What is the actual difference between HIFU and RF lifting?
Focused ultrasound converges sound waves on separate focal points, so only those points are treated and their depth can be selected. Monopolar radiofrequency drives current through tissue and warms the whole volume the field crosses. Concentration against distribution is the root difference.
Which of the two families treats the deeper layer?
Focused ultrasound, when it is set to do so. On Ultherapy Prime the focal depths are 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm, and the deepest of those reaches the SMAS, the fibrous support layer beneath the fat. Monopolar radiofrequency works above that, through the thickness of the skin, which is a different target and not a lesser one.
My jawline has dropped. Which family should I be asking about?
Descent is a deep-support finding, so the reading usually points at focused ultrasound. Radiofrequency firms the skin lying over the jaw without moving the structure underneath. Where the capture finds descent and surface slackness together, the two families are sequenced from one plan.
Is radiofrequency just a cheaper version of HIFU?
No, and the price card shows why that assumption breaks: a 600-shot radiofrequency tip is the highest single-session figure on this page. They are separate technologies aimed at separate depths, and the cheaper choice within either family is its accessible platform.
What do the four platforms cost at Dear Clinic?
Ultherapy Prime is ₩400,000 per 100 shots, Shurink Universe ₩150,000 per 300 shots, Thermage FLX ₩1,900,000 for a 600-shot tip, and Density ₩700,000 for 300 shots on the Classic tip grade. The High and Alpha grades carry their own rates, quoted at the consultation.
Does focused ultrasound hurt more than radiofrequency?
They are felt differently and the difference is structural. Ultrasound concentrates energy into brief events at depth, so it reads as short, deep pricks of heat as each line goes in. Radiofrequency spreads energy over an area, so it reads as building warmth with cooling between pulses. Comfort measures are confirmed at your consultation.
How much recovery does each family need?
Neither breaks the surface, so most people report redness and warmth that settles, sometimes with tenderness along the treated lines or a tight feeling across the zone. Both are low-downtime treatments and neither is risk-free. Leave saunas, hot yoga and alcohol alone while the heat response settles.
Can a HIFU device and an RF device go into one plan?
Yes, in sequence, and only because the families reach different depths. What is never done is stacking energy on the same spot in one sitting. Both halves are planned from a single EVE Muse capture, the interval is set by your director, and if only one depth is involved only one platform is quoted.
Why are there two machines inside each family?
Because the family answers the question of depth and the platform answers precision and budget. Within ultrasound, Ultherapy Prime adds DeepSEE imaging that reads your layers to 8 mm while treating; Shurink Universe is the accessible tier. Within radiofrequency, Thermage FLX is a single calibrated tip and Density a three-grade escalation.
When is neither HIFU nor RF the right answer?
When the finding is not laxity. Emptied volume in the mid-face reads as sagging in a mirror but responds to a filler plan, and a single clearly descended vector may belong to threads. In both cases we do not recommend an energy session and say which category the answer sits in.
What can go wrong, and who do you refuse to treat?
Redness, warmth, tenderness, swelling and bruising are the common ones. Temporary numbness along a nerve branch, a burn, or a hollow where energy was over-concentrated are the uncommon ones, and both families share them. We postpone over active infection or inflamed acne in the zone, treat pregnancy as a reason to wait, and do not run radiofrequency where an implanted electronic device sits in the field.
Can I be scanned and treated on the same day, and do visitors pay the same?
Usually yes to both. The capture and the director consultation take about half an hour between them and all four platforms are kept ready, so a session can follow the same afternoon once suitability is confirmed. One card covers every passport, and we are open 365 days a year, answering English enquiries as soon as possible.
