EMFACE Korea: How It Works and What a Session Feels Like

What is EMFACE Korea, and what does it actually do?

Hello, I'm Dr. Won Sin Lee, a board-certified dermatologist and Chief Director at WELLS Clinic in Apgujeong, Seoul. I trained at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, where I am an adjunct professor of dermatology. EMFACE Korea is one of the questions I hear most from visitors, so in my YouTube video from September 2026 above I explain it and start a ten-week course on my own face; this article is based on it.

In short: EMFACE strengthens the facial muscles that hold the skin up, rather than only tightening the skin. It uses electromagnetic energy to make the expression muscles contract and relax, together with radiofrequency for the skin, so the support comes from underneath.

How EMFACE works: muscles as well as skin

The name says it: electromagnetic energy for the face. It stimulates the nerves so the muscles of the forehead and the muscles that pull the corners of the mouth upward contract and relax, about 75,000 times in a 20-minute session. Like exercise, that builds strength in muscles that have weakened.

Most lifting we have used until now, such as Thermage, Ultherapy and Onda, focuses on making the skin layers firmer. EMFACE adds the core underneath: by strengthening the muscle layer that supports the skin, it helps hold the skin from the inside. It is a different layer, not a replacement.

The device also emits radiofrequency, which helps skin elasticity and warms the muscle so it activates more easily. That energy needs a path out of the body, which is why a return patch is placed on the back.

What does an EMFACE session feel like?

Thermage and Ultherapy hurt if you do nothing, so clinics put a lot of work into anesthesia and technique. EMFACE needs no anesthesia. The muscle stimulation can feel strange or slightly unpleasant at first, but the energy is not at a level that causes pain.

• Three patches: one across the forehead and one on each cheek. At the clinic we place them for you.
• A return patch on the back for the radiofrequency energy.
• We start at a comfortable intensity and raise it roughly every five minutes, so you adapt without much discomfort.
• You will see your expression moving on its own; that is the muscles working.

When the patches come off there is almost nothing to see. The skin may look a little flushed from the radiofrequency, and that settles in 20 to 30 minutes. Even after the first session my eyes felt more open and my smile felt easier; over the course, the cheek area and brows lift further.

How many EMFACE sessions do you need?

EMFACE is measured in time, not shots: one full session is 20 minutes. Muscle behaves like it does in the gym: a workout makes it feel pumped, but it shrinks back without repetition. To rebuild weakened muscle, I suggest about five sessions at one- to two-week intervals, then maintenance every one to two months.

Combining EMFACE with Thermage or Ultherapy can add to the result. For this course I had EMFACE alone, once a week for ten weeks, so the effect of EMFACE by itself would be clear. My verdict at the tenth session is in my article on the korean non surgical face lift.

Having EMFACE Korea treatment at WELLS

A weekly course is hard on a short trip. On a single visit, EMFACE comes as part of our 3X Upper Face Lifting. In one visit, Eye Thermage (450 shots) tightens eyelid skin, EMFACE (two passes, 40 minutes) works the muscles that hold the brow line, and Eye Ultherapy (50 shots) lifts the deeper layer. It is ₩2,500,000 (VAT excluded), with no incision.

If you can stay longer or return, the dermatologist plans an EMFACE course with you and confirms the price at consultation. For eyelid-focused RF on its own, see our post on eye thermage korea. Send a photo and your travel dates on WhatsApp; results vary from person to person.

This article explains general medical information from the video. It is not a diagnosis; results vary by person and are decided in consultation.