Ultherapy Laser Seoul: It's Really Ultrasound, and Why I Pair It with Sculptra

Is Ultherapy a laser? A short answer for anyone searching "Ultherapy laser Seoul"

Hello, I'm Dr. Hyo Seop Ryu, a board-certified dermatologist and Chief Director at WELLS Clinic in Apgujeong, Seoul. I hold MD and PhD degrees and served as an assistant professor of dermatology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

Many patients who write to me found us by searching Ultherapy laser Seoul. It is an understandable phrase, but Ultherapy is not a laser. It is focused ultrasound that delivers energy to the SMAS layer, the same layer a surgical facelift tightens. That difference matters, and so does a bigger question I answered for Medical Tribune (메디칼트리뷴) in December 2022: how do you treat loss of firmness and loss of volume together?

The short answer: usually not with one tool. Aging brings fine lines, loosening and volume loss at the same time, and each sits in a different layer. Ultherapy lifts from deep down, a laser step can refine the contour above it, and an injectable like Sculptra rebuilds volume that no device can put back.

What I told Medical Tribune in 2022

The article, titled "피부 탄력과 볼륨 한번에 잡는 항노화요법은 '이것'", looked at why skin creams and supplements rarely reverse lost elasticity and why people turn to medical treatment. It named Ultherapy, injection treatments and Sculptra as the main anti-aging options.

The point still matters because it explains a common frustration with lifting in general: the jawline looks sharper, but the mouth area still looks tired, or the cheeks look flatter than before. Often the device did its job; the plan simply asked one tool to solve two problems.

• Ultherapy stimulates the loosened SMAS layer, the layer behind sagging and folds, and can lift the deep cheek and double-chin area up to the face line.
• Its limit depends on the degree of aging and skin type: the area around the mouth and the nasolabial folds may improve less.
• Sculptra, injected evenly under the skin, supports collagen from the dermis down to the fat layer and the tissue around the fascia, which helps fine lines, deeper lines and hollow cheeks or temples.
• The non-negotiable: shot count, number of sessions and the injected amount change the result, so the individual face must be assessed first.

I still plan this way today. Ultherapy Prime is the lifting device, Sculptra Lifting is the volume step, and the order between them is set after I have looked at the face.

Ultrasound, not laser: where the laser actually comes in

A laser works with light. Ultherapy works with sound: the transducer focuses ultrasound energy at a set depth beneath the skin, so it can reach the SMAS layer while the surface is largely spared. It lifts from deep down and also works on the fat layer. At WELLS every session runs on the Ultherapy Prime system with genuine tips, and WELLS is a Merz Ultherapy Golden Record Award clinic.

So where does a laser fit into an Ultherapy laser Seoul search? In our Ultherapy Prime FIT protocol, a second 'Fitting' laser targets the layer between Ultherapy and Thermage depth. Ultherapy pulls from the SMAS; the Fitting laser tightens the surface contour along the jawline in the same visit.

Before treatment your face is analyzed with a 3D imaging system, and an individualized treatment map sets the energy and shot distribution for each area. Most of our patients are satisfied with 300 to 400 shots; only about 2% need 600 or more.

Why I pair Ultherapy with Sculptra

A device tightens what is there; it does not replace volume that has gone. That is why, in the 2022 interview, I said injection treatment pairs well with Ultherapy for fine lines and volume.

Our Sculptra Lifting technique places Sculptra at the temples and upper face, supporting the tissue upward along the face's own lifting vectors instead of filling the area that sags. Sculptra stimulates your own collagen, so the result develops gradually over the following months.

Dr. Choi, Dr. Lee and I completed Handok's Sculptra hands-on training program, and WELLS guarantees every Sculptra vial is genuine. One session is listed at ₩1,320,000 (VAT excluded); whether one session is enough is decided at consultation.

Three faces, three different plans

Here is how the pieces combine in practice. These are typical starting points I discuss, not fixed packages, and the final plan follows a 3D facial analysis.

• Fuller lower face, sagging jawline, good cheek volume: Ultherapy Prime FIT, which adds a Fitting laser for the jawline contour to focused ultrasound.
• Soft jawline and double chin, but cheeks already thin: Onda MAX, with the 7 mm handpiece kept to the chin and jaw and limited on the cheeks.
• Sagging plus hollow temples or cheeks: a lifting device for firmness and Sculptra Lifting for volume, with the order and timing set at consultation.

Lifting devices and Sculptra act on different layers, so combinations are common. If you have had lifting, fillers or threads recently, tell us, because it changes how much energy and product we plan.

Prices and doses: why the number depends on your face

My 2022 point about shot count, sessions and dose applies directly to price. All prices below are listed in Korean won and exclude 10% VAT.

Most of our Ultherapy patients are satisfied with 300 to 400 shots; only about 2% need 600 or more. If Onda MAX is the better fit for a thin face, our dermatologists recommend about three sessions four to six weeks apart.

Planning it around a trip to Seoul

On a single visit, Ultherapy Prime FIT and Sculptra Lifting fit easily into a trip. An Onda series is easier if you return to Seoul or stay several weeks.

For Ultherapy we do not use deep sedation. Ultherapy's own guidelines don't recommend it, and Air NOX with local anesthetic keeps you awake, so you can see the genuine tip and the shot count. You can read more about my background on my profile page, and see related pieces on Sculptra prices in Korea and Onda in Seoul.

Results and recovery vary by individual. Every treatment carries possible side effects, which are explained at the consultation. Prices are in Korean won, excluding 10% VAT, and confirmed at your consultation. This article is general information from the clinic, not a diagnosis.

Written by

Dr. Hyo Seop Ryu

Medical Director · M.D., Ph.D. · WELLS Clinic, Apgujeong

• Board-certified dermatologist, M.D., Ph.D.
• Clinical instructor, Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
• Assistant professor, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
• Visiting professor, Dubai Maris Clinic, through International St. Mary's Hospital
• Former chief director, Bundang Bon Dermatology Clinic

Full profile