Thermage vs Ultherapy vs Sofwave Read the Layer, Not the Brochure
Read the layer, then pick the device. Sofwave warms the mid-dermis at 1.5mm, Ultherapy Prime reaches the SMAS at 4.5mm, and Thermage FLX heats the whole dermal volume — so the useful comparison starts with where your own skin has loosened, mapped on ultrasound by one physician just steps from Gangnam Station in Seoul.
Thermage vs Ultherapy vs Sofwave
Thermage vs Ultherapy vs Sofwave
Read the Layer First · Gangnam Seoul
Read the layer, then pick the device. Sofwave warms the mid-dermis at 1.5mm, Ultherapy Prime reaches the SMAS at 4.5mm, and Thermage FLX heats the whole dermal volume — so the useful comparison starts with where your own skin has loosened, mapped on ultrasound by one physician just steps from Gangnam Station in Seoul.
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Thermage vs Ultherapy vs Sofwave: how do I actually choose?
Choose by depth, not by device. Sofwave warms the mid-dermis at 1.5mm and suits shallow crepiness and brow. Ultherapy Prime reaches the SMAS at 4.5mm and suits a heavy, dropping jawline. Thermage FLX heats the whole dermal volume and suits diffuse, all-over looseness. The question is not which is strongest; it is where your skin has loosened, and a physician reads that layer on ultrasound at RE:BERRY Gangnam before recommending anything.
Effects & Progress
Effects & Progress
The three devices are not ranked by strength — they are separated by depth. Sofwave stays at the mid-dermis, Ultherapy Prime alone reaches the SMAS at 4.5mm, and Thermage covers the whole dermal volume, so reading the loosened layer first is what pairs the right energy to the right plane.
Any warmth or pinkness fades within hours. Sofwave usually leaves no trace, while Thermage and Ultherapy Prime may bring brief redness that settles the same day. Makeup and travel are fine right away.
Early firmness from collagen contraction settles in. Skin often feels denser and smoother to the touch before the visible tightening reaches its peak, whichever depth was treated.
The main remodeling phase. New collagen and elastin build through the treated plane, from the mid-dermis with Sofwave, the SMAS with Ultherapy Prime, or the dermal volume with Thermage. Response speed varies by individual.
Maintenance period. The fullest result lands around week 24, and durability then differs by depth. RE:BERRY reviews your progress photos and guides the repeat interval that suits your skin.
Treatment Process
Thermage vs Ultherapy vs Sofwave — 4 Steps from Depth Reading to Aftercare
※ Illustrative images are AI-generated to help explain the treatment process.Effects & Progress
Effects & Progress
What sets these three apart is not power but reach. Sofwave never passes the mid-dermis, so it cannot lift a jowl that has dropped at the deep support layer. Ultherapy Prime is the only one of the three built to place energy at the SMAS around 4.5mm, the fascial plane a surgical lift tightens, which is why a heavy jawline depends on it. Thermage heats the full dermal thickness when looseness is diffuse rather than deep. Because each device owns a different floor, the layer-first reading — mid-dermis, SMAS, or dermal volume — is what turns a device comparison into an actual answer for your face.
None of the three implants a filler or a foreign material. Each prompts your skin to repair itself at the layer it heats, so both collagen and elastin renew from your own tissue. Existing fibers contract first, felt as early firmness in the weeks after treatment, then new collagen and elastin build through the treated plane and the visible change matures toward its peak around week 24. Sofwave drives that renewal in the mid-dermis, Ultherapy Prime at the SMAS, and Thermage across the dermal volume. The result comes entirely from your own skin, and it varies by individual.
For all the heat delivered underneath, none of these energies breaks the surface. Sofwave, Ultherapy Prime, and Thermage each pass their energy through intact skin, so there is nothing to stitch and no recovery room to wait in. Most guests leave with mild warmth or light pinkness that clears within hours, and Sofwave often leaves no trace at all. A short-lived erythema shows in a minority of cases and resolves within about a week at most. That non-invasive footprint is what lets a lifting session slot cleanly into a short Seoul trip, even one built around sightseeing.
Whichever energy your depth reading points to, it runs on a device that is officially recognized rather than improvised: Merz Ultherapy Prime for focused ultrasound at the SMAS, Sofwave for parallel-beam ultrasound in the mid-dermis, and Solta Thermage FLX for monopolar radiofrequency across the dermal volume, all MFDS-registered platforms at RE:BERRY Gangnam. Each uses a sealed single-use consumable matched to its device, and the physician confirms it with you before the seal is broken, so nothing on your treatment day is opened out of your sight.
