Medical Treatments · Face Lifting · IN Eternity Clinic
HIFU in Singapore
Focused ultrasound that heats precise points under the skin to tighten the layers that hold the lower face up. A modest, gradual lift for early sagging — not a facelift in a bottle.
Written & medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · 8 October 2026
Quick answer
- Focused ultrasound that heats precise points under the skin to tighten the layers that hold the lower face up. A modest, gradual lift for early sagging — not a facelift in a bottle.
- Used for: Sagging Face & Jowls, Double Chin.
- Performed by: Dr Sin Yong at IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza (beside Orchard MRT).
- Enquire: SkinRev Lab, CityLink Mall (City Hall MRT) passes enquiries to the clinic, or contact IN Eternity Clinic directly on +65 8815 3008.
- Suitability, number of sessions and pricing are decided at consultation; individual results vary.
HIFU stands for high-intensity focused ultrasound. It is a non-surgical lifting treatment that heats tiny, exact points beneath the skin without cutting or breaking the surface. If you are comparing HIFU in Singapore, the first thing to know is that this is a doctor-level energy treatment. At IN Eternity Clinic it is performed by Dr Sin Yong on the Ultraformer MPT platform, after he has looked at how much laxity you have and where it sits.
People usually consider HIFU when the jawline starts to soften, early jowls appear, the brow sits a little lower or the skin under the chin loosens. It works on support layers, so the change is a tightening and small lift that builds over weeks. It does not add volume, it does not remove heavy excess skin, and it is not a replacement for a surgical facelift. Used for the right face at the right stage, it can be a sensible first step.
How it works
The mechanism,
in plain English
A HIFU transducer focuses ultrasound to a point at a fixed depth, much like a magnifying glass concentrating sunlight. At that focal point, tissue heats quickly to the temperature at which collagen contracts and coagulates — roughly 60 °C and above — while the skin surface in between stays largely unaffected. Laboratory work on human skin showed that the size and depth of each heated point can be set precisely by the power, pulse length and focal depth, producing neat rows of small cone-shaped thermal points.
On the face, cartridges commonly focus at 1.5 mm (upper dermis), 3.0 mm (deep dermis) and 4.5 mm. The 4.5 mm depth reaches the SMAS — the fibrous layer of muscle and fascia that a surgeon tightens during a facelift. Ultraformer MPT uses interchangeable cartridges from 1.5 mm to 13 mm, with the deeper ones kept for body areas, and has a micro-pulsed mode that shortens treatment time.
Each heated point starts a small wound-healing response. Some firming comes from immediate collagen contraction; the rest comes from new collagen laid down gradually over the following two to three months. That is why HIFU results are judged weeks later, not on the day.
“HIFU tightens what you already have; it cannot replace lost volume or lift heavy, deep sagging the way surgery can.”
— Dr Sin Yong, IN Eternity Clinic
- Energy / product
- Micro-focused ultrasound (Ultraformer MPT)
- Target layer
- Dermis at 1.5–3.0 mm; SMAS at about 4.5 mm
- Typical session
- About 30–60 minutes, depending on the areas treated
- Downtime
- Usually little — mild redness, swelling or tenderness for a few hours to a few days
- Performed by
- Dr Sin Yong, IN Eternity Clinic
Is it right for you
Who it suits,
and who it does not
HIFU usually suits adults with mild to moderate laxity: a softening jawline, early jowls, a slightly heavy brow, loosening under the chin or crepey neck skin. It tends to work better when there is still reasonable skin quality and some soft tissue over the bone, because the heated points need tissue to work on. It also suits people who want a gradual, natural-looking change and cannot take time off, and those using it to maintain a face that has been lifted by other means.
HIFU is not suitable during pregnancy, over active skin infection, open wounds or inflamed acne in the treatment area, or directly over implanted electronic devices. Tell the doctor about recent fillers or threads, keloid scarring, bleeding problems or numbness in the face. People with a very thin face and little fat may not be good candidates, because over-treatment can make hollows look deeper. If sagging is heavy, with folds of excess skin, energy treatments are unlikely to satisfy and a surgical opinion may be more honest advice. If the main issue is volume loss rather than laxity, a biostimulator or filler is usually the better fit.
Non-invasive alternative at SkinRev Lab
SKINLIFT® — SKINLIFT® at SkinRev Lab, CityLink Mall, is a 30-minute N-pulse focused ultrasound lifting session for the jowls, jawline and double chin, done in a non-medical setting without a doctor. It suits people starting early or keeping things maintained. It is not the same as medical HIFU, and where Dr Sin Yong's assessment points to deeper laxity, the clinic treatment is the more appropriate route. Read more
What to expect
Consultation, session
and aftercare
Your first visit at IN Eternity Clinic is a consultation with Dr Sin Yong. He looks at skin thickness, where the sagging is, how much fat sits in the lower face and whether HIFU alone makes sense or should be combined with something else. Photographs are taken so changes can be compared fairly later. A course is usually planned at consultation, based on your face rather than a fixed number.
