"Which is better, Ulthera or Thermage?"
"Isn't the newer device better?"
These are what people looking into lifting compare most.
Hello, I'm Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open our doors in Myeongdong shortly, and with so many people comparing devices ahead of opening, let me set it out for your information first.
Today isn't about which device is better — it's three things to check before choosing.
Ultrasound and radiofrequency aim at different things
Both are called "lifting," but the two methods target different depths.
- Ultrasound (HIFU) — described as gathering energy at a point and sending it to deep layers. Closer to lifting what has descended
- Radiofrequency (RF) — warms the dermis evenly. Closer to tightening the skin itself
Think of it as the difference between focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass and gently warming a broad plate.One is a point, the other a plane.
So "which of the two is better?" is hard to answer as a question. The answer divides on whether your concern is sagging, or firmness and texture.
Watch for whether this distinction is drawn first in consultation.
In fact there are three families
To be more precise, these days there's one more.
- Ultrasound (HIFU)deep layers. Sagging
- Radiofrequency (RF)the dermis. Firmness, texture, pores
- Microwavereaching the fat layer. Tidying the contour
We have all three families at our Myeongdong clinic: Ultherapy PRIME, Shurink Universe and Sofwave on the ultrasound side; Thermage FLX, InMode, XERF and Volnewmer on the radiofrequency side; and Onda on the microwave side.
They divide within a family too.Among ultrasound devices there's the side that goes in strongly in one go and the side that manages it across sessions; among radiofrequency devices there's the side using two frequencies to reach deeper and the side strong on surface cooling.
It isn't about showing off a device count. You can only say "you don't need this right now" if there are alternatives. With one device, every concern that walks in converges on that one device.
Do they tell you the tip and the number of shots?
Most devices in this family use genuine tips (cartridges), and a set amount of energy comes out of each.
So "whether I received the set shot count from a genuine tip" matters more than "how many sessions I've had."
Check two things before the treatment.
- Which tip is being used today
- How many shots per area
Asking to see the tip opened is a perfectly legitimate request.If the price is unusually low, this is worth asking about once more.
Do they talk about design before intensity?
"While we're at it, go as strong as you can."
If a place simply takes that request at face value, it's worth another think.
Collagen responds best within a set temperature range.Put in more than needed and burn risk and pain grow faster than the repair.
What matters isn't intensity alone but how evenly it's delivered, according to skin thickness and area.
I'd add that the mapping is better done sitting up. Lying down pushes sagging tissue up and back, so where it has actually descended looks different. Lines drawn lying down can miss the places that need work.
This is exactly where the same device produces different results.
Before that — the order of establishing the layer
Before those three, there's actually one more step: seeing which layer your sagging belongs to.
The same concern — "my jawline has blurred" — divides by cause.
- Where a deep layer has descended — the ultrasound side suits
- Where the skin's own firmness has dropped — the radiofrequency side suits
- Where fat has increased and buried the contour — the two above have limits
- Where a lot of skin is left over — energy devices alone struggle
This is hard to separate by eye alone, so we look with assessment tools first.Eve-V to divide out the state of the skin, and Photo Manager to keep records at the same angle under the same lighting.
The reason for the records is simple: change registers more accurately in a photograph than in memory. To avoid stalling at "I think it looks better?" two or three months on, you need a same-conditions photo from the point you started.
There's no need to rush in these cases
Honestly, if any of the following apply, now may not be the time.
- If you have relatively little cheek fat — excess energy is associated with a hollowed look
- If a lot of skin is left over — energy devices alone have clear limits
- If your skin is inflamed, or you've just had a strong treatment
And please tell us in advance if you have a pacemaker, metal implants in the treatment area, are pregnant, or have a keloid tendency.Dental titanium implants are described as not falling into this category.
The effect is built after the treatment
Looking in the mirror right after the treatment, you may think "has anything changed?"
With this family the change arises as collagen builds, so it's described as emerging gradually over two to three months.
Which is why attending to sun protection and moisturising afterwards helps the result.If collagen is being eroded while it builds, less of it remains.
Anything that adds a lot of heat, such as saunas, is safer postponed for a week or two, and photographing before you start and three months on under the same lighting at the same angle makes judging it far easier.
- Before the device name, ask whether it is sagging, or firmness and texture
- Tell apart looseness from firmness
- Ultrasound, RF and microwave have different targets
Frequently asked questions
Q. Can I have both?
A. They target different layers, so they're sometimes planned together. Doing everything on one day isn't always better, though, so order and interval are safer settled in consultation.
Q. How often should I have it done?
A. It varies with the device and your skin, but generally the guidance runs in months to a year.Ageing continues regardless of treatment, so it's hard to see it as a one-and-done treatment.
Q. Is it true that cheeks can look hollow?
A. Where there's little fat and the energy is excessive, that change is sometimes mentioned. Which is why a step that looks at skin thickness and fat volume together is needed before the treatment.
Q. Is the newer device better?
A. Which layer your concern belongs to comes before the release date.However new the device, if it targets a different layer you won't get the result you want.
Q. How does it differ from a thread lift?
A. Energy devices contract tissue with heat and prompt a collagen response; threads physically hook and lift.It divides on the degree of sagging and how much skin is left over.
Q. I'm worried about the pain — is there a way round it?
A. There are differences even within a family.Ultrasound is generally felt as strong; radiofrequency has cooling and is described as milder.Rather than gritting your teeth through it, it's better to revisit which family suits your concern.
Q. From what age do people have this?
A. Your skin's condition, not your age, is the measure. Many begin when sagging starts, but if the change isn't yet clear there's no reason to hurry.
Q. If the treatment was short, was it rushed?
A. Time alone is hard to judge by, but skipping the mapping and per-area distribution does shorten it.More accurate than time is checking whether the mapping was done sitting up and whether the shot count was divided by area.
Q. Is it good to have several devices at once?
A. Devices targeting different layers are sometimes planned together, but doing everything on one day isn't always better. Without time to recover, the strain simply stacks. Setting the order and interval comes before the combination.
Sagging or firmness, first
It's been a long read, and this is the only line worth keeping.
Before choosing a device name, it's faster to work out whether your concern is descent or loss of firmness.
I'd add that a good consultation doesn't lead with a device name.It hears the concern, establishes which layer the problem belongs to together, and only then talks devices.If the order is reversed, it's worth another think.
That question you came in with — does it feel a little clearer now?
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thank you for reading this long piece.This was Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information, and the effects and side effects of treatments may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)