Treatment Process
Thermage vs Ultherapy vs Sofwave — 4 Steps from Depth Reading to Aftercare
※ Illustrative images are AI-generated to help explain the treatment process.
A Self-Diagnosis Guide: Match Your Own Skin to the Right Depth
- Pinch-and-crepe test: if the skin on your cheek looks fine at rest but shows fine crinkling when you gently move it, the change is shallow mid-dermal, the layer Sofwave warms at 1.5mm
- Jawline-in-the-mirror test: tilt your chin down and check whether a soft jowl gathers along the jaw. A deep structural drop like that lives at the SMAS, where Ultherapy Prime places points at 4.5mm
- All-over looseness: skin that feels generally slack across cheeks, jaw, and neck without one sharp fold points to diffuse volumetric laxity, and Thermage FLX heats the full dermal thickness for that pattern
- Age is a hint, not a rule: mid-dermal texture concerns cluster around ages 25-45, while SMAS-level and volumetric sagging are more common from the mid-30s to 60, and your ultrasound reading settles it either way
- Two layers loose at once: when the surface is crepey and the jawline has also dropped, one device rarely covers both, and the physician may stage a shallow and a deep energy on the same afternoon
- When it is surgical: a heavy, established fold that no energy setting reaches gets said plainly. An ultrasound lift is not a facelift, and the physician will point you elsewhere before selling a device
| Timeline | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Any warmth or pinkness fades within hours; Sofwave usually leaves no trace, Thermage and Ultherapy Prime settle a little redness by evening, and makeup and travel are fine the same day | |
| Early firmness from immediate collagen contraction sets in at whichever depth was treated; skin often feels denser to the touch before the visible change shows | |
| The main remodeling window: ultrasound-driven change at the SMAS matures around week 12, and new collagen builds through the treated plane | |
| The fullest tightening reads around 24 weeks; durability then differs by depth, from roughly 9-12 months up to about 18 months depending on the device and your skin |
Thermage FLX vs Ultherapy Prime vs Sofwave, Mapped by Skin Layer
| By skin layer | Sofwave (mid-dermis) | Ultherapy Prime (SMAS) | Thermage FLX (dermal volume) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy type | SUPERB parallel-beam ultrasound, 9.4 MHz | Micro-focused ultrasound with visualization, 4 / 7 MHz | Monopolar radiofrequency, 6.78 MHz |
| Working depth | 1.5mm mid-dermis only | 1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5mm, reaching the SMAS | Full dermal thickness, volumetric |
| The layer it fixes | Shallow crepiness, brow elevation | Deep jawline drop, jowls | Diffuse, all-over looseness |
| Typical age pattern | 25-45 | 35-60 | 35-60 |
| Shots per session | 100 per side standard, 200 in Signature | 100 standard, 530 in Signature | About 600 per full face |
| Comfort (Korean cohort) | Mildest of the three | Deepest sensation of the three | Moderate, with vibration and cooling |
| Eye area | Capable | Capable | Capable, with a dedicated eye tip |
| Peak result | Around 24 weeks | Around week 12 into 24 weeks | Around 24 weeks |
| How long it holds | About 12 months | Up to about 18 months | About 9-12 months |
Why This Matters
The three devices are not ranked strong-to-weak; they live at different depths. Sofwave never reaches past the mid-dermis, so it cannot lift a jowl that has dropped at the SMAS. Ultherapy Prime reaches that deep anchor but is overkill for surface crepiness. Thermage covers the whole dermal volume when looseness is diffuse rather than deep. Reading the layer first is what stops a guest from booking the wrong energy for the right complaint.
When the ultrasound read comes back loose on two floors at once, a crepey surface and a dropped jawline together, one device rarely settles both. At RE:BERRY Gangnam a large share of triple-device guests end up staging a shallow and a deep energy on the same afternoon, and the sequence is planned to avoid thermal overlap: mid-dermis first, SMAS next, volumetric last. ₩330,000 (about $236) (per 100 shots — courses start at 300 shots) shows how a staged plan is quoted before anything is scheduled.
KHIDI's 2025 international patient survey found 41.4% of respondents rank keeping the same doctor throughout as their leading criterion. At RE:BERRY the physician who reads your depth on the ultrasound screen is the one who delivers every shot and reviews your result, with no handoff between the reading and the treatment.
