ROAD TEST: I tried a non-surgical butt lift to see if it could give me the booty of my dreams.

We’re living in the age of the ass. A time where peachy booties are sitting at the top of the physical food chain, driving ladies all over to trade treadmills for hip thrusts.

While I think backsides of all kinds deserve our appreciation (thanks for supporting me as I binge-watched Sex Education last week, lil’ butt!) there’s certainly no harm in having healthy goals for your bod. If you want a perky patootie, all power to you! It happens to be an aim of mine, too.

As a gal who wasn’t blessed with a rounded tush, I know the frustrations of hitting the gym and not seeing much change. I squat, and I lift, and I lunge… and the results? They’re taking their sweet-ass time (sorry).

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I’m not expecting to look like JLo, but I wouldn’t mind a little more circumference, you know?

That’s why my interest was piqued when I heard about electromagnetic butt lifts.

Not to be confused with surgical butt lifts, this option – using a treatment called Emsculpt – is non-invasive. The technology claims to tone and strengthen muscles while reducing fat… With nary a knife in sight.

How, you ask?

Emsculpt uses something called High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic field energy to force your muscles to contract. This energy is emitted through a pair of pads that look like space-aged oven mitts.

The mitts are placed onto your booty (or abdomen, or arms) for 30 minutes, causing your muscles to contract about 20,000 times.

I was offered a trial of the procedure with Dr Arash Akhavan of The Dermatology and Laser Group in New York. (Don't worry, plenty of clinics in Australia offer the service, too.)

I signed up for four sessions spaced out over two weeks and closely monitored my backside along the way.

Before my first session, Dr Akhavan warned me that the sensation would be uncomfortable. Not painful, but odd.

"The first five minutes is a mental game," he said. He then explained that there have never been any negative side-effects reported and that there is zero downtime post-treatment.

In terms of results, Dr Akhavan told me I should expect about a 15 per cent increase in muscle mass, that I'd become stronger, and that my muscles would experience a visible lift.

He also pointed out that you can't go through with this procedure if you're pregnant, or if you have any metal or electronic devices inside your body.

Fully informed, I stripped to my knickers, popped on a hospital gown and lay on the table. The nurses wrapped a thick black strap around my waist then set the paddles/oven mitts on my butt cheeks – the strap was used to hold them in place.

When the electromagnetic waves started, they were mild. This quickly built to an intense sensation, however. The best way I can describe it is like being hit with a wave of hundreds of blunt, electric nails. I kept picturing the pulses as one of those pin art toys (remember them?) rolling across my rear.

Every few minutes, the vibration would change. Instead of a wave, it became a slow, weighted tap. This felt like someone was taking a chisel and hammer to my sit bones. One of the nurses explained that these pulses would break up any lactic acid and reduce soreness.

It must've worked because I didn't experience pain after any of my booty sessions.

By treatment two, I was used to the contractions. While it remained uncomfortable, 30 minutes began to fly by. I'd use the time to answer emails, then get back to my day.

Before starting, I was told I'd see results four weeks after my last session. As time passed, I observed little changes; my underwear felt snug; my glutes felt a little more powerful at the gym… But overall, I didn't think much had changed.

Then, when four weeks were up, I compared my before and after photos.

I was floored. My butt was sitting higher; it looked muscular, and it was more rounded. The result I got was significantly better than I was expecting.

Once I became aware that my booty had had an upgrade, my confidence levels jumped up, too. I felt more comfortable walking around in my sports leggings, and I liked what I saw when I looked in the mirror (something that doesn’t always come easily). 

I suppose other people noticed as well because after I wrote this, my roommate stopped to tell me she thought my butt looked great - “in a completely non-creepy way”.

The most interesting by-product of the experience, however, was a shift in my attitude. I become more assured of my fitness and felt particularly driven at the gym. This might have been the increased muscle mass, or placebo – I’m not really sure. But I guess seeing my body looking stronger encouraged me to push it harder. 

So, would I recommend this butt lift? 

You can expect to drop a few thousand dollars on the procedure, so the cost would first need to be permitting. If so, then go for it. Just don’t expect it to be a cosy shortcut to your dream bod. 

The practitioners at The Dermatology and Laser Group explained to me that the best results are seen in patients who are already in good shape and are seeking a little more definition.

“Because the treatment predominantly builds muscle and secondly burns fat, if a patient is above the healthy BMI range, the results will vary,” they shared.

The clinic also stressed that results are not permanent; it's up to you to maintain your muscle tone through exercise and healthy eating. 

So, like with any health procedure, consider your options first. Maybe a few extra squats will do it for you. If like me, though, you struggle to get the results you want from the gym, an electromagnetic butt lift might be the answer.

In the end, the aim when working on your tush (or any body part) is to feel good. These days, there are loads of ways to help you do that… getting your butt zapped is just one more option.

Feature Image: Supplied.