How many shots do I need, and where do they go?

There is no fixed number. Guidance built from feedback between clinicians and the manufacturer suggests starting with about 300 shots across the mid and lower face, but it depends on the case. Too few shots can give little change; too many can cause swelling from excess heat. We adjust the energy and spread the shots across depths and areas. I usually use 150–200 shots at 4.5mm on the deep cheeks and jawline, and 100–150 shots at 3.0mm above the smile lines and under the chin.

Does it hurt? Do you use numbing cream?

You may feel a sharp or hot sensation near bone, along the jawline, under the cheekbones and on the forehead, and deeper layers can feel a little stronger. It is all bearable. Numbing cream is essential for needle treatments, but for devices that work with heat it usually makes little difference, and it fairly often causes swelling or redness that can reduce the effect or limit the treatment. So I do not recommend it, but if a patient really wants it, we apply it. After explaining this, we either apply numbing cream or, although I do not usually push it, offer sedation.

Can I get fillers, Botox or Rejuran on the same day?

Many people do. Fillers, Botox and Rejuran are substances injected into the skin that then settle and change, so HIFU should always be done first. Always the device first.

Treatments

Ultherapy in Korea

Ultherapy Prime Cost & Before and After

Written by BeautyCoordi Editorial TeamMedically reviewed by Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOReviewed 2026-10-215 min read

Key points

Ultherapy and Shurink are HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) treatments that focus ultrasound into small heat points of about 60°C or more under the skin, without damaging the skin surface.
Depending on the cartridge, HIFU can target the dermis (1.5mm), the deep dermis (3.0mm) or the SMAS layer (4.5mm), the same layer a surgical facelift lifts.
Ultherapy is made by Merz in the US and shows a live ultrasound image of the skin layers during treatment. It was first cleared by the US FDA for brow lifting in 2009 and for the area under the chin and neck in 2012.
Shurink is made by Classys in Korea; overseas it is sold as Ultraformer III, and its successor Shurink Universe is sold as Ultraformer MPT.
Right after treatment, heat shrinks some fat under the skin so the face can look tighter straight away; remodelling of the SMAS and skin then continues over about one to two months on average.
There is no fixed interval between sessions. Many patients feel results last about three to six months, and treating too often without enough time in between can cause swelling or firmness in the tissue.
Common reactions are temporary redness, swelling and soreness. Rarely, bruising, surface burns, temporary numbness or fat loss (a hollow look) can occur.
Numbing cream makes little difference for heat-based devices and can cause swelling or redness, so it is not used routinely.

Ultherapy is a non-surgical lift that focuses ultrasound into tiny heat points deep under the skin, so new collagen forms as they heal, while the skin surface is left untouched. In Korea you can get Ultherapy (made in the US) and Korean HIFU devices such as Shurink, known abroad as Ultraformer.

Ultherapy & HIFU at a glance

Best for: an early sagging jawline or cheeks, and skin that has lost firmness
Results: looks tighter right away, then remodelling over 1–2 months
How long: many people feel it lasts 3–6 months (there is no fixed interval)
Limits: a lot of loose skin may need more than ultrasound lifting

How does Ultherapy work?

Ultherapy and Shurink are both HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound. Like a magnifying glass focusing sunlight, the device focuses ultrasound at a set depth, briefly heating just that point to over 60°C.

Sagging jawline (before) → the cartridge sits flat on the jawline and leaves rows of tiny heat points at the depth of the SMAS (treatment) → heat shrinks a little fat, so the lower face looks slightly slimmer right away (right after) → over about three months new collagen forms where the points were and the jawline firms (3 months later).

The cartridge sits flat on the skin over a thin gel layer. The transducer inside steps sideways and leaves one heat point at a time in the SMAS, about 1.5 mm apart at 4.5 mm deep, passing through the epidermis, dermis and fat untouched. One shot makes one such row. Real ultrasound is invisible, and a row takes about 1–2 seconds. Illustration of the mechanism.

Right away: heat shrinks some fat under the skin and contracts collagen fibres, so many people look slightly slimmer and lifted straight after.
Repair: as the heat points heal, fibroblasts make new collagen and elastic fibres. The SMAS and skin remodel over about one to two months on average.

Depth	Layer	Main goal
1.5mm	dermis	fine lines, texture, thin skin
3.0mm	deep dermis	firmness and tightening of the skin
4.5mm	SMAS	lifting sagging contours such as the jawline

The SMAS is the fibrous layer between skin and muscle, the same layer a surgical facelift lifts.

Each cartridge has a fixed focal depth, so changing depth means changing cartridges. Points form in the dermis at 1.5 mm, just below the dermis at 3.0 mm and around the SMAS at 4.5 mm, smaller at shallower depths. Real layer thickness varies by area and person. Illustration of the mechanism.

What is Ultherapy PRIME?