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Dr. Yoon-Gon Ryu
- Medical Director, RE:BERRY Aesthetic Clinic Gangnam — Korean MOHW Medical License No.131644
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- Regular Member, Korean Academy of Aesthetic Medicine
- Co-manages every case with Dr. Yejin Oh (Korean MOHW Medical License No.144238)
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Yoon-Gon Ryu, CEO / Medical Director, RE:BERRY
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Step past the black gallery facade and the bustle of Gangnam-daero falls away. Fourteen thousand square feet of hushed corridors, marble installations, a cascading water feature and fully enclosed consultation suites — arranged so you rarely cross paths with another guest, because our reservation-only diary keeps every hour deliberately underbooked.
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The Evidence Behind Reading Laxity Depth Prior to Choosing an Energy
Microfocused ultrasound earns its place in this comparison because it can put energy at a chosen depth. A rater-blinded evaluation of a microfocused system with visualization documented measurable improvement in skin laxity when discrete thermal coagulation points were placed at defined planes, which is the physical basis for treating a deep SMAS drop differently from shallow surface crepiness.
Oni G, Hoxworth R, Teotia S, Brown S, Kenkel JM. Evaluation of a microfocused ultrasound system for improving skin laxity and tightening in the lower face. Aesthet Surg J. 2014;34(7):1099-1110. doi:10.1177/1090820x14541956
Depth is not just a marketing axis; it changes the histology. A study of intense focused ultrasound as a treatment modality showed that focused ultrasound creates discrete zones of thermal effect at controlled depths in the dermis and beneath it, sparing the layers above, the mechanism that lets a physician aim at the SMAS at 4.5mm or the mid-dermis higher up without treating everything in between. Evidence in Asian skin specifically confirmed that intense focused ultrasound tightening produced clinical improvement in a population comparable to RE:BERRY's guests.
Laubach HJ, Makin IR, Barthe PG, Slayton MH, Manstein D. Intense focused ultrasound: evaluation of a new treatment modality for precise microcoagulation within the skin. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34(5):727-734. doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2008.34196.x
Suh DH, Shin MK, Lee SJ, et al. Intense focused ultrasound tightening in Asian skin: clinical and pathologic results. Dermatol Surg. 2011;37(11):1595-1602. doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02094.x
Follow-up work refined which patients benefit and how far the effect reaches. A microfocused-ultrasound-with-visualization study reported patient-rated and clinician-rated tightening of the face and neck, while a neck-and-lower-face series and a review of ultrasound skin tightening together frame realistic expectations: the response is progressive, it builds over weeks and settles across months, and it addresses laxity while leaving established deep folds to other tools. This is the reasoning behind reading the layer first at RE:BERRY Gangnam, because the reading sets whether ultrasound, radiofrequency, or a staged pair is the honest match for a given face.
Fabi SG, Massaki A, Eimpunth S, Pogoda J, Goldman MP. Evaluation of microfocused ultrasound with visualization for lifting, tightening, and wrinkle reduction of the decolletage. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69(6):965-971. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.06.045
Friedman O, Isman G, Koren A, Shehadeh W, Sprecher E, Artzi O. Intense focused ultrasound for neck and lower face skin tightening. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020;19(4):850-854. doi:10.1111/jocd.13313
Minkis K, Alam M. Ultrasound skin tightening. Dermatol Clin. 2014;32(1):71-77. doi:10.1016/j.det.2013.09.001
Questions International Guests Ask When Comparing the Three
Which is strongest: Thermage, Ultherapy, or Sofwave?
None of them is simply strongest; they act at different depths. Sofwave works the mid-dermis at 1.5mm, Ultherapy Prime reaches the SMAS at 4.5mm, and Thermage FLX heats the full dermal volume. A device that reaches deep is not better; it is just aimed at a deeper problem. The physician at RE:BERRY Gangnam reads which layer of your skin has loosened before recommending one.
How do I tell which layer of my skin has actually loosened?
A quick self-check helps before your visit. Gently move the skin on your cheek: fine crinkling that appears only on movement is shallow mid-dermal change. Tilt your chin down and watch for a soft jowl gathering along the jaw, which is a deep SMAS drop. Skin that feels generally slack everywhere without one sharp fold is diffuse volumetric looseness. The Mark-Vu imaging and ultrasound reading at consultation confirm it precisely.
Why does RE:BERRY read depth on ultrasound before naming a device?
