The flanks, the sides of the waist that become love handles, are, in our experience, the area most often treated with the abdomen, and men ask for the two together most. EMsculpt NEO is FDA-cleared in the US for fat reduction of the flanks, and the Edge applicator is shaped to treat the fat on the side and the oblique muscles beneath it, both sides in one 30-minute session. Four sessions, back to your day after each, from £100 per session with the course price in writing at a free consultation.
What it does on the flanks
The Edge applicator wraps the side of the waist so the HIFEM pulses contract the oblique muscles, which pull the waist in, while synchronised radiofrequency heats the fat over them. Both flanks are treated in the same session. The waist narrows as the fat clears and the obliques firm.
What the study measured
In a 2024 study of the flanks with four sessions, MRI measured the fat 29% thinner and the oblique muscles 27% thicker. In the manufacturer's study for the US clearance, 51 of 55 patients were measured at three months with a 5 mm average reduction in the fat layer on ultrasound, and one patient had mild redness lasting an hour. The flank fat clearance is for skin types I to IV (skin types run from I, the palest, to VI, the darkest); the clinician checks your skin at the free consultation.
Love handles, and the abdomen with them
Love handles are fat over the obliques and are usually treated with the abdomen in the same course, the Edge applicator on the sides and the large applicator on the front in separate visits or the same one. A bulge you can pinch with your fingers is also CoolSculpting's area, which we offer, and the clinician says at the consultation which fits or whether both do.
The course and the result
Four sessions about a week apart, 30 minutes each, back to your day, the obliques sore for a day or two as after heavy exercise. In our experience the first change shows two to four weeks after the last session, the result measured at three months, and in our experience a single session every three to six months keeps the tone. The sessions page sets out the course.
Price
From £100 per session, the course for your flanks in writing at your free consultation, with a price match on any comparable written quote and finance through Humm, subject to status. The prices page shows how a quote is built.
Book a free consultation
Call Chelsea Clinic on 0207 043 1107 or use the form below. The clinician looks at your waist and tells you plainly whether EMsculpt NEO, CoolSculpting or both is the right plan. The full EMsculpt NEO guide covers the rest.
