How many shots of Thermage, or how many kJ of Onda, do I need?

Onda is usually measured by total energy (kJ), while Thermage is measured in shots, such as 300 or 600. We split the amount across areas depending on face size, fat distribution and how much sagging there is. For a full face, I recommend 60–80kJ for Onda and 600 shots for Thermage as the standard.

How long do results last, and how often should I go?

It depends on your skin and the amount used, but many people feel it lasts several months. Most start with two to three sessions three to four weeks apart, then continue with maintenance depending on their skin. I recommend about three sessions, roughly a month apart.

Does it hurt? Do you use numbing cream?

I describe it as bearable. Heat spreads and then a brief throbbing pain can rise, and you may feel a heavier ache close to bone, along the jawline and cheekbones. Every device has a cooling function, and we adjust the energy if pain is a concern. Numbing cream only dulls the skin surface and does little for pain from deep heat; it can even reduce the effect, so we try not to use it. Sedation is a better option. For patients who are sensitive to pain, I recommend sedation.

Will Onda make my cheeks look hollow?

Microwave heat reaches the fat layer and the fascia, so if your skin is thin and you have little fat to begin with, your face can look too gaunt. We only recommend it after checking at the consultation that it suits your face. If someone is slim and their skin is loose, I usually recommend monopolar RF such as Thermage first.

Can I combine it with Ultherapy or Shurink on the same day?

Ultherapy and Shurink send ultrasound down to the fascia and make heat points that tighten it for an overall lift. Onda and Thermage spread microwave or RF energy widely from the outside in, and the heat shrinks fat and improves skin firmness. The mechanisms are so different that they are often combined, and usually the same day is fine. Depending on your skin and other recent treatments, though, avoid doing too much at once. I usually advise the device that reaches deeper first, and the one that concentrates heat near the surface afterwards.

Treatments

Thermage FLX & Onda Lifting

Before and After, Cost in Korea

Written by BeautyCoordi Editorial TeamMedically reviewed by Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOReviewed 2026-10-235 min read

Key points

Thermage is a monopolar radiofrequency (RF) device made by Solta Medical in the US. It cools the skin surface while heating the dermis and the tissue beneath it over a wide area, so collagen contracts and then regenerates.
Monopolar RF was first cleared by the US FDA in 2002 for wrinkles around the eyes, and its use later widened to facial skin laxity.
Onda (Onda Coolwaves) is made by DEKA in Italy. It sends 2.45GHz microwaves into the fat layer and dermis while the handpiece keeps the surface cool.
Microwave heat is described as stressing fat cells so the fat layer slowly thins, while in the dermis it contracts collagen and stimulates new collagen.
InMode is made by InMode in Israel and heats the skin with bipolar RF tips such as Forma.
RF and microwave lifting heat a wide area evenly, unlike ultrasound lifting (Ultherapy, Shurink), which focuses heat into small points.
In a Korean university hospital study (66 women aged 40–60, three monopolar RF sessions), wrinkle area around the eyes fell by about 15% on average, and the only side effects reported were temporary redness and swelling.
Common reactions are temporary redness, swelling and warmth. Rarely, burns, blisters, firm nodules or fat atrophy can occur.
Numbing cream does little for pain from deep heat, so sedation is considered for patients who are sensitive to pain.

Thermage FLX is a non-surgical skin tightening treatment that heats the whole dermis with monopolar radiofrequency, so collagen contracts and then regenerates. Onda lifting works differently: cooled microwaves heat the fat layer under the cheeks and jaw as well as the dermis, so it is chosen when contour and fullness are the main concern. Both are widely available in Seoul.

Thermage & Onda at a glance

Thermage suits: thinner, looser skin, fine lines and texture
Onda suits: cheek and jowl fullness with a blurred jawline
Standard amount: full face 600 shots of Thermage or 60–80kJ of Onda
Sessions: about three sessions a month apart to start
Downtime: redness and warmth for hours to a day; back to sightseeing the same day
Limits: a lot of loose skin may need more than heat-based lifting

How does Thermage FLX work?

Thermage is made by Solta Medical in the US. Each pulse first cools the skin surface, then radiofrequency heat spreads through the dermis and the tissue below it.

Fuller cheeks and jowls (before) → the handpiece cools the surface while microwaves heat the fat layer beneath (treatment) → slightly flushed and tighter right after (right after) → over months the fat layer thins and the cheek and jaw contour looks neater (months later). Slim faces can end up too gaunt, so Thermage is often suggested first for them.

With every pulse the tip cools the surface first, then radiofrequency heat spreads through the dermis below. Unlike Onda, the heat gathers in the dermis rather than the fat layer. Illustration of the mechanism.

Right away: heat makes collagen fibres contract, so skin can feel firmer straight after.
Over the following months: fibroblasts make new collagen and the dermis becomes denser.

Months later — Cheek and jowl fullness months later, shown on a 3D face model. Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareCheek and jowl fullness months later, shown on a 3D face model. Illustration of the mechanism.

Before — ↔ Drag to compareCheek and jowl fullness months later, shown on a 3D face model. Illustration of the mechanism.

