Even if you do 100 squats every day at the gym, you might find that your hip line doesn't look as defined as you'd like when you take a side profile photo in the mirror. You might wonder if you're not working out hard enough and try lifting heavier or working out more often, but if you stop seeing changes at some point, you start to ask yourself, "Is exercise alone not enough?"

To give you the short answer, exercise and clinical treatments target different areas. Squats build the gluteal muscles to shape the line, while clinical treatments improve skin elasticity and adjust fat positioning to lift sagging areas. Even for the very same "hip line" concern, the best approach depends entirely on what is causing the sagging in the first place.

Glutes*: The main muscles that make up the buttocks. They are divided into the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The one you can mainly grow through exercise is the gluteus maximus.

Squats target your muscles

Squats are an exercise that stimulates and builds the glutes, especially the gluteus maximus. If you do them consistently for about 8 weeks, the volume of your glutes will increase, and you will see the upper part of your hips becoming rounder. However, the areas where you'll see changes are limited. The muscles grow at the top and sides of the hips, not the bottom.

Sagging hips are usually caused by a loss of skin elasticity or a shift in fat positioning, rather than a lack of muscle. In this case, even if you build more muscle, the sagging areas will remain the same. To see visible changes from squats, you need to do them consistently for 6 to 12 weeks, making it hard to expect results in just a single month.

Clinical treatments target skin elasticity and fat

Hip sagging treatments can be broadly divided into two categories. The first is lifting skin elasticity. Non-invasive treatments like HIFU Body or RF Body are great examples; they deliver heat deep into the dermis to stimulate collagen regeneration, helping the hip line lift smoothly over a period of 1 to 3 months.

The second is adjusting the positioning of the fat itself. If you have a lot of sagging fat at the lower part of your hips, you can use fat-dissolving treatments to reduce the volume and achieve a more defined line. However, since these treatments do not build muscle, your hips may still look flat afterwards if you have very little gluteal muscle to begin with.

How to find out which type you are

Taking a side profile photo and comparing the upper and lower parts of your hips makes it easy to assess your current state. If the upper part is flat and lacks roundness, it's highly likely due to a lack of gluteal muscle. In this case, you can see great improvements through strength training like squats and hip thrusts.

On the other hand, if the upper part is reasonably round but the lower part looks saggy and the boundary with your thighs is blurred, your concern is likely related to skin elasticity and fat positioning. In this case, relying on exercise alone will lead to slow changes, whereas non-invasive lifting or fat-dissolving treatments can offer a wonderful helping hand in refining your lines. Since a combination of both is the most common, it is safest to keep exercise as your foundation and use clinical treatments as a way to complement it.

Combining both for the best journey

When managing your hip line, there is no single right answer; combining both exercise and treatments to complement each other is a very common and effective approach. While building gluteal volume with 8 to 12 weeks of strength training, receiving 1 or 2 non-invasive treatments to lift skin elasticity in the meantime will help define your lines beautifully from both ends. If you only receive treatments without exercising, the areas where muscle has been lost may sag again. Conversely, if you only exercise without addressing sagging skin, your skin's elasticity may not fully recover.

However, to know which treatment is truly right for your skin, directly receiving a personalized diagnosis is key. Even for the exact same RF treatment, the depth and intensity vary by device, and the recovery period differs depending on your skin condition. This article is for general informational purposes, so please decide on actual treatments after consulting with a skilled doctor who can personally examine your skin and fitness routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I fix sagging hips without treatments if I do 200 squats every day?

A. If a lack of gluteal muscle is the sole cause, it is certainly possible. However, if you also have a loss of skin elasticity or shifts in fat positioning, exercising alone will make it difficult. We recommend taking a side profile photo first to check your current condition.

Q. Which is more suitable for me, HIFU Body or RF Body?

A. It depends on your skin thickness and the degree of sagging. HIFU works on deeper layers, while RF works on relatively shallower layers, meaning the ideal choice depends on your unique skin condition. Please choose the right option through a comfortable consultation with a medical professional.

Q. Do I need to take a break from working out after a treatment?

A. Usually, a recovery time of about 1 to 3 days is recommended, after which you can gradually resume your routine. Since strenuous strength training immediately after a treatment can accumulate unwanted irritation, please follow the guidance of your medical team.

Further Reading

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