What is Korean HIFU (Shurink / Ultraformer) and how is it different from Ultherapy?
Shurink is the name Korean clinics use for the HIFU device made by the Korean company Classys. Outside Korea the same device line is sold as Ultraformer: Ultraformer III is called Shurink in Korea, and Ultraformer MPT is called Shurink Universe.
The Shurink at our clinic is Shurink Universe. If you have been looking at Ultraformer MPT, think of it as the same Classys device line. Ultherapy, on the other hand, is an American device, made by a different company, and a different device from Shurink. Ultherapy is counted in lines, and Shurink and other HIFU devices are counted in shots.
How much do Ultherapy and Shurink cost in Korea?
At SKINLIFT SEOUL (Dr. Designer Clinic, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul), 600 lines of Ultherapy cost ₩1,749,000 and 1,000 shots of Shurink Universe cost ₩770,000, VAT included. The price list excludes VAT, so 10% is added when you pay, and the “VAT included” column in the table below is the total you actually pay. Every Ultherapy price includes numbing cream (topical anesthesia). Payment is in Korean won.
| Device | Lines or shots | Price list (excl. VAT) | VAT included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy | Single area 100 lines | ₩390,000 | ₩429,000 |
| Ultherapy | 300 lines | ₩900,000 | ₩990,000 |
| Ultherapy | 600 lines | ₩1,590,000 | ₩1,749,000 |
| Ultherapy | 1,000 lines | ₩2,400,000 | ₩2,640,000 |
| Ultherapy | Eye area 200 lines | ₩800,000 | ₩880,000 |
| Ultherapy PRIME | Single area 100 lines | ₩410,000 | ₩451,000 |
| Ultherapy PRIME | 300 lines | ₩1,590,000 | ₩1,749,000 |
| Ultherapy PRIME | 600 lines | ₩2,480,000 | ₩2,728,000 |
| Ultherapy PRIME | 1,000 lines | ₩3,990,000 | ₩4,389,000 |
| Ultherapy PRIME | Eye area 200 lines | ₩1,300,000 | ₩1,430,000 |
| Shurink Universe | 100 shots | ₩39,000 | ₩42,900 |
| Shurink Universe | 1,000 shots | ₩700,000 | ₩770,000 |
Ultherapy PRIME prices include hydration care. Shurink is priced by shot count, but the price list has no 600-shot row, so if you want around 600 shots we set the range at the in-person consultation and give you a quote. These are the prices we charge now, exactly as they are.
There is a reason prices differ between clinics even for the same number of lines. The cause of sagging differs from person to person. In some people the superficial fat layer has stretched, in others the fascia has loosened, and in others lost volume makes the face look like it is sagging. When the treatment checks the skin thickness and response in each area as it goes, the same number of Ultherapy lines gives a different result. Going over the face quickly and evenly without that process is what you could call a simple treatment. What Ultherapy is and how we do it is explained in About Ultherapy.
Ultherapy vs Ultherapy PRIME: what does the price difference get you?
Ultherapy PRIME is a new platform in the same Ultherapy line. It costs more than the earlier platform for the same number of lines, and at our clinic hydration care is included with it. The differences the manufacturer, Merz, announced when it launched PRIME are that treatment is on average 20% faster than on the previous device, the screen is 35% larger, and the imaging refreshes faster. The manufacturer’s announcement makes no comparison saying the new device gives a stronger lifting effect.
In price terms, 300 lines of PRIME cost the same as 600 lines of the earlier Ultherapy. So if your concern is the whole face and your budget is fixed, it is easier to decide by settling the number of lines first, before the device. If you want a shorter treatment or want the hydration care as well, choose PRIME.
How many lines of Ultherapy do you need?
For the full face, Ultherapy is usually done with 600 lines or more, and for the lower face only, such as the jawline and double chin, with 300 lines. With 600 lines the full face can usually be covered, and if you want the neck as well, I recommend adding more lines. For a single spot such as the double chin or jawline, there is a single-area 100-line option, and the eye area has its own 200-line option.
