Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · Doctor-performed, never delegated · Jump to questions
Related: HIFU treatment in Singapore, HIFU vs Ultherapy vs Thermage.
Dr Sin Yong · MBBS (NUS) · MRCS (Edin) · MSc Aesthetic Medicine with Distinction (Queen Mary, London) · MSc Practical Dermatology (Cardiff) · Global Key Opinion Leader
Ultherapy® is micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V), made by Merz Aesthetics and FDA-cleared for lifting the brow, the neck and the under-chin, and for lines of the décolletage. It directs discrete points of heat at the SMAS layer, about 4.5 mm below the surface, while imaging the tissue in real time.
Ultherapy in Singapore is micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V): the handpiece images the skin, then heats points at 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 mm, the deepest at the SMAS, so lax tissue can firm as collagen remodels. Ultherapy Prime is the current platform. Dr Sin Yong performs it himself for mild to moderate laxity of the brow, jaw and neck.
Looking for HIFU in general? Start at HIFU Singapore.
Ultherapy is micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation: it images the tissue, then heats small points at set depths so lax tissue contracts and remodels. In Singapore, Dr Sin Yong performs it himself on Ultherapy Prime for mild to moderate laxity of the brow, jawline, under the chin and neck. On lean faces he uses the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift instead.
Ultherapy is micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V), made by Merz Aesthetics. A curved transducer focuses ultrasound so the beam converges at a fixed distance below the skin, much as a lens focuses light. At that focal point the energy is absorbed as heat, raising a volume of tissue under 1 mm³ to roughly 60–70 °C for a fraction of a second. The skin above the focus receives far less energy and is not broken.
Each pulse produces one thermal coagulation point; the handpiece lays a line of them, and a treatment is a planned pattern of lines. The body repairs each point with new collagen as the coagulated tissue contracts. The lift is biological rather than mechanical, so it develops with collagen remodelling rather than on the day.
| Transducer depth | Frequency | Layer reached | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mm | 10 MHz | Dermis | Around the eyes, the forehead and the décolletage, where there is no SMAS to reach |
| 3.0 mm | 7 MHz | Deep dermis and the fibrous septae of the superficial fat | Dermal lines above the deeper lines, and thinner zones |
| 4.5 mm | 4 or 7 MHz | The SMAS and, in the neck, the platysma | Jawline, under the chin and the neck |
The visualisation is the part most patients underestimate. Before each line, DeepSEE® imaging shows the tissue beneath the transducer to a depth of about 8 mm: dermis, fat, SMAS and bone. On a thin temple the SMAS may lie at 3 mm; on a full cheek the 4.5 mm focus may land in fat. Imaging is how those mismatches are seen and corrected before energy is delivered.
Ulthera is the original company and device, the Ulthera System, which was the first micro-focused ultrasound device to receive US FDA 510(k) clearance for a lifting indication. Its clearances cover lifting the brow (2009), lifting the neck and the tissue under the chin (2012), and lines and wrinkles of the décolletage (2014). Ultherapy is the brand name of the treatment, now owned by Merz. Ultherapy Prime is the current platform: the console, handpiece and imaging display are updated, while the depths, frequencies and coagulation points are unchanged. Dr Sin Yong performs Ultherapy on the Prime platform.
Ultherapy vs Ultherapy Prime is a question about the machine, not the treatment. Prime is the current Ultherapy platform from Merz Aesthetics. The console, the handpiece and the imaging display were updated. The energy, the transducer depths, the frequencies and the coagulation points stayed the same, so the way the tissue is heated has not changed.
| Feature | Original Ultherapy system | Ultherapy Prime |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V) | The same |
| Depths and frequencies | 1.5 mm at 10 MHz, 3.0 mm at 7 MHz, 4.5 mm at 4 or 7 MHz | The same |
| Imaging | DeepSEE imaging of the tissue before each line | DeepSEE imaging on an updated display |
| Console and handpiece | The original design | Updated; Merz describes improvements in imaging clarity, treatment speed and comfort |
| US FDA 510(k) clearances | Brow lift, neck and under-chin lift, décolletage lines | Holds clearances for lifting the brow, neck and under-chin |
The limits are the same on both. Ultherapy Prime tightens tissue that is lax. It does not add volume, remove fat, remove skin excess or replace a surgical facelift. A face that would not have suited the original system does not suit Prime, and the reverse is also true.
Ask which generation of machine will be used, whether it is on the Health Sciences Authority register, and who will hold the handpiece. During treatment the screen shows the tissue layers before each line is delivered, which non-imaging HIFU does not do. Dr Sin Yong performs Ultherapy on the Prime platform himself.
The generation of the machine matters less than whether focused ultrasound suits your face at all. That choice, and the choice between Ultherapy and other focused ultrasound, is made from the examination. The wider category is on HIFU Singapore, and the platforms are set side by side on Ultherapy Prime vs Ultraformer MPT vs Shurink.
Ultherapy is right for you if your main concern is mild to moderate loose skin in the brow, jawline, under-chin or neck, and your face has kept its volume. It is the wrong tool if the problem is hollowing, heaviness from fat, or a lot of excess skin. Age is not the deciding factor; the tissue is.
| Group | What it looks like | What usually happens |
|---|---|---|
| Tends to suit | Mild to moderate laxity of the brow, lower face, jawline or neck; lines on the décolletage; a face that has kept its volume | Ultherapy is planned zone by zone from the image |
| Should wait | Pregnancy or breastfeeding; open wounds, active infection or inflamed acne in the area; recent filler or threads in the zone | Treatment is timed around these |
| Assessed first | A pacemaker or implanted electronic device; metal implants near the field; poor healing; a keloid tendency, which is usually not a reason to hold off | The plan changes, or another route is chosen |
| Better served elsewhere | A very thin face or hollow cheeks; heaviness that is fat rather than loose skin | Volume restoration, fat-directed options or a different energy |
| Referred on | Significant skin excess or heavy jowls | Referral to a plastic surgery specialist |
A quick self-check helps before you come in. Lift the skin gently at the jaw in a mirror: if the line improves, laxity is part of it. If the cheek above looks hollow, volume is part of it, and ultrasound does not add volume. Skin that hangs in folds is a surgical question. Readers whose concern is the lower face will find jowls and lower-face sagging useful.
Ultherapy in Singapore is planned zone by zone, and the depth used in each zone is confirmed on the DeepSEE image before each line rather than assumed. Where the image shows thinner tissue than expected, a shallower transducer is used or the zone is left out.
| Area | Depths usually used | What Ultherapy is directed at | What it does not reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brow and forehead | Shallower depths, chosen from the image; there is little SMAS above the brow | Brow heaviness from lax forehead tissue; brow lifting is one of its US FDA-cleared indications | Loose lid skin, or a low lid from a weak muscle |
| Lower face and jawline | 4.5 mm at the SMAS where the image shows enough depth, with 3.0 mm above | Early laxity along the jaw in a face that has kept its volume | A heavy jowl, the fat inside a jowl, hollow cheeks |
| Under the chin and neck | 4.5 mm at the platysma where tissue allows, and 3.0 mm in the dermis | Loose skin and a lax platysma; lifting of the neck and under-chin tissue is a cleared indication | A full fat pad, vertical bands, which are muscle, and heavy skin |
| Around the eyes | The superficial depth only; the eye is never in the beam path | Crepey skin texture | Eye bags, hollows or the lid itself |
| Décolletage | The superficial depth only | Lines of the décolletage, a cleared indication | Pigment and redness |
Ultherapy is worth considering when the change is laxity in one of these zones and the face has kept its volume. It is poor value for hollowing, fat or heavy skin, and Dr Sin Yong does not use it on lean faces, where he plans the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift. The published evidence fits that defined role. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 studies of micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation reported improvement in most patients, with mostly mild to moderate redness, swelling, bruising and tenderness, and moderate pain on average. A 2019 study of skin physiology after treatment of the jawline and under the chin found barrier function unchanged and dermal elasticity improved at later follow-up. A 2015 study in Korean patients reported change across several facial zones, most often at the jawline.
None of this predicts how an individual face will respond, which is why suitability is decided at examination, and why skin type is discussed on Ultherapy for Asian skin. What decides the fee is set out on HIFU and Ultherapy price in Singapore.
The devices below are not rivals on a scale. They are different mechanisms for different tissue problems, and Dr Sin Yong performs each of them, so the comparison is about what the energy does, not which is better.
| Option | What it does | What it cannot do | Who it tends to suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy Prime | Coagulation points at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm, including the SMAS, with the tissue imaged before each line | Add volume, remove fat or remove skin excess | Laxity where seeing the depth matters, such as a thin temple |
| Ultraformer MPT (HIFU) | Focused ultrasound with depth fixed by cartridge at 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 or 4.5 mm, and a micro-pulsed mode for denser coverage | Image the tissue before each line, or add volume | Laxity where depth is judged from anatomy and palpation |
| Thermage FLX | Monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz heating the dermis in bulk under the tip | Place discrete points in the SMAS, or add volume | Dermal laxity across a surface, sometimes planned with ultrasound |
| VF Lift – Vertical Facelift | Volnewmer monopolar radiofrequency along vertical vectors; no focused ultrasound | Replace lost volume or remove skin excess | Laxity that coexists with fullness to address |
| Bliss Lift thread lift | Absorbable cog threads reposition descended tissue on the day | Add volume or remove skin | Early jowling with skin that still has elasticity |
Ultherapy Prime and the Ultraformer MPT share the physics; the difference is design. Ultherapy images the tissue before each line, while the Ultraformer relies on cartridge depth and the physician's reading of anatomy. The wider HIFU category is covered on HIFU Singapore, and the platforms side by side on Ultherapy Prime vs Ultraformer MPT vs Shurink. Ultrasound against radiofrequency is compared on Ultherapy vs Thermage and Volnewmer vs Ultherapy.
4D and 7D HIFU are marketing labels, not separate technologies or recognised generations. They are not standardised, so one maker's 7D cannot be compared with another's 4D, and a higher number does not mean deeper treatment. Ask which device it is, whether it is registered with the Health Sciences Authority, which depths will be used, whether the tissue is imaged, and who treats you.
Ultherapy and Thermage are both non-surgical tightening treatments, but they use different energy at different depths, so the question is which layer is lax, not which brand to choose. Ultherapy Prime is focused ultrasound that places discrete heat points at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm, reaching the SMAS, with the tissue imaged before each line. Thermage FLX is monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz that heats the dermis in bulk across the zone under the tip, at a shallower effective depth.
| Ultherapy Prime | Thermage FLX | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Micro-focused ultrasound with real-time imaging | Monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz |
| Where it works | Discrete points down to the SMAS, about 4.5 mm | Bulk heating of the dermis under the tip |
| Tends to suit | Laxity in the deeper support of the brow, jawline, under the chin and neck | Laxity in the skin itself across a surface |
| Cannot do | Add volume, remove fat or remove skin excess | Place points in the SMAS, or add volume |
How Dr Sin Yong assesses it. He performs both, as well as the Ultraformer MPT and the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift, so the choice follows the examination rather than the device in the room. Where the SMAS and the skin are both lax, the two can be planned together. The head-to-head trials and the full comparison are on Ultherapy vs Thermage, and radiofrequency on its own on Thermage FLX.
Ultherapy tightens and lifts tissue that is lax. It does not add volume, remove fat or resurface the skin, and it does not replace a surgical facelift. If the face has hollowed, or the heaviness is fat rather than loose skin, focused ultrasound is directed at the wrong problem, and more of it will not correct that. When a face needs more than tightening, another treatment is paired with it, chosen from the examination rather than a menu.
| Finding | Why Ultherapy alone falls short | What is paired or chosen instead |
|---|---|---|
| Laxity with hollowing at the temple or cheek | Ultrasound cannot put back volume | Filler or a biostimulator for structure |
| Laxity in the skin itself as well as the SMAS | Points in a deep layer leave the surface envelope | Thermage FLX for bulk dermal heating |
| Lax tissue under dull, dehydrated skin | Ultrasound does not change surface quality | A skin booster |
| More skin excess than energy can contract | Tightening has a ceiling set by the excess | The Bliss Lift, or referral for surgery |
| Fullness under the chin or a heavy lower face | The heaviness is fat, not laxity | The VF Lift – Vertical Facelift or a fat-directed option |
How each mechanism is matched to a pattern of descent is set out on sagging face treatment.
Ultherapy, the VF Lift and Time Freeze all lift without adding filler, but they answer different causes of sagging. Ultherapy Prime images the tissue and then places micro-focused ultrasound points at set depths, down to the SMAS. Dr Sin Yong’s two protocols heat broader areas instead.
Nothing is injected in either protocol, so there is no filler to overfill, migrate or form lumps; what changes is your own tissue, gradually and to a degree that varies. Heat still carries risks, which are listed on each protocol page, and a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device rules out the radiofrequency of the VF Lift.
Ultherapy has the clearer role where descent is structural, at the SMAS, in a face with normal fullness, and plans sometimes sequence it with one of the protocols. Neither protocol removes skin excess, replaces lost bone support or relaxes muscle. A thread lift may suit tissue that has slid and needs repositioning, botulinum toxin relaxes platysma bands or a downturned mouth corner, a small amount of filler may still help a bony hollow, and marked skin excess is referred for a surgical opinion. See VF Lift vs HIFU for the mechanism comparison and face lifting without fillers for the full approach.
What is normal. Redness usually settles as the skin cools. Tenderness along the treated lines, mild swelling and an occasional patch of numbness or tingling can persist for a time, and small bruises are possible. None of these need treatment beyond time.
What warrants review. A welt or ridge that does not flatten; a white line, blister or crust on the surface; new weakness of a facial muscle, such as an uneven smile or difficulty raising a brow; or numbness that is not improving. These are uncommon and are reviewed promptly rather than watched.
The risks. Surface burns are rare but possible if coupling is poor or the focus is too superficial for the skin. Nerve irritation, usually of the marginal mandibular branch along the jaw or the temporal branch above the brow, can cause temporary weakness. Fat atrophy is the risk most specific to focused ultrasound: heat placed into fat rather than the SMAS, or over-treatment of a thin face, can cause volume loss that reads as hollowing. That is why Dr Sin Yong does not use Ultherapy or HIFU on a lean face; the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift is used there instead. Each risk is less likely when the focus is placed under imaging by a physician who knows where the nerves and fat compartments run. More detail is on Ultherapy side effects.
The areas treated most often are the brow and forehead, the lower face and jawline, and the under-chin and neck; the décolletage and the skin around the eyes use superficial depths only, kept within the bony orbital rim. The checklist is on Ultherapy aftercare, and the visit is walked through on what a HIFU visit involves.
Ultherapy results build in stages, because the lift is biological rather than mechanical. Each coagulation point is a small, controlled injury that the body repairs with new collagen, and the treated layer firms as that repair goes on. Nothing is cut, moved or filled on the day. That is why the response is read at a review visit, not in the mirror on the way home.
Some tightness may be felt straight away, from the immediate contraction of collagen. Redness and mild swelling are common, and swelling can make the face look fuller or tighter than it will once it settles, so what you see on the day is not the result.
Redness fades and any swelling eases. Tenderness along the treated lines, or a patch of numbness, can persist for a while before it settles. What remains once the face has settled is the starting point against which change is judged.
New collagen forms gradually in the layers the imaging confirmed were treated: the dermis, and at 4.5 mm the SMAS. How much change follows depends on the degree of laxity, skin quality, age, which depths were reachable, whether volume has been lost, and sun exposure.
Dr Sin Yong reassesses the face once the collagen response has had time to show, and decides whether anything further is appropriate. Sometimes the answer is nothing. Ageing continues after treatment, so any later treatment is planned from a fresh examination rather than a fixed schedule.
This page shows no before-and-after photographs, in line with Singapore's rules on medical advertising, and a photograph of another face says little about yours. What the process looks like for focused ultrasound in general is described on HIFU results, what is normal after treatment on Ultherapy aftercare, and what warrants review on Ultherapy side effects.
This site does not publish fees. Your fee is set out in writing at consultation, after Dr Sin Yong has assessed you and before anything is decided.
How quotes work at this practice is on how we quote.
Most people who search for Ultherapy have already read that it is the FDA-cleared HIFU. What they are unsure about is whether focused ultrasound is the right energy for their particular sag, and why one face responds while another barely changes. Dr Sin Yong answers that from the examination. He performs Ultherapy Prime himself and checks the DeepSEE image before each line, so the depth for each zone is confirmed rather than assumed. He is also invited by CLASSYS, the maker of the Ultraformer MPT, to share his clinical expertise internationally, so the comparison comes from a physician who uses both.
“Lifting tissue that has lost volume does not replace the volume. Ultrasound can tighten what is there; it cannot put back what has gone.”
Dr Sin YongOn laxity versus volume loss
He sometimes plans Ultherapy alone, sometimes alongside another mechanism, and sometimes not at all. Because he also performs the Ultraformer MPT, Thermage FLX, the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift and the Bliss Lift, the recommendation follows the anatomy rather than the device in the room. When Ultherapy is not suitable, that is said plainly, and the written plan states which mechanism was chosen and why the others were set aside. Suitability is decided in person, never from a photograph.
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Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, MBBS (NUS), MRCS (Edinburgh) · Last reviewed 23 October 2026 · Editorial policy
The focused-ultrasound category, and how the platforms differ.
Monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz for dermal tightening.
Which energy for which layer.
Matching the mechanism to the pattern of laxity.
Volnewmer monopolar radiofrequency; no focused ultrasound.
Depth, imaging and skin type.
FDA-cleared micro-focused ultrasound, performed by Dr Sin Yong under real-time tissue imaging. Consultations by appointment, Orchard Road, Singapore.
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