Lifting
Oligio vs Thermage in Seoul: two monopolar RF devices, and how we choose
Both heat the dermis with monopolar RF, so the choice turns on your skin, the cooling and the size of the session. At 600 shots our list reads 599,000 KRW for Oligio and 1,990,000 KRW for Thermage FLX.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Jang Dong-hoon · Founder & Medical Director
Published · 9 min read
Search Oligio vs Thermage and most answers line the two up as rivals, one cheap and one expensive. They are closer than that. Both are monopolar radiofrequency devices that warm the dermis, and the real gap between them is in the cooling, the tips and how much one visit commits you to.
That shared ground works in your favour. Both machines are on our price list and the same director uses both, so there is nothing for us to gain by steering you to one of them. The scan decides, and on some faces it decides on neither.
This page sets out what the two share, where they part, what each costs here by shot count, who each one suits, and when a deeper device is the better first step. Every figure on it comes from our own list.
Oligio vs Thermage: what the two have in common
Both devices pass radiofrequency energy from a single electrode into the dermis, the layer that holds collagen and gives skin its spring. The heat tightens the collagen already there and prompts new fibres to form over the following months. Nothing is cut, and neither treatment lists downtime on our pages.
Both also have a regulatory record. Thermage FLX is FDA- and MFDS-cleared, and the FDA's 510(k) database lists The Oligio, made by the Korean company Wontech, as cleared in October 2022. A clearance says a device may be marketed for its stated use; it says nothing about which one your face needs.
So the useful question is not which device is stronger. It is whether your laxity sits in the dermis at all, and if it does, how you would like to spend the session.
Where they differ: cooling, tips and how it feels
| Question | Oligio | Thermage FLX |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Monopolar RF | Monopolar RF |
| Where it works | Dermis | Dermis |
| Surface cooling | Contact gas cooling, with vibration alongside | The tip cools the surface between pulses |
| Output control | The handpiece senses skin condition and adjusts output as it moves | Energy charted per zone, then adjusted during the session |
| Tips used here | Face tip for cheek, forehead and jaw | 4.0 cm² total tip for the face, 0.25 cm² eye tip |
| Sensation | Low to moderate | Moderate, with vibration and cooling |
| Typically lasts | 6–12 months | About 12 months |
| Smallest option on our list | 100 shots | 600 shots |
Cooling is the difference most people notice. Oligio holds the surface temperature steady with contact gas while the energy goes deeper, and a vibration runs with it to dampen what the nerve endings register. Thermage FLX cools through the tip between pulses and vibrates too, and its sensation is listed one step higher, as moderate.
The second difference is control. Oligio's handpiece reads the skin and modulates output as it moves, which is why we treat it as a reasonable first RF for skin that reacts easily. Thermage FLX works from a chart: a photo design, then an energy level and shot count for each zone, then real-time adjustment during the session.
Around the eyes the two lines part completely. This clinic has no eye-only Oligio and no Oligio X, so Oligio here is a face treatment on the original platform. For the lids the options are Eye Thermage on its 0.25 cm² tip, the Volnewmer eye tip and Shurink eye, chosen by how thin the skin is.
Oligio vs Thermage price, shot by shot
Both lines are priced per session by shot count. Each row below is one visit, and a repeat is charged at the single-session rate on the list in force at that time.
| Treatment | Shots | Price (KRW) |
|---|---|---|
| Oligio | 100 | 109,000 |
| Oligio | 300 | 319,000 |
| Oligio | 600 | 599,000 |
| Oligio | 900 | 990,000 |
| Thermage FLX | 600 | 1,990,000 |
| Thermage FLX | 900 | 2,690,000 |
| Eye Thermage | 255 | 990,000 |
| Eye Thermage | 450 | 1,890,000 |
Prices are from the list of 20 August 2026 and exclude 10% VAT. The final figure is confirmed at consultation, after the 3D Meta-Vu scan and before anything is started.
A shot on one device is not a shot on the other. Tip size, energy per pulse and the number of passes all differ, so 600 Oligio shots and 600 Thermage FLX shots are two different treatments at two prices. If you are comparing oligio price Korea quotes between clinics, compare the same device at the same shot count.
Thermage FLX starts at 600 shots because each genuine Solta tip is single-use and counts its own shots, so the session is planned as one full-face appointment, usually once or twice a year. Oligio can start at 100 or 300 shots, which suits a single zone or a first try. The full breakdown is in our Oligio guide and our Thermage FLX price guide.
When Oligio is the one we suggest
Oligio is where we tend to start when skin has lost spring at the surface and reacts easily: redness after a facial, a sting from strong products, or nerves about RF after a session elsewhere. The gas cooling and the sensor-guided output keep the sensation low to moderate.
- Fine lines and rough texture along the cheek and jaw, where the contour has softened but not dropped.
- A modest first budget. 100 or 300 shots shows how your skin responds before you commit to a full face.
- A short stay. No downtime is listed, so dinner the same evening or a flight the next day is workable.
- After lip filler, once 10 days have passed. Tell us about any filler when you send your dates.
Collagen builds gradually after the session, so the result at week eight is not the one you walk out with. The effect is listed at 6–12 months, and a repeat is a conversation for when it has faded, not something sold in advance.
When Thermage FLX is the one we suggest
Thermage FLX is the one we reach for when skin has thinned on the neck, under the jaw, across the forehead or around the mouth, and you would rather have one full appointment than several small ones. Existing collagen contracts on the day, and new fibres keep forming for three to six months.
