Lifting
Ultherapy vs Thermage in Korea: Which Depth Your Face Needs, and What It Costs
Ultherapy Prime and Thermage FLX side by side: the layer each one reaches, what a session feels like, our list prices by shot count, and when the two are planned together.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Jang Dong-hoon · Founder & Medical Director
Published · 9 min read
Ultherapy vs Thermage is a choice between two depths, not two brand names. Ultherapy Prime focuses ultrasound as deep as the SMAS at 4.5 mm, while Thermage FLX heats the dermis with monopolar radiofrequency. This page sets out how each works, how a session feels, what our price list charges per shot count, and how the depth gets decided.
Ultherapy vs Thermage at a glance
Every line in this table comes from the two treatment pages on this site. Prices are list prices in Korean won.
| Question | Ultherapy Prime | Thermage FLX |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | HIFU: focused ultrasound at 60–70 °C | Monopolar radiofrequency |
| Target depth | 1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5 mm — dermis to SMAS | Dermis |
| How it is guided | DeepSEE real-time imaging | Photo design and a chart per zone |
| Sensation | Moderate, brief per line | Moderate, with vibration and cooling |
| Downtime | None | None |
| Typically lasts | 6–12 months | About 12 months |
| From (KRW) | 400,000 for 100 shots | 1,990,000 for 600 shots |
The short version: Ultherapy Prime reaches the SMAS, and Thermage FLX works in the dermis. Tissue that has dropped from the fascia and skin that has thinned are two different problems. Each device answers one of them.
What each device is aimed at
Ultherapy Prime is aimed at cheek descent and nasolabial folds, a heavy brow or upper eyelid, the jawline, fullness under the chin and neck lines. Thermage FLX is aimed at creping on the neck, the line under the jaw, eyelid skin, and fine lines across the forehead and around the mouth.
How we choose between them: depth first
We choose a lifting device by depth. Radiofrequency works in the dermis, HIFU reaches the SMAS, and microwave targets fat. The consultation assesses where your laxity actually originates, and the device follows from that.
Sagging rarely comes from one layer. Skin loosens, fat pads shift, and the fascia beneath gives way. That is why the clinic keeps eleven platforms rather than one.
Ultherapy Prime: three fixed depths down to the SMAS
Ultherapy Prime focuses ultrasound at 60–70 °C into three fixed depths. The 1.5 mm transducer treats dermal texture and fine lines, 3.0 mm passes through the fat layer, and 4.5 mm sits at the SMAS — the fascial layer a surgeon would tighten. DeepSEE imaging shows the tissue in real time, so the operator is aiming rather than estimating.
Thermage FLX: heat in the collagen-rich dermis
Thermage FLX sends monopolar radiofrequency into the dermis. The heat contracts existing collagen and provokes new fibres over the following months, while the tip cools the surface between pulses. It is FDA- and MFDS-cleared, and it is the platform we reach for when skin has thinned rather than simply dropped.
What a session is like on each device
An Ultherapy Prime session
- Imaging. DeepSEE shows the tissue under the transducer, so each line is placed in a plane the operator can see.
- Three depths. The 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm transducers are used where your face needs them. It rarely needs only one.
- Sensation. Moderate, and brief along each line.
- Afterwards. There is no dressing and no recovery period. Tissue contracts on the day, and new collagen arrives over eight to twelve weeks.
A Thermage FLX session
- Photo design. Your face is photographed and the treatment is designed from it.
- A custom chart. Energy level and shot count are set for each zone before a single pulse is fired.
- Treatment. The 4.0 cm² total tip covers the face, and the 0.25 cm² eye tip is used around the lids. The sensation is moderate, with vibration and cooling.
- Real-time adjustment. Levels are adjusted as the session runs. There is no downtime afterwards.
Neither device is judged in the mirror that evening. Both work through collagen, and collagen takes weeks to months.
| Stage | Ultherapy Prime | Thermage FLX |
|---|---|---|
| On the day | Tissue contracts | Existing collagen contracts |
| The weeks after | New collagen over 8–12 weeks | Collagen renewal builds for 3–6 months |
| Typically lasts | 6–12 months | About 12 months |
Because neither device lists downtime, you do not need recovery days built into your trip. Ultherapy Prime is described as one session with a gradual result.
Ultherapy and Thermage prices by shot count
Shot count, tip type and the number of areas vary from person to person. The figures below are list prices, and the final figure is confirmed at consultation.
| Shots | Ulthera (KRW) | Ultherapy Prime (KRW) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 280,000 | 400,000 |
| 300 | 840,000 | 1,200,000 |
| 600 | 1,680,000 | 2,400,000 |
| 900 | 2,520,000 | 3,600,000 |
| Option | Shots | Price (KRW) |
|---|---|---|
| Thermage FLX | 600 | 1,990,000 |
| Thermage FLX | 900 | 2,690,000 |
| Eye Thermage | 255 | 990,000 |
| Eye Thermage | 450 | 1,890,000 |
Our list carries Ulthera and Ultherapy Prime as two separate lines, so ask which one a quote refers to. Eye Thermage has its own line, from 990,000 KRW for 255 shots, and it uses the 0.25 cm² eye tip on eyelid skin.
Ultherapy vs Thermage: which one costs more?