Because the same complaint can come from different layers, and the layer decides the device. A softening jawline caused by a SMAS drop needs the 4.5mm reach of Ultherapy Prime; the same-looking softness from surface crepiness responds to Sofwave at 1.5mm. Reading the plane on ultrasound is how the physician avoids matching the right complaint to the wrong energy.
Can one device fix both surface crepiness and a dropped jawline?
Rarely. Surface crepiness lives at the mid-dermis and a dropped jawline lives at the SMAS, and no single energy covers both planes well. When the ultrasound read comes back loose on two floors, the physician usually stages a shallow and a deep device on the same afternoon, sequenced mid-dermis first and volumetric last to avoid thermal overlap.
Does the deeper device hurt more?
Comfort tracks depth. In a 2024 Korean cohort of 145 patients, Sofwave scored lowest at 2.6 out of 10, Thermage sat in the middle at 3.8, and Ultherapy Prime, reaching the SMAS, rated highest at 5.8. The physician tunes intensity to your feedback throughout, and topical comfort measures are offered, but the deeper the energy goes, the more sensation it carries.
When will I see results, and how long do they last with each device?
All three build progressively over weeks, not all at once. Ultherapy Prime's deep remodeling matures around week 12 and the fullest change lands near 24 weeks, holding up to about 18 months. Sofwave and Thermage also peak around 24 weeks; Sofwave holds roughly 12 months and Thermage about 9-12 months. Your own timeline depends on how your skin remodels, tracked on WhatsApp through week 24.
Is there any downtime, and can I fly home the same day?
Yes to flying the same day. None of the three cuts the skin, so there is no wound and no recovery room. In the Korean cohort, short-lived erythema showed in 8.7% of Sofwave, 11.8% of Ultherapy Prime, and 14% of Thermage patients, clearing within about a week at most and usually within hours. Makeup and travel are fine the same day for all three.
How many shots does each device use in a session?
Standard protocols differ by device. Ultherapy Prime runs about 100 shots standard, or 530 in the Signature plan. Sofwave uses roughly 100 shots per side standard, or 200 in Signature. Thermage FLX delivers about 600 shots across a full face. The physician confirms your shot plan from your depth reading, since coverage follows how slack each zone actually is.
Can all three treat the eye area?
Each of the three can address the periorbital area, but they suit different eye concerns. Thermage carries a dedicated eye tip for crepey lids and hooding, while the ultrasound devices can lift a heavy brow. The physician matches the eye plan to what the reading shows, and protective measures are placed before any energy near the eye.
What if my sagging is too advanced for any of these?
The physician will say so plainly. An ultrasound or radiofrequency lift firms laxity; it does not replace a surgical facelift. A heavy, established fold that no depth setting reaches gets redirected to the right specialty, and you leave with an honest answer, not a booked session that could not deliver.
Should I combine two of them, and how is that planned?
A combination is worth your time only when two layers both read loose, say a crepey surface and a dropped jawline together. When that happens, the physician stages the energies in one visit, treating the mid-dermis first, the SMAS next, and volumetric last so the devices do not compete for the same heated tissue. A combined afternoon can run 3.5 to 4 hours.
Will the same physician read my depth and do the treatment?
Yes. The physician who reads your laxity on the ultrasound screen delivers every shot and reviews your result, so there is no handoff between the reading and the treatment. That continuity matters most in a layer-first plan, because the person choosing the depth is the person executing it, and 41.4% of international patients in the KHIDI 2025 survey rank keeping the same doctor as their top criterion.
How do I book a depth-reading consultation in Gangnam?
Message RE:BERRY on WhatsApp with your concerns, travel dates, and a couple of photos; a coordinator replies in English within 24 hours and reserves a physician slot. The clinic is reservation-only for international guests, staff interpreters cover 8 languages, and the depth reading plus treatment fit into a single visit. The published rates are confirmed in writing at ₩330,000 (about $236) (per 100 shots — courses start at 300 shots) before anything is scheduled.
Where is the clinic, and how do I get there from Gangnam Station?
RE:BERRY occupies B1-B2 of KI Tower on Gangnam-daero in Seocho-gu, a 2-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 10 on Seoul Metro Line 2. From Incheon Airport it is roughly 45-60 minutes by AREX plus subway or by direct taxi. Being steps from the station means the consultation and treatment slot cleanly between Gangnam dining and shopping.
Only Authentic, Brand-Certified Equipment
Every device at RE:BERRY is MFDS-certified and manufacturer-verified. We never use counterfeit or grey-market equipment.