For people who want to tidy up the lower face and jawline without losing weight, Ultherapy is a sound choice. Fat along the jawline is hard to lose even when you try, so I think it is better to tighten it with ultrasound than to try to lose it.
That said, some sagging does not resolve no matter how many lines you add. When the face looks saggy because volume has been lost, even a lot of Ultherapy will not fix all of it. Diagnosing first whether your problem is one Ultherapy can solve matters more than the number of lines, and I wrote about this further in When more Ultherapy lines won’t help.
How many shots of Shurink do you need?
Shurink is usually done with around 600 shots for the full face, and if your concern is the lower face, such as smile lines, the mouth area or the jawline, the shots are concentrated there. Pain is low, so it is usually done without numbing cream, and the actual firing time is about 15 to 20 minutes.
Our price list has Shurink at 100 shots and 1,000 shots, and for around 600 shots we look at the range at the in-person consultation and give you a quote. Rather than multiplying the 100-shot price in advance, decide which areas get how many shots, then check the price.
Ultherapy vs Shurink: which works better, and who is each for?
Ultherapy is the original ultrasound lifting device. Its power is higher, and the focal point where the ultrasound converges is more precise. Personally, I think Ultherapy costs more but its results are clearly better.
We perform Ultherapy while viewing the layers under the skin with DeepSEE imaging. The same number of lines gives a different result depending on whether the treatment takes into account the cause of the sagging and the skin thickness and response in each area, and being able to see the layers is what makes that difference possible with Ultherapy.
Shurink, the Korean HIFU, has low pain and is over quickly, and we recommend it as a treatment you have more often to maintain results. No study has compared how long the two devices’ effects last under the same conditions, so we do not say how much shorter it is. That makes it a fit for people who can visit a clinic regularly, are worried about pain, and have mild to moderate sagging. If you want an effect that lasts a long time from one session, or your jawline has clearly dropped, we look at Ultherapy.
How long do HIFU results last, and when should you have it again?
Ultherapy has no fixed interval for repeat treatment, and many people have it about once a year to maintain results. The time to have it again is set not by the calendar but by whether your contours have dropped again and your jawline has blurred. For some people the interval is shorter. Shurink is a treatment we recommend having more often to maintain results, so plan on regular visits from the start. How to judge when to have it again is explained in detail in How often should you have Ultherapy?.
Is this Ultherapy price in Korea a rip-off? What to check before comparing
HIFU prices can only be compared when you set side by side the totals for the same device and the same number of lines or shots, tax included. When you get your home quote, ask about the items below as well, and put that amount next to the VAT-included total at SKINLIFT SEOUL (Dr. Designer Clinic, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul). Our reference prices are ₩1,749,000 for 600 lines of Ultherapy and ₩770,000 for 1,000 shots of Shurink Universe, both VAT included.
- Device name: Check whether it is Ultherapy or Ultherapy PRIME, and for Korean HIFU, whether it is Ultraformer III or Ultraformer MPT (Shurink Universe).
- Lines or shots, and areas: Even with the same 600, check whether it covers the full face or only the lower face, and whether the neck is included.
- Tax and currency: Match whether the price includes tax and which currency it is in. Our prices are in Korean won, and the VAT-included amount is the final amount.
- Numbing and extras: Check whether numbing cream or aftercare is included in the price.
- How it is done: Ask whether the treatment checks the layers and how each area responds, or fires the same number of lines quickly and evenly.
Add round-trip airfare and accommodation for your own trip on top of this to see the real difference. You can fly home on the same day as Ultherapy or the next day.
Clinics at home also run promotions and are sometimes cheaper. But for a high-priced treatment, or when you combine several treatments, having it done in Korea can work out better. There is currently no VAT refund on treatments for foreign patients, so the VAT-included amounts above are the final amounts, and the background and an example total are in Medical VAT refund in Korea.