Image-Guided Ultrasound Skin Tightening
Ultherapy PRIME
Focused ultrasound (HIFU) that looks at the layers of your skin on screen before each pass and matches the depth to you. Tightens a jawline, double chin or brow where sagging has begun — without surgery.
Duration
20-40 min
By shot count
Pain
Moderate–high
Numbing cream first
Downtime
Same day
Redness fades same day
Price · incl. VAT
₩450,000~
Event: 200 shots ₩750,000 · 300 shots ₩990,000 · through December 31
At a glanceVaries by person · confirmed in consultation
- Areas
- Jawline sagging and double chin, cheek sagging, brow droop and eye-area firmness, neck laxity
- Duration
- About 20–40 min by shot count
- Anesthesia
- Topical anesthetic cream applied beforehand
- Recovery
- Daily life and makeup the same day — redness mostly settles the same day
- Onset
- A tightening feel right after; lift and firmness improve over 2–3 months
- Interval
- Usually once a year — twice is possible, but we are more conservative
- Common reactions
- Temporary redness, warmth, mild swelling (hours to days); occasionally tenderness or small bruises
What is Ultherapy PRIME?
Ultherapy PRIME is the ultrasound skin-tightening device from Merz Aesthetics (USA) — the latest platform of what most people simply call "Ulthera". It belongs to the focused-ultrasound (HIFU) family: ultrasound is concentrated at a point inside the skin to create heat, and that heat stimulates collagen.
What sets it apart is MFU-V (micro-focused ultrasound with visualization): before treating, we see the skin, fat, fascia and bone on screen and choose the depth to match your own layer thickness. 4.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 1.5 mm transducers reach layer by layer from the SMAS fascia to the dermis.
It is approved by Korea's MFDS. The US FDA has cleared it to lift the brow, lift lax tissue under the chin and on the neck, and improve lines and wrinkles on the décolleté.
Type
HIFU + real-time imaging
Depth
4.5 · 3.0 · 1.5mm
Target
SMAS to dermis
Unit
100 / 200 / 300 shots
Same ultrasound, different method — and radiofrequency
Ulthera and LinearZ are both HIFU, so the principle is the same. What differs is how the depth is matched and the shape of each pass; XERF is a different force altogether (radiofrequency). Here are the three most often compared side by side in consultation.
Image-guided HIFU — Ultherapy PRIME
A cross-section of the skin appears on screen as the transducer touches it, and energy goes in only after the fascia and the distance to bone have been checked. The same 4.5 mm sits differently in each person, so this is the device that chooses the depth for you.
Linear HIFU — LinearZ
Fires its focal points as a line rather than dots, laying them evenly across a wide area. Fast and on the low side for pain, so it suits maintaining with shorter, more frequent sessions.
Radiofrequency (RF) — XERF
Radiofrequency current meets tissue resistance and generates heat. Rather than points, it warms the dermis broadly to contract collagen and let new collagen build. Ulthera takes the deep layer, XERF the firmness across the whole surface — on the same day, Ulthera first.
This is a difference of role, not of rank. We do not do Ulthera and LinearZ on the same day — we choose one in consultation — while XERF can follow either on the same day.
How Ulthera works — see, match, deliver
HIFU concentrates ultrasound energy at a single focal point, creating a small thermal coagulation point of about 60-70 °C. The heat contracts existing collagen right away, and as the body repairs the spot, new collagen builds in.
Ultherapy PRIME adds seeing while treating. The same 4.5 mm sits at a different place in each person and each area, because skin and fat thickness vary. When the transducer touches the skin, a cross-section appears on screen; the doctor checks where the fascia is and how far the bone is before delivering energy.
SMAS fascia
The structural layer that supports the face — jawline, double chin, cheek sagging
Fat just beneath the dermis
Firmness · contour
Dermis
Surface tightening where the skin is thin — eyes, forehead
Ulthera launch event pricing (VAT included)
Mainly for the jawline and double chin. Shot count follows how many areas we treat, and the actual count is adjusted from the layer thickness seen on screen and the degree of sagging.
100
₩450,000
Jawline or double chin — one area
200
₩900,000₩750,000-17%
Jawline + double chin
300
₩1,350,000₩990,000-27%
Jawline · double chin, plus cheek sagging
The 200 and 300-shot sessions are at launch-event pricing through December 31, for everyone treated in that period. 100 shots stay at the list price.
When Ulthera results show
Right after
A tightening feel
2-3 months
Lift and firmness improve as collagen builds (varies)
How an Ulthera session goes
- 1
Consultation and assessment
We look at facial structure and the degree of sagging to decide which areas and how many shots. If your face is thin or your cheeks hollowed after a previous lift, we say so and suggest another device first.
- 2
Cleansing and numbing cream
The area is cleansed, numbing cream is applied, then ultrasound gel goes on and we begin.
- 3
Delivery while viewing the layers
For each area we check the layers on screen, choose the depth, then deliver energy. Where bone is close — the jawline, the forehead — there is a heavy, resonant sensation, so we adjust energy as we go; tell us right away if you are uncomfortable.
- 4
Finishing and follow-up
There is a tightening feel right after, and redness mostly settles within the same day. Change from collagen appears over 2-3 months and varies between people. The usual interval is once a year; we discuss the timing of the next session from how the skin looks.
Who Ulthera is for
- Sagging has started and the fascia needs tightening
- You want the jawline or double chin, where the fat layer is thicker, tidied
- Brow droop or eye-area laxity bothers you
- You prefer one thorough session a year
- You want natural skin tightening without surgery
Ulthera side effects & aftercare
- Temporary redness, warmth and mild swelling may occur right after treatment; they usually settle within hours to days.
- Tenderness, small bruises or temporary line-shaped marks occur occasionally, and rarely a temporary tingling or numbness (usually resolves within weeks). If swelling, bruising or numbness lasts beyond a week, please contact the clinic.
- On the day, cleanse with lukewarm rather than hot water and avoid strenuous exercise and alcohol.
- Keep away from saunas and other high heat for 2-3 days.
- Adequate moisturizing and sun protection are essential.
- If there are open wounds, inflammation, infection or severe cystic acne in the area, we proceed after it has settled.
- We do not treat if you have an implanted electronic device such as a pacemaker. Tell us in advance about metal implants in the treatment area.
- If your filler went in within the last two weeks, we'd rather wait until then; if today is your only day, we can still proceed.
- If you had Botox in the last few days, we'd leave about two weeks before the treatment when we can. Threads already in place don't get in the way of lifting.
- We generally do not recommend it during pregnancy.
Ulthera FAQ
Pairs well with
XERF Lifting
Where Ulthera reaches the SMAS fascia with focused ultrasound heat, XERF warms the dermis broadly with radiofrequency. Because they reach different layers they pair well — on the same day, Ulthera first, then XERF.
Related Columns
LiftingWhat Is LinearZ? How Linear HIFU Differs from Ultherapy
LinearZ is a HIFU lifting device that links its focal points into lines. How it works, which depth does what, and when it may not suit you.
LiftingWhy Sofwave Stops at 1.5 mm: The Science of SUPERB Ultrasound
Sofwave heats a single layer — the dermis at 1.5 mm — with seven parallel ultrasound beams. Why it targets the dermis rather than the SMAS, and how that sets it apart from HIFU and RF lifting.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jae Young Ko, Medical Director · Last updated
Consultation
Is Ulthera right for you?
We'll guide the right shot count, areas and pricing for your face in a 1:1 consultation.