We use only genuine Solta tips, and the director fires every shot himself. Your quote names the shot count: 600 or 900 for the face, 255 or 450 for the eyes. If the lids are part of the plan, this is the line that covers them, since there is no eye-only Oligio here.
Solta's labelling rules Thermage out for anyone with a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or another implanted electrical device, so tell us before anything is booked. If side effects are what holds you back, read what to check before a Thermage treatment first.
When neither is right, and what we suggest instead
The limit comes before the benefit. Oligio and Thermage FLX both stop at the dermis, and neither reaches the SMAS, the muscle and fascia layer a facelift surgeon tightens.
- Cheeks, brow or jawline that have descended: Ultherapy Prime focuses ultrasound down to the SMAS. The Oligio vs Ultherapy question is really dermis against SMAS, and Ultherapy vs Thermage explains that split.
- A face that looks thin or hollow more than loose: Volnewmer works in the deep dermis with continuous water cooling, and Volnewmer vs Thermage sets it against Thermage on the same terms.
- Heaviness in the lower face that comes from fat rather than skin: extra RF shots will not take it away, and the consultation is where that is said.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, recent threads, isotretinoin or medication that affects healing: tell us your medical history before an energy level is set.
The American Academy of Dermatology lists radiofrequency and ultrasound among the non-invasive ways to firm mildly sagging skin, with results that appear gradually. A consultation that ends in a different device, or in nothing at all, is the plan working.
How the director decides, before any price
Both devices sit in the same clinic, so the choice is made from your skin and your schedule. The order is the same every time.
- 3D Meta-Vu analysis. Makeup comes off and the face is photographed in 3D. It takes about 10 minutes and is part of the consultation.
- Consultation with the director. Dr. Jang Dong-hoon, Founder and Medical Director, reads the scan with you and locates the laxity: dermis, SMAS or fat.
- Device and shot count. Oligio, Thermage FLX, a deeper device or nothing, and how many shots on which tip.
- The price, before treatment. The final figure is confirmed here, with no deposit and no obligation to go ahead.
- Treatment by the director. If you agree, the session often follows the same day, and the consultation fee is waived when it does.
We are a 2-minute walk from Exit 5 of Nonhyeon Station. Our own staff interpret free of charge, messages are answered within 24 business hours, and questions after you fly home go to the same WhatsApp thread.
If the Oligio vs Thermage question still feels open, leave it to the scan. When you are ready, tick Oligio in the booking selector or tick Thermage FLX and send your dates. First trip to a Seoul clinic? Read what patients ask before they visit.
The short version
- Oligio and Thermage FLX are both monopolar RF that heats the dermis; Oligio uses contact gas cooling with vibration and sensor-guided output, Thermage FLX cools through the tip between pulses.
- On the list of 20 August 2026, before 10% VAT, Oligio is 109,000 to 990,000 KRW for 100 to 900 shots, and Thermage FLX is 1,990,000 KRW for 600 shots and 2,690,000 KRW for 900.
- Shot counts are not interchangeable between the two devices, and both are priced per session, never as a course.
- The clinic has no eye-only Oligio and no Oligio X; around the eyes the options are Eye Thermage, the Volnewmer eye tip and Shurink eye.
- Neither device reaches the SMAS, so tissue that has descended is a question for HIFU such as Ultherapy Prime, decided after a 3D Meta-Vu scan.
Questions patients ask
Is Oligio better than Thermage?
Neither is better for everyone. Both are monopolar RF in the dermis; Oligio can be booked in smaller shot counts and suits sensitive skin with its gas cooling, while Thermage FLX is planned as one full session, usually once or twice a year. The scan and the consultation decide.
How much do Oligio and Thermage cost in Seoul?
At THE Beautiful Clinic, Oligio is 109,000 KRW for 100 shots up to 990,000 KRW for 900, and Thermage FLX is 1,990,000 KRW for 600 shots and 2,690,000 KRW for 900, on the list of 20 August 2026 and before 10% VAT. The final figure is confirmed at consultation, before treatment.
Which hurts less, Oligio or Thermage?
Oligio is listed as low to moderate, helped by contact gas cooling and vibration. Thermage FLX is listed as moderate, with vibration and cooling between pulses. How it feels varies from person to person.
Can Oligio treat the area around the eyes?
Not at this clinic. There is no eye-only Oligio here, so around the eyes the options are Eye Thermage on its 0.25 cm² tip, the Volnewmer eye tip and Shurink eye, chosen at consultation.
Do you offer Oligio X?
No. The clinic uses the original Oligio platform, priced by the shot counts on its list. Thermage FLX and Volnewmer are the other monopolar RF options.
How many Oligio sessions do I need?
Each session is priced and booked on its own. The effect is listed as lasting 6–12 months, so a repeat is considered once it has faded rather than sold in advance as a course.
Can I decide between them before I fly to Seoul?
Send a front and a 45-degree photo with your dates on WhatsApp. We reply within 24 business hours with which device is worth discussing, or neither, and the plan is confirmed after the scan in Seoul.
Results and recovery vary between individuals, and every treatment can have side effects. Prices are from the clinic's price list and are confirmed at consultation. This article is general information, not a diagnosis.
Sources
About the author
Dr. Jang Dong-hoon
Founder & Medical Director
Founder and medical director of THE Beautiful Clinic in Nonhyeon, Gangnam. He sees every patient's skin analysis before a plan is drawn, and reviews every article on this blog against what the clinic actually does.
Credentials in full
