SKINLIFT vs Ultherapy two ultrasound lifts, compared fairly

The two treatments

What SKINLIFT and Ultherapy each are

SKINLIFT is SkinRev Lab's own face-lifting protocol at CityLink Mall. It uses N Pulse-Ultrasound, a multi-sequential pulsed ultrasound delivered without needles and without breaking the skin, aimed at the dermis and the subdermal connective tissue that carry facial support. It is a non-medical treatment, performed by an Aesthetic Specialist trained hands-on on the machine by Dr Sin Yong, SkinRev Lab's medical adviser.

Ultherapy is a brand, made by Merz Aesthetics, of micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation, often written MFU-V in research. It heats tiny points, each smaller than a cubic millimetre, to above 60 °C at a chosen depth, where collagen contracts and then remodels over the following months. A large share of the published micro-focused ultrasound research was done with this system. It is offered by other clinics in Singapore; SkinRev Lab does not offer it.

So the comparison is between a non-medical, course-based ultrasound session and a medical device with imaging. Neither is simply better: they suit different degrees of laxity, budgets and attitudes to discomfort.

Side by side

SKINLIFT vs Ultherapy at a glance

The table compares the two as each is usually delivered. Ultherapy details vary between clinics, so confirm them with the provider you are considering.

Depth and imaging

Depth and imaging: where each puts its energy

Ultherapy works at three set depths. The 1.5 mm transducer treats the upper dermis, the 3.0 mm transducer the deeper dermis, and the 4.5 mm transducer the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) and platysma, the fibrous layer tightened in a surgical facelift. Each handpiece also images the tissue down to about 8 mm, letting the practitioner see the layers and where the energy will land before every line.

SKINLIFT is aimed at the dermis and subdermal connective tissue. SkinRev Lab gives the 4.5 mm depth of the SMAS in the mid-face as anatomical context rather than as a fixed focal depth, and delivers energy as sequential pulses mapped to facial zones, without on-screen imaging. Because ultrasound is not absorbed by melanin, neither treatment depends on skin colour the way lasers do.

Imaging adds precision, but it does not by itself make the energy stronger or the result larger. How the face is assessed, and where the laxity actually sits, matter as much as the handpiece.

Sensation

What each feels like

Micro-focused ultrasound is felt as short, deep prickles or heat as each line is delivered, strongest over bone such as the jawline. In a 103-person study of Ultherapy on the lower face, average pain scores were 5.7 to 6.5 out of 10 depending on the area, and a 2025 meta-analysis of 42 studies put the pooled score at about 4.9