a 28 percent reduction in crow’s feet, and a 1.4 mL reduction in under-eye bags on imaging.

What areas can EMFACE treat?

• Forehead (frontalis muscle) — for brow position, forehead skin quality, and forehead-line softening.
• Cheeks (zygomaticus major and minor, risorius) — for cheek lift, jowl improvement, and jawline definition.
• Periorbital / EMFACE Eyes (orbicularis oculi) — for under-eye bags, crow’s feet, dark circles, and infraorbital fine lines. Note: indications and FDA clearance status for the periorbital and submental applications continue to evolve; current clearance status will be discussed during consultation.
• Submentum — for submental skin tightening, platysmal band softening, and cervicomental angle definition. Frequently combined with submental CoolSculpting in the same comprehensive plan.

Who is a good candidate for EMFACE?

EMFACE is appropriate for most adults seeking a non-surgical approach to facial muscle toning and skin tightening. It is not a substitute for a surgical facelift in patients with substantial laxity. Strong candidate signals include:

• You have early to moderate facial laxity, mild forehead descent, mild jowl softening, or under-eye bags / fine lines (for EMFACE Eyes).
• You prefer non-surgical, no-downtime rejuvenation and you understand that EMFACE produces gradual, natural-appearing improvement rather than dramatic immediate change.
• You are willing to commit to a series of four to six 20-minute sessions, plus maintenance every three to six months.
• You do not have a metal or electronic implant in the treatment area, a cardiac pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or neurostimulator, a drug pump, active malignancy, a febrile condition, an active autoimmune flare, certain neurological conditions, or recent surgery in the treatment area. (Full contraindication list is reviewed during consultation.)
• You are not pregnant or breastfeeding.

How many sessions will I need?

Clinical studies were conducted using a series of four to six 20-minute sessions, typically spaced one week apart (though spacing of 2 to 14 days is acceptable). Results emerge between one and three months following the final session, and maintenance sessions every three to six months preserve the muscle-tone gains. Many patients fold maintenance EMFACE into a quarterly rhythm alongside their other treatments.

What does EMFACE cost?

EMFACE is sold as a package of four treatments at Art of Skin MD, with periodic maintenance treatments priced individually. Pricing depends on the areas treated (full face, forehead only, cheeks only, EMFACE Eyes, EMFACE Submentum) and on whether multiple applicators are combined in a single plan. We never quote an EMFACE price without first examining the area and confirming your goals. Financing through CareCredit and other patient lending partners is available; please speak with our patient coordinators.

Combination treatments with EMFACE

At Art of Skin MD, EMFACE is rarely the only treatment in a plan. Common combinations include:

• Neuromodulators (Botox, Dysport, Daxxify, Xeomin) for dynamic-wrinkle areas — note that patients with recent forehead neuromodulator may feel less HIFES stimulation in that muscle group, so sequencing is discussed.
• Hyaluronic acid fillers (Restylane, Belotero, Juvederm) for tear-trough, midface, and structural volume.
• Sculptra and Radiesse for biostimulation in the temples, midface, and selected lower-face areas.
• PRF, EZGel, and microneedling for under-eye skin quality alongside EMFACE Eyes.
• CoolSculpting to the submentum for submental fat alongside EMFACE Submentum for skin and muscle.
• Lutronic Ultra thulium laser, Exion RF microneedling, or Infini RF microneedling for additional skin tightening and surface refinement.

What does EMFACE feel like? Is there downtime?

EMFACE is not painful. The treatment pad feels warm against the skin during the RF delivery, and the HIFES-induced contractions feel — in Dr. Palm’s own description — like a caterpillar bending along the forehead, or like the cheek applicator gently peeling away during cheek treatment. A Therapy Discomfort Button on the device allows the patient to pause treatment at any time. Most patients return to ordinary activities immediately. Mild pinkness or warmth in the treated area is possible for a few hours to a day after treatment.

EMFACE before and after photos

EMface to forehead and lower face

EMface to forehead and lower face

EMface to forehead, cheeks, submentum combined with submentum Coolsculpting

EMface to lower face

EMface to submentum and lower face

EMface to submentum and lower face

EMface to submentum and lower face