Onda Pro is DEKA's microwave platform. It is applied to localised fat, cellulite and skin laxity on the body, and — through a finer handpiece — to Onda lifting of the face. Dr Sin Yong is an International Key Opinion Leader for DEKA.
Onda is a treatment platform built by DEKA, the medical laser manufacturer founded in Florence. What makes it unusual is that it does not use laser light or radiofrequency at all. It works with microwave energy, delivered through a patented system DEKA calls Coolwaves®, at a frequency of 2.45 GHz.
Onda Pro is the current configuration of that platform. It adds a finer Precision-GigaWave handpiece, which is what allows the same technology to be applied to the face as well as the body.
Dr Sin Yong works with Onda Pro as one of four DEKA platforms in his range, alongside the TORO, RedTouch Pro and Tetra Pro CO2 systems. His practice is a certified DEKA Centre of Excellence.
Tissue does not absorb electromagnetic energy uniformly. How readily a given tissue takes up that energy depends on its water and fat content, and on the frequency applied. This is the whole basis of the platform.
Radiofrequency, lower down the spectrum, deposits a large share of its energy in the dermis and epidermis — which is exactly what you want when the target is dermal collagen and the objective is skin tightening.
Microwave energy at 2.45 GHz behaves differently. It is preferentially absorbed by adipose tissue, so proportionally more of the delivered energy reaches the subcutaneous fat layer rather than being absorbed on the way through. A contact cooling system holds the skin surface down while this happens, which is what allows the energy to work beneath the skin without an incision and without general anaesthetic.
The energy then acts on three things at once: the membranes of subcutaneous fat cells; the connective septa between adipose lobules, whose tethering produces the dimpled surface associated with cellulite; and dermal collagen, which contracts under heat and remodels over the weeks that follow.
Onda lifting is the term used when the platform is applied to the face rather than the body, and it is asked about at least as often as body work.
On the face the objective changes entirely. The target is no longer a fat compartment but dermal collagen, and the energy is delivered at a shallower depth through the smaller handpiece, with tighter control over where it lands. The areas most often approached are the lower face and jawline, and the submental region where face and neck meet.
It is worth being clear about what this is and is not. It is a non-surgical, non-incisional approach that works by stimulating tissue. It does not introduce anything into the face, and it is not a substitute for surgery where the underlying issue is structural descent. Whether it is the right instrument depends on whether the presentation is one of laxity, of volume, or of fat — and that is a question for examination rather than for a brochure.
On the body, microwave delivery is directed at point-zone fat deposits and at the tissue around them. The areas most commonly addressed are the abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms and the submental region.
Cellulite is worth separating out, because it is frequently misunderstood. The dimpled surface is not caused by the fat itself but by the fibrous septa running between the adipose lobules and tethering the skin down. Energy directed at those septa addresses a different structure from energy directed at the fat volume, which is why a treatment aimed only at fat reduction rarely changes surface texture.
Onda sits alongside rather than in place of Dr Sin Yong's other body work. The 4K Body Lift applies radiofrequency to resistant fat deposits and overlying skin; the microwave and radiofrequency approaches place energy in different tissue layers and are used accordingly.
Patients frequently arrive having read about several platforms and wanting to know which is better. The more useful question is which mechanism suits which presentation, because these devices are not competing versions of the same thing.
None of these replaces another, and a considered plan may draw on more than one. Which applies to you is decided at assessment.
Onda is a treatment platform made by DEKA, the Italian medical laser manufacturer. It works with microwave energy rather than laser light or radiofrequency, using a patented delivery DEKA calls Coolwaves. Onda Pro is the current configuration, which adds a finer handpiece for work on the face.
Onda lifting refers to using the platform on the face rather than the body. The target changes: instead of a fat compartment, the energy is directed at dermal collagen at a shallower depth with tighter control. It is non-surgical and involves no incision.
Three tissues. Subcutaneous fat, through the membranes of the fat cells. Cellulite, through the connective septa between adipose lobules whose tethering produces the dimpled surface. And skin laxity, through a dermal collagen response. On the body the areas most often treated are the abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms and the submental region; on the face, the lower face and jawline.
Frequency determines where energy is absorbed. Radiofrequency deposits much of its energy in the dermis and epidermis. Microwave energy at 2.45 GHz is preferentially taken up by adipose tissue, so proportionally more of it reaches the subcutaneous fat layer. Neither is a substitute for the other; they place energy in different tissue layers.
Different mechanisms, different targets. HIFU and Ultherapy use focused ultrasound, converging energy at a precise depth to create discrete coagulation points, typically at the SMAS layer, for structural lift. Thermage uses monopolar radiofrequency for dermal tightening. Onda uses microwave energy absorbed across a volume of adipose tissue. Which is appropriate depends on whether the presentation is one of laxity, volume or fat, and that is decided by examination rather than by preference for a device.
A contact cooling system holds the skin surface down while energy is delivered beneath it, and most patients describe the sensation as a deep warmth. Tolerance varies between individuals and between treatment areas, and comfort is discussed and managed during the session.
This varies, and no honest figure can be given in advance. Fat cells acted on by the energy do not return, but surrounding tissue continues to age, and body weight, hormonal factors and lifestyle all influence what follows. Longevity is discussed at consultation in the context of your own circumstances rather than quoted as a number.
As with any energy-based treatment there can be transient warmth, redness or tenderness in the treated area. Suitability is assessed in person beforehand, and Onda is not appropriate for every patient or every presentation — metal implants in the treatment field, pregnancy and certain medical conditions are among the things excluded at assessment.
Onda Pro is one of four DEKA platforms in Dr Sin Yong's range, alongside the TORO, RedTouch Pro and Tetra Pro CO2 systems. The clinic is a certified DEKA Centre of Excellence. Consultations are by appointment on Orchard Road.
The certification, and the four DEKA platforms in clinical use.
Radiofrequency contouring for resistant fat and overlying skin.
Assessment and planning for abdominal laxity and fat.
Focused ultrasound lifting at SMAS depth.
Monopolar radiofrequency for dermal tightening.
Dr Sin Yong on microwave technology for body contouring.
Consultations by appointment at Orchard Road, Singapore.
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Qualifications, clinical approach and signature protocols.
Multi-depth fractional CO2 resurfacing for scar morphologies.
Layered scar work combining resurfacing with structural release.
Brightening and pigmentation protocol calibrated for Asian skin.
Differentiating pigment, vascular, volumetric and textural causes.
Laser lifting and lipo-modelling across face and body.
Lifting, reduction and volume support from your own tissue.
Fractional laser for vaginal laxity and mucosal thinning.
Radiofrequency contouring for resistant fat and overlying skin.
Radiofrequency and ultrasound lifting.
Focused ultrasound lifting at SMAS depth.