Ultherapy PRIME is the newest Ultherapy platform from Merz, launched in 2024. The treatment principle is the same; Merz describes a larger, sharper live ultrasound screen and faster treatment. That live image of the skin layers is what sets Ultherapy apart from most HIFU devices: the doctor can see the depth before each line of heat.

Ultherapy or Shurink (Ultraformer)?

	Shurink (Ultraformer)	Ultherapy
Maker	Classys, Korea	Merz, USA
Overseas name	Ultraformer III; Shurink Universe = Ultraformer MPT	Ultherapy, Ultherapy PRIME
Key feature	fast treatment, several cartridges	live ultrasound image of the skin layers
Pain	often felt as milder	often felt as stronger
Cost per shot	lower	higher

Dr. Park's view: rather than putting off a visit while comparing devices, start with an affordable treatment recommended at your consultation, see how your skin responds, and use that to decide which direction to take next. "Thick skin suits ultrasound, thin skin suits radiofrequency" is often true, but not always.

How many shots do you need?

A shot is one pulse of ultrasound. What matters more than the total is how the shots are split across depths and areas.

Depth	Shots	Area
4.5mm	150–200	deep cheeks, jawline
3.0mm	100–150	above the smile lines, under the chin

That is how Dr. Park's clinic typically splits about 300 shots; your face shape and sagging will change it.

Not sure how many shots your face needs? Ask us before you book.

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When do results show, and how long do they last?

3 months later — The sagging jawline and cheeks after about three months, shown on a 3D face model. How much changes depends on skin thickness, fat and the number of shots. Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareThe sagging jawline and cheeks after about three months, shown on a 3D face model. How much changes depends on skin thickness, fat and the number of shots. Illustration of the mechanism.

Before — ↔ Drag to compareThe sagging jawline and cheeks after about three months, shown on a 3D face model. How much changes depends on skin thickness, fat and the number of shots. Illustration of the mechanism.

About 3 months later — A tissue study (Marquardt 2025) found fibroblasts gathered and new collagen and elastic fibres formed where the heat points had been, about 90 days after treatment. Positions match the heat points in the clip. Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareA tissue study (Marquardt 2025) found fibroblasts gathered and new collagen and elastic fibres formed where the heat points had been, about 90 days after treatment. Positions match the heat points in the clip. Illustration of the mechanism.

Q. When do I see results, and how long do they last?

Because of how the device works, most people look a little slimmer and lifted right after treatment, as heat shrinks some fat under the skin. How long it lasts depends on the case, the area and the number of shots, so there is no fixed interval. Medically, remodelling of the SMAS and skin is known to show over about one to two months on average. For patients who want a number, I say most people feel it lasts about three to six months. Treating too often without enough time between sessions can strain the tissue and cause swelling or firmness.

For a first course with a standard number of shots, I suggest about three sessions one to two months apart. After that, at least two to three months apart, whenever you feel firmness dropping.

Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOPPEUM Clinic Konkuk Univ.

Planning HIFU on a trip to Korea

One session per visit is normal. The first course is spaced one to two months apart, so most visitors do one session per trip.
Little downtime: most people go straight back to sightseeing. Redness and mild swelling usually fade within hours to days.
Combining treatments: if you also want fillers, Botox or Rejuran, the HIFU comes first and the injections after.

Pain and side effects

Common reactions are redness and mild swelling (hours to days) and soreness or tenderness (one to two weeks). Rarely, bruising, surface burn marks, temporary numbness or fat loss that looks like a hollow can occur. In faces with very little cheek fat, deep heat under the cheekbones can make the cheek look hollow for a while; it usually recovers except in older patients, and clinics adjust depth and shots to avoid it.

Tell the clinic first if you have fillers or threads in the area, a skin condition or wound, metal implants, or are pregnant.

Combining with fillers, Botox or Rejuran

How much does HIFU cost in Korea?

The same "300 shots" can be priced very differently because the conditions differ. Compare on the same basis:

Total shots and how they are split across depths
Whether genuine cartridges are used
Who treats you (whether a doctor does it)
Whether numbing or aftercare is included

Very cheap prices far below the market rate are best avoided. If price matters, try a standard treatment once or twice and use the clinic's event periods once you are happy. Current package prices with English support are on the DR.BAQUO packages page.

FAQ

Will I look slimmer immediately?

Many people look a little tighter right after, because heat shrinks some fat under the skin. Remodelling of the skin and SMAS continues over about one to two months.

Is HIFU worth it in your 20s?

If you have almost no sagging, the change may be small. A consultation when you first notice firmness dropping is a better time to decide on depth and shots.

Is Shurink Universe different from Shurink?

It is the same company's newer device (Ultraformer MPT abroad), working on the same principle with different modes and cartridges.

Sources

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOPPEUM Clinic Konkuk Univ.

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