At 600 shots, Thermage FLX is listed at 1,990,000 KRW and Ultherapy Prime at 2,400,000 KRW. At 900 shots the lines read 2,690,000 and 3,600,000 KRW. The shot count your face needs is set per device at consultation, so compare quotes for the whole plan rather than one line.
Can Ultherapy and Thermage be combined?
HIFU and radiofrequency can be planned together, and that plan has a name here: THE Beautiful Total Lifting. It is not a single machine. It decides which device, at which depth and in which order, across the dermis, the fat layer and the SMAS.
- Two platforms in one visit only make sense when they target different planes.
- Where two devices overlap, we space the sessions out instead of stacking them.
- Every platform in the line-up runs contact or gas cooling, so the surface stays out of the treatment.
- How much downtime your week can absorb is part of the plan. Total Lifting runs from none to same-day flushing.
The combined result typically lasts 3–12 months, depending on the device. Total Lifting has no single line on the price list, so ask for a range once the plan is drawn up.
Who each device suits, and who should ask first
Ultherapy Prime suits sagging that starts deep: cheeks that have descended, a heavy brow, a jawline that has softened. Thermage FLX suits skin that has thinned, from neck creping to fine lines around the mouth.
- Tell us your medical history in consultation, including recent fillers, isotretinoin, or any medication that affects healing.
- If your skin is sensitive or reactive, ask about Oligio, a sensor-guided monopolar RF that is a reasonable first RF treatment for that skin.
- If fat needs to come down with the sag, microwave is the depth in question. ONDA reaches 3 mm into the dermis and 7 mm into fat.
Other lifting devices on our list
| Device | Energy and depth | Typically lasts | From (KRW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shurink Universe | HIFU, dot and linear, at 1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5 mm | 3–6 months | 55,000 per 100 shots |
| Doublo Gold | Dual-plane HIFU, dermis and SMAS at 3–4.5 mm | 3–6 months | 169,000 per 300 shots |
| Volnewmer | 6.78 MHz monopolar RF in the deep dermis | 6–12 months | 158,000 per 100 shots |
| Oligio | Sensor-guided monopolar RF in the dermis | 6–12 months | 109,000 per 100 shots |
| ONDA | Microwave, 3 mm dermis and 7 mm fat | Around 6 months | 69,000 per 10 kJ |
Every platform is listed on our medical devices page, and each treatment sits under lifting and tightening.
What changes the cost of Ultherapy or Thermage in Korea
A line on the price list is where a quote starts. Four things move it.
- The device. Ulthera, Ultherapy Prime and Thermage FLX are priced as separate lines.
- The shot count. The Ultherapy lines run from 100 to 900 shots. Thermage FLX is listed at 600 and 900.
- The tip. Thermage FLX uses the 4.0 cm² total tip on the face and the 0.25 cm² eye tip on the lids. We count shots against a certified tip, because that is the only honest way to price it.
- The areas. The eye area treated with Eye Thermage is its own line, at 990,000 KRW for 255 shots or 1,890,000 KRW for 450.
If the Ultherapy vs Thermage question is still open, ask for a range before you fly and you will get an honest one. When you are ready, tick Ultherapy Prime in the booking selector and send the list on WhatsApp. If this is your first visit, read the questions patients ask before they come.
The short version
- Ultherapy Prime is HIFU at three fixed depths of 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm, down to the SMAS. Thermage FLX is monopolar radiofrequency in the dermis.
- We choose a lifting device by depth: where your laxity originates decides between them.
- Ultherapy Prime is 400,000 to 3,600,000 KRW for 100 to 900 shots; Thermage FLX is 1,990,000 KRW for 600 shots and 2,690,000 KRW for 900, per the price list of 20 August 2026.
- Both are listed as moderate in sensation with no downtime. Ultherapy Prime typically lasts 6–12 months, Thermage FLX about 12 months.
- The two energies can be planned together as THE Beautiful Total Lifting, which stages treatment across the dermis, fat layer and SMAS.
Questions patients ask
Is Ultherapy or Thermage better?
Neither is better in general, because they work at different depths. Ultherapy Prime reaches the SMAS at 4.5 mm and Thermage FLX works in the dermis, so the choice depends on where your laxity originates.
Which is more expensive, Ultherapy or Thermage?
At THE Beautiful Clinic, Thermage FLX is 1,990,000 KRW for 600 shots and Ultherapy Prime is 2,400,000 KRW for 600 shots, per the price list of 20 August 2026. Ulthera is a separate line, from 280,000 KRW for 100 shots. The final price is confirmed at consultation.
Is Thermage more painful than Ultherapy?
Both are listed as moderate. Ultherapy Prime is felt briefly along each line, and Thermage FLX comes with vibration and cooling.
Is there downtime after Ultherapy or Thermage?
Neither lists downtime. Ultherapy Prime needs no dressing and no recovery period.
How long do Ultherapy and Thermage results last?
Ultherapy Prime typically lasts 6–12 months, with new collagen arriving over eight to twelve weeks. Thermage FLX lasts about 12 months, with collagen renewal building for three to six months.
Can I do Thermage and Ultherapy together?
HIFU and radiofrequency can be planned together as THE Beautiful Total Lifting. Two devices in one visit only make sense when they target different planes; where they overlap, the sessions are spaced out.
How do I book Ultherapy or Thermage from abroad?
Send a photo and your travel dates on WhatsApp. The clinic replies in English or Bahasa Indonesia, usually the same day, and weekends and Friday evenings fill first.
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.
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
