"Ultherapy or Thermage?" is the question international patients send most often before a trip to Seoul. This is how MILI Clinic Dosan in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam separates the two, when it proposes both, and what each costs.
Prices and clinic details from MILI Clinic Dosan’s published information.
Thermage uses radiofrequency to heat a broad volume of dermis, which improves overall laxity, pore appearance and skin texture. Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound to reach the deeper SMAS layer at specific depths, which addresses sagging and jawline definition. They act on different layers and are frequently combined rather than chosen against each other.
At MILI Clinic Dosan the published list prices, in Korean won, excluding 10% VAT, are Ultherapy Prime ₩1,500,000 for 300 shots and ₩2,700,000 for 600 shots, and Thermage FLX ₩2,000,000 for 600 shots and ₩2,700,000 for 900 shots.
| Treatment | What it is | Published price at MILI Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy Prime | FDA-cleared micro-focused ultrasound with real-time DeepSEE imaging. | Ultherapy 300 shots ₩1,500,000 Ultherapy 600 shots ₩2,700,000 Additional 100 shots ₩500,000 Eye Ultherapy 200 shots ₩2,000,000 |
| Thermage FLX | Monopolar radiofrequency for skin tightening across the full face in one session. | Thermage FLX 600 shots ₩2,000,000 Thermage FLX 900 shots ₩2,700,000 Eye Thermage 450 shots ₩1,800,000 |
Ultherapy delivers micro-focused ultrasound energy to the SMAS — the same fibromuscular layer a surgeon tightens during a facelift — without an incision. What separates the Prime generation is DeepSEE® imaging: the physician sees the tissue layers on screen in real time and places each line of energy where it will actually hold, rather than working blind.
Forehead, brow, under-eye, cheek, nasolabial fold, jawline, neck and décolleté are treated.
For a balanced full-face result, 400 shots or more is generally required. The exact count depends on your facial type and which concerns you are targeting. Where appropriate, combining Ultherapy with another lifting modality allows the shot count to be reduced and concentrated precisely where it is needed.
There is an immediate tightening effect from tissue contraction, but the meaningful change comes from new collagen forming over the following 2–3 months. Results are typically assessed at the 3-month mark.
Thermage heats the dermis and the fibrous septae below it with monopolar radiofrequency, causing immediate collagen contraction and triggering a remodelling response that continues for months. Unlike ultrasound, radiofrequency treats a broad volume rather than discrete focal points, which is why it suits overall skin laxity and texture more than a single sagging vector.
Most patients see the effect maintained for roughly 12 to 18 months, though ageing continues throughout. Individual results vary with skin condition, age and lifestyle.
Generally none. Mild redness or warmth may be present for a few hours, and normal activities including makeup can usually be resumed the same day.
Yes, and it commonly is. Because the three devices act on different depths and tissue types, combining them allows each to be used at a lower dose while covering more of the ageing picture.
Whether a combination makes sense for your face, and the total for it, is set at consultation before anything is agreed.
It can, if it is applied without a proper reading of the individual face. Energy placed into volume-critical zones can cause permanent fat atrophy. This is why the physician assesses fat distribution and the face both at rest and in motion before designing the treatment, and why volume-preserving zones are mapped and avoided.
The energy is delivered in strong focused dots into deeper tissue, so sensation varies considerably between individuals. Depending on your pain threshold, treatment is performed under topical anaesthetic cream, a nerve block, or sedation. A dull ache in the treated area afterwards is normal and settles progressively.
Sleep anaesthesia, if needed, is explained at consultation.
The energy type and the target layer differ. Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound to reach the SMAS, Thermage uses radiofrequency across the dermis, and Onda uses microwave energy absorbed by the fat layer. Where localised fullness rather than descent is the concern, Onda is often the more appropriate choice.
Silhouette Soft uses absorbable sutures carrying bidirectional cones that grip tissue and reposition it, then dissolve over months while stimulating collagen along the thread path. It suits mid-face and jawline descent where energy-based lifting alone does not achieve enough vector change.
Send your dates and your concern on WhatsApp. Consultation is conducted in English, and a plan with an itemised quote follows the assessment.