Skin & non-surgical
Ultherapy in Korea
Ultherapy is a brand of microfocused ultrasound that heats small points under the skin to tighten mildly loose skin on the face and neck, with no cut. At our partner clinic in Seoul, Urban Plastic Surgery, each session lasts up to 30 minutes with numbing cream or sedation. Daily life continues afterwards; allow a few days before flying.
Who is a good candidate for Ultherapy?
- Your skin has started to lose firmness and you notice early lines, but nothing hangs or folds yet
- You see mild looseness at the brow, along the jaw, under the chin or on the neck
- You want a lift without an incision and can accept a modest change
- Your face loosened a little after facial contouring surgery. The clinic lists this among the reasons people ask about it
When it may not be the right choice
- Your skin hangs below the jaw or folds on the neck. Heat cannot remove loose skin, so a facelift or neck lift fits better
- Your face is very lean and hollow areas worry you. Ask how the plan avoids them
- The skin where the treatment would go is infected, broken or inflamed. Ask the doctor whether it should wait
- You expect the change of surgery, or a result that lasts without further treatment
Which method fits you?
Ultherapy is one of several ways the clinic tightens or lifts sagging skin, from mild to more advanced. Two others are compared here, because they differ in what they reach and in what you go through.
| Method | What happens | Suits | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy | A handpiece shows the layers under the skin on a screen, then sends focused ultrasound energy to set depths, down to the SMAS, the firm layer under the skin and fat. | Mild looseness and early lines, with no wish for needles or a cut | Redness or swelling that passes. Daily life continues |
| Thread lift | Barbed threads go in through needle holes and pull tissue up. | Early sagging of the cheeks and jaw where a small mechanical lift helps | Swelling for some days, dimpling possible |
| Mini facelift | A short incision near the temple lets the surgeon lift skin and the SMAS and remove some skin. | Sagging that has gone past what devices or threads can change | About 1 week to daily life |
What happens on the day of Ultherapy?
- Consultation. The doctor looks at where your face is loose and marks the areas, and you agree how deep the treatment goes and how much energy is used in each area.
- Numbing cream goes on, or you have sedation if you are worried about pain. The clinic says an anesthesiologist is based on site.
- The handpiece is placed on the skin. The doctor checks the layers on the screen, then delivers the energy as rows of small heated points, counted as shots or lines. The session takes up to 30 minutes.
- You go back to your day. If you had sedation, take it easy for the remainder of the day and do not travel alone.
What is recovery like after Ultherapy?
- Same day
- Redness and warmth, sometimes with swelling. The skin can feel tender to touch.
- Days 1 to 7
- Redness fades within days. Swelling can last longer, and some people notice bruising, raised welts or numbness that slowly settles.
- Weeks to months
- Any tightening appears gradually rather than straight away, so the change is judged weeks later.
- About 1 year
- Studies followed people for about a year. Evidence beyond that is limited.
How long should you stay in Seoul after Ultherapy?
A session slots into a short trip: you leave the same day, nothing has to be removed, and the clinic does not list a return visit. Book it early in your stay rather than the day before you fly, so redness, swelling or a bruise has time to settle and you can be seen if something feels wrong. After sedation, plan nothing else that day. If you are also having surgery, ask the surgeon how to time the two.
What are the risks of Ultherapy?
- Pain during the session. A systematic review described the treatment as moderately painful
- Redness and swelling afterwards, which reviews describe as temporary
- Bruising, or raised welts or marks on the skin
- Numbness or tingling, or temporary weakness of part of the face if a nerve is affected. A safety review lists these nerve effects among its rare events
- A small change. The review found brow lifts of 0.47 to 1.7 mm across its studies, and patients rated the change as mild
- Hollowing in areas with little fat, a concern the clinic itself raises. Ask how the energy and depth are adjusted for your face
- The general risks of sedation if you choose it
- Pain in or around the eye, or any change in vision, after treatment near the brow or eyes. Get emergency care first, then tell the clinic
What affects the cost of Ultherapy in Korea?
The number of shots (often called lines) and the areas treated shape an Ultherapy quote, along with sedation and any other treatment on the same day. No price is listed here yet; a quote follows the doctor’s review of your photos. Ask whether it is priced per area or per number of shots, and get it in writing with the doctor who performs it.
More questions
Is Ultherapy FDA cleared or approved?
In the US, Ultherapy has FDA clearance through a 510(k), which is not the same as an approval. The clearance covers lifting the eyebrow, lifting loose tissue under the chin and on the neck, and improving lines and wrinkles on the chest. The clinic also treats other areas, such as the jawline and the smile lines (nasolabial folds).
How long do Ultherapy results last?
No one can give a fixed number. Studies in a systematic review followed people for about a year, so evidence beyond that is thin, and aging continues. Ask the doctor what change is realistic for your skin.
Can Ultherapy cause hollow cheeks?
It can happen in areas with little fat, and the clinic itself names this as a concern. It says some parts of the face lose fat more easily, so it chooses the depth, the number of shots and the energy area by area. If your face is lean, say so at the consultation and ask how the plan avoids those areas.
Does Ultherapy work for men?
It can be used for men, for concerns such as a loose jawline, a lowered brow or loose tissue under the chin. The change depends on your skin and tissue, so ask the doctor what is realistic for your face and how the depth and energy are set for you.
Related procedures
Sources
- Clinic figures as published by Urban Plastic Surgery, collected October 3, 2026. Your surgeon confirms your own plan.
- Ulthera System 510(k) premarket notification K180623. US Food and Drug Administration
- A Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Microfocused Ultrasound for Facial Skin Tightening. PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine
- Review of the safety profile for microfocused ultrasound with visualization. PubMed, US National Library of Medicine
Cases and clinic figures come from our partner clinic, Urban Plastic Surgery. The partnership does not change what we publish about risks and recovery.