Book a Lifting Depth-Reading Consultation in Gangnam
Send your concerns and travel dates to RE:BERRY on WhatsApp, and a coordinator replies within 24 hours, and the physician reads which layer of your skin has loosened before naming Thermage, Ultherapy Prime, or Sofwave. The published rates are confirmed in writing at ₩330,000 (about $236) (per 100 shots — courses start at 300 shots), and nothing is scheduled until you decide.
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i had a good time having the Juvelook treatment!
It was my first time in Korea, all the Doctor & team are bery helpful. Dr. Ian & cheong a lee(jenny) are really helpful.
I understand more about my skin.
The clinic is calm, welcoming.
there are many activities i didn’t expect to find in a beauty clinic; phot...
When you walk into the clinic, it genuinely feels like a luxury experience.
The staff was so kind and attentive the whole time 🤍.
The consultation felt very personalized, and they recommended treatments that truly matched what my skin needed instead of just recommending anything.
Honestly, I hope to come back next year
Great place! Came coz of an ad online and wanted to check out the place. They were able to fit me and my husband in right away as walk-ins. They took us to a sink to wash our faces, then took photos for skin analysis and before photos. Then they proceeded to give us a consultation ( c/o Jin Wooyoung) and advice on what...
So happy to found the beauty clinic in Korea that very inclusive and Muslim friendly. They have a prayer space for muslim and they prepare a female doctor for me. The clinic is so comfortable with aesthetic design make me feel relaxed. The doctor and the staff are very professional and helpful so all of the procedure r...
I had an excellent experience at Reberry Gangnam. The staff were professional, welcoming, and took the time to explain each treatment thoroughly. I had microneedling and other skin treatments, and the entire process was comfortable and well-organized. The clinic was modern, clean, and made me feel at ease from start to...
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Science Depth-targeted ultrasound skin tightening, peer-reviewed references
The case for reading laxity depth before choosing an energy rests on ultrasound literature that ties a defined treatment plane to a measurable result. A microfocused system with visualization improved lower-face laxity when thermal points were placed at set depths (Oni 2014), and the underlying mechanism, discrete microcoagulation at controlled planes that spares the layers above, was characterized directly (Laubach 2008). Results held in Asian skin comparable to RE:BERRY's guests (Suh 2011), extended to the decolletage, neck, and lower face (Fabi 2013; Friedman 2020), and were synthesized in a review of ultrasound skin tightening that frames the response as progressive and laxity-directed, no substitute for surgery (Minkis 2014).
- Oni G, Hoxworth R, Teotia S, Brown S, Kenkel JM. Evaluation of a microfocused ultrasound system for improving skin laxity and tightening in the lower face. Aesthet Surg J. 2014;34(7):1099-1110. doi:10.1177/1090820x14541956
- Laubach HJ, Makin IR, Barthe PG, Slayton MH, Manstein D. Intense focused ultrasound: evaluation of a new treatment modality for precise microcoagulation within the skin. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34(5):727-734. doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2008.34196.x
- Suh DH, Shin MK, Lee SJ, et al. Intense focused ultrasound tightening in Asian skin: clinical and pathologic results. Dermatol Surg. 2011;37(11):1595-1602. doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02094.x
- Fabi SG, Massaki A, Eimpunth S, Pogoda J, Goldman MP. Evaluation of microfocused ultrasound with visualization for lifting, tightening, and wrinkle reduction of the decolletage. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69(6):965-971. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.06.045
- Friedman O, Isman G, Koren A, Shehadeh W, Sprecher E, Artzi O. Intense focused ultrasound for neck and lower face skin tightening. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020;19(4):850-854. doi:10.1111/jocd.13313
- Minkis K, Alam M. Ultrasound skin tightening. Dermatol Clin. 2014;32(1):71-77. doi:10.1016/j.det.2013.09.001
These references shape how a lifting plan is built at RE:BERRY's Gangnam aesthetic clinic: an ultrasound dermal-thickness reading identifies the loosened plane before any device is named; the energy and its depth are matched to that reading, never to a fixed menu; and standardized-lighting photographic follow-up runs through the 24-week remodeling window under the same licensed physician. This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
How to Find RE:BERRY Gangnam
2 minutes from Gangnam Station Exit 10. B1–B2, KI Tower — the building with the all-black entrance you can't miss.
RE:BERRY Clinic Gangnam
B1–B2, KI Tower, 69-gil 8, Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul
서울시 서초구 강남대로69길 8, 지하1·2층 (KI타워)
Also available at: Myeongdong · Incheon Airport