On the day, numbing cream may be applied, then a thin layer of gel. The handpiece is placed on the skin and delivers lines of pulses; most people feel brief deep prickles or warmth, stronger over bone such as the jawline and temples. Afterwards the skin may look a little pink and feel tender to touch for a few days. You can usually go back to work the same day. Use sunscreen, keep skincare gentle for a day or two, and avoid saunas and very hot exercise until any swelling settles.
Where this happens
Assessment and non-invasive care — SkinRev Lab, CityLink Mall #B1-28, 1 Raffles Link, Singapore 039393. Underground from City Hall MRT and Esplanade MRT; a short walk from Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Suntec and Bugis. Open daily 11am–8pm.
Medical treatment — IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210, beside Orchard MRT (three stops from City Hall on the North-South line). Mon–Sat 11am–8pm, closed Sunday. Treatments are performed by Dr Sin Yong. WhatsApp +65 8815 3008.
Enquiries to SkinRev Lab about medical treatments are passed to IN Eternity Clinic, where Dr Sin Yong performs them.
Clinic page: HIFU at IN Eternity Clinic ↗
What the research says
The evidence,
with sources
The mechanism is well described. In a laboratory study on human skin, Laubach and colleagues showed that focused ultrasound could create small, confined thermal points down to about 4 mm deep, with depth and size controlled by the energy settings and focal depth. In a rater-blinded clinical study, Alam and colleagues treated the face and neck once and found that masked expert raters judged most participants to have a visible brow lift at 90 days, with an average brow rise of about 1.7 mm.
A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 studies with 477 participants concluded that HIFU is safe in the short term and has a moderate effect on face and neck rejuvenation. The same review noted that discomfort averaged about 4 out of 10, that studies measured outcomes in different ways, and that long follow-up was rarely reported. In plain terms: expect a modest, real change for the right candidate, and treat any claim of a dramatic lift with caution.
References
- Laubach HJ, Makin IR, Barthe PG, et al. Intense focused ultrasound: evaluation of a new treatment modality for precise microcoagulation within the skin. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34(5):727-734.
- Alam M, White LE, Martin N, et al. Ultrasound tightening of facial and neck skin: a rater-blinded prospective cohort study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010;62(2):262-269.
- Ayatollahi A, Gholami J, Saberi M, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of safety and efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for face and neck rejuvenation. Lasers Med Sci. 2020;35(5):1007-1024.
Common questions
Your questions,
answered
How much does HIFU in Singapore cost at IN Eternity Clinic?
Pricing for HIFU is given at consultation at IN Eternity Clinic, because it depends on which areas are treated, how many lines each area needs and whether HIFU is combined with anything else. Dr Sin Yong will explain the plan and the cost before anything is done. If you are looking at the non-medical SKINLIFT® at SkinRev Lab instead, it is S$888 for the face and S$488 for the double chin (before GST).
Does HIFU hurt?
Most people feel short, deep prickles or bursts of warmth as each line is delivered, especially over bony areas such as the jawline, temples and forehead. Numbing cream helps, and the energy can be adjusted area by area. In published studies, average discomfort was around the middle of a ten-point scale. Afterwards, the skin may feel tender to touch for a few days, which usually settles on its own.
How many HIFU sessions will I need?
There is no single answer, because it depends on how much laxity you have, your skin thickness and what result you are aiming for. Many people have one treatment and are reviewed after the collagen response has had time to develop, then plan maintenance from there. Dr Sin Yong plans the course at consultation and will tell you honestly if HIFU alone is unlikely to be enough.
When will I see results, and how long do they last?
Some people notice slight tightening early, but most of the change develops over two to three months as new collagen forms. How long it holds varies with age, skin quality, weight changes, sun exposure and lifestyle, because the face keeps ageing after any treatment. That is why maintenance is planned individually rather than promised, and why a review appointment is part of the process.
Is HIFU the same as a facelift?
No. A surgical facelift lifts and repositions the SMAS and removes excess skin, so it can correct heavy sagging. HIFU heats the SMAS and dermis from the outside, which tightens tissue modestly with no cuts and little downtime. For early to moderate laxity, HIFU is a reasonable option. For deep folds and loose skin, it will not match surgery, and a good doctor will say so.
Can HIFU make my face look thinner or hollow?
It can, if a thin face with little fat is over-treated, because heat at certain depths can affect the fat layer. This is one reason HIFU should be planned by a doctor who assesses fat distribution first. Dr Sin Yong adjusts depths and density for each zone and may suggest a different approach, such as a biostimulator, if volume loss rather than sagging is the main issue.
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