Months later — The heated centre shows denser, firmer dermal collagen. A tissue study (Zelickson 2004) found collagen fibres contracted right after treatment and new collagen formation increased afterwards. The sides are left untreated for comparison. Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareThe heated centre shows denser, firmer dermal collagen. A tissue study (Zelickson 2004) found collagen fibres contracted right after treatment and new collagen formation increased afterwards. The sides are left untreated for comparison. Illustration of the mechanism.

Monopolar RF was first cleared by the US FDA in 2002 for wrinkles around the eyes, and its use later widened to facial laxity. In a Korean university hospital study of 66 women aged 40–60, three sessions reduced wrinkle area around the eyes by about 15% on average, and the only side effects reported were temporary redness and swelling.

How many Thermage shots do you need?

A shot is one pulse from the tip. Thermage is counted in shots and Onda in total energy (kJ).

Device	Counted in	Typical full face
Thermage FLX	shots	600 shots (300 and 900 are also offered)
Onda	total energy	60–80kJ
InMode	area and time	"one full-face session"

What changes the result more than the total is how it is split across areas. The same amount concentrated on a thin area can leave it looking hollow; spread too thinly, the change is small. Eye-area Thermage is a separate, smaller treatment counted in its own shots.

Not sure whether Thermage or Onda suits your face? Ask us before you book.

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What is Onda lifting?

Onda (Onda Coolwaves) is a 2.45GHz microwave device made by DEKA in Italy. Like a microwave oven warming the water inside food, it heats tissue from within while the handpiece keeps the surface cold.

While the handpiece keeps the surface cool, microwaves pass the dermis and heat the fat layer beneath. Heat gathering in the fat layer rather than the dermis is what sets Onda apart. Illustration of the mechanism.

Fat layer: heated fat cells release fat that the body slowly clears, so the layer thins and the cheek and jaw contour looks neater.
Dermis: collagen contracts and new collagen forms, so skin firms up.

Months later — Only the treated centre shows a thinner fat layer and smaller fat lobules. The sides are left untreated for comparison. Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareOnly the treated centre shows a thinner fat layer and smaller fat lobules. The sides are left untreated for comparison. Illustration of the mechanism.

On the face, Onda is used most for areas where fat blurs the contour — cheek fullness, jowls and a double chin. The same principle is used on the body, such as the abdomen and upper arms.

Will Onda make my cheeks hollow?

"Onda hollow cheeks" is a common search. Because microwave heat reaches the fat layer and fascia, a face with thin skin and little fat can end up looking too gaunt. A slim face with loose skin usually does better with Thermage first.

Onda vs Thermage vs InMode

	Onda	Thermage FLX	InMode
Maker	DEKA, Italy	Solta Medical, USA	InMode, Israel
Energy	microwave (2.45GHz)	monopolar RF	bipolar RF
Main target	fat layer + dermis	dermis and below	dermis
Best for	contour (cheeks, jowls) and firmness	firmness, fine lines, texture	firmness and texture, frequent care
Cost	mid	higher	lower

Dr. Park's guide for first-timers: fullness with a blurred contour → Onda; thin skin with fine lines and laxity → Thermage; lower cost and regular care → InMode. It is a starting point, not a rule. Thermage and InMode, both RF, are rarely combined; pairing devices from different energy families is more common.

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

Right after: feels tighter from heat contraction
Weeks to months: fat thinning and collagen renewal continue
After that: ageing carries on, so the effect fades gradually

Thermage vs Ultherapy: can you combine them?

	Onda · Thermage (heat lifting)	Ultherapy · Shurink (ultrasound lifting)
How heat is delivered	spread evenly over a wide area	focused into small heat points
Main target	dermis, fat layer	deep dermis, SMAS
Best for	skin firmness, cheek and jaw contour	lifting a sagging jawline and cheeks

Ultrasound lifting is covered in our Ultherapy & HIFU guide.

Pain and downtime

Reaction	Usually lasts
Redness, warmth	hours to a day
Mild swelling, stiffness	a few days
Tenderness when pressed	one to two weeks

Rarely, burns, blisters, firm nodules or fat atrophy can occur. Tell the clinic straight away if symptoms last.

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

Planning Thermage or Onda on a trip to Seoul

One session per trip is normal. The first course is about a month apart, so most visitors do one session per visit.
Same-day sightseeing: redness and warmth usually settle within hours.
Combining with HIFU: the ultrasound device goes first, then Onda or Thermage. Injections such as Rejuran come last.

How much does Thermage cost in Korea?

The same "Thermage 600 shots" can be priced very differently because the conditions differ. Compare on the same basis:

Shots or kJ, and how they are split across areas
Whether a genuine tip is used (each Thermage tip has a set number of shots)
Full face or part of the face
Who treats you (whether a doctor does it)
For event prices, conditions such as first visit only

No clinic says it does not use genuine, full-dose treatment, which is why checking these conditions yourself matters. Current package prices with English support are on the DR.BAQUO packages page.

FAQ

Is one session enough?

You may feel tighter right after, but fat thinning and collagen renewal continue over weeks to months. How many sessions you need depends on your skin and goals.

What is the difference between Thermage FLX and older Thermage?

It is the same company's latest device with the same principle (monopolar RF). The tip and energy control changed, so ask which tip and how many shots will be used.

Is it worth it in my 20s?

With almost no sagging, the change may be small. If cheek and jaw contour is the concern, check how much fat you have first.

Sources

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOPPEUM Clinic Konkuk Univ.

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