If you spend any time researching lifting treatments, sooner or later you arrive at the name Ultherapy. With the same device, though, the order and the manner in which it is performed can change the outcome. This article covers what kind of device Ultherapy is, and why Skinique Clinic adds Core Lifting before it.
Ultherapy, a HIFU Device That Reaches the SMAS Layer
Ultherapy is a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device cleared by the US FDA for the improvement of wrinkles. It concentrates ultrasound energy on a single point and uses the heat produced there to coagulate skin tissue. Three transducer depths, 1.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm, are used separately by layer, so energy can be delivered down to the SMAS layer that ordinary lifting lasers have difficulty reaching. The delivered heat stimulates collagen production, which helps draw sagging tissue upward.
Why Core Lifting Comes First
Rather than performing Ultherapy on its own, Skinique Clinic's standard approach is to carry out Core Lifting first and follow it with Ultherapy. Core Lifting is a triple-wavelength long-pulse laser treatment that delivers heat throughout the skin to support dermal renewal. Combining Core Lifting, which addresses the shallower layers, with Ultherapy, which addresses the deeper ones, allows surface texture and firmness to be targeted alongside SMAS-layer lifting. Because the dermis has already been warmed when the second step begins, it can also help ease the burden of discomfort. Responses to a combined treatment do vary from person to person.
It Starts With a Consultation With the Doctor
We believe the direction of a treatment should be decided in the exam room rather than the consultation room. The doctor who will perform the treatment therefore conducts the consultation, and the individual goals and treatment areas are set together at that point. Quite a few people arrive assuming that more shots and stronger energy are always better, but what matters is not the total count. It is how that total is distributed across your own concerns. Even with the same number of shots, which transducer is used on which area should differ from one person to the next.
Checking the Depth as We Go
Working from the facial characteristics identified during the consultation, we separate the areas where volume should be preserved from the areas that need tightening, and distribute transducers and energy accordingly. During the treatment the transducer is held flush against the skin while the depth the ultrasound reaches is confirmed on screen. We work this way because satisfaction tends to come from adjusting the delivery site to the thickness and condition of each area, not from mechanically filling a preset zone.
Ask About Authenticity Certification
With Ultherapy, whether genuine transducers are used matters. Once your treatment is finished, Skinique Clinic issues authenticity certification stickers matching the number of shots you received, and we suggest checking whether such a verification step exists wherever you choose to be treated. Detailed pricing is available on the price guide.
Wrapping Up
Ultherapy is a HIFU lifting device that delivers energy down to the SMAS layer, and Skinique Clinic structures the treatment by first adding Core Lifting, which works on the dermis, so that the shallow and deep layers are addressed together. If you are wondering which combination suits your skin, ask us through a chat consultation on the lifting plan for your skin.
This article was written by Dr. Park Tae-hyung, Chief Director. He is the chief director of Skinique Clinic and serves as an academic director of the Korean Association of Laser, Dermatology and Trichology (KALDAT). First published March 7, 2022 · Last reviewed August 24, 2026
This text is general medical information. Skin conditions and responses to treatment can differ from person to person. Please decide whether and how to be treated through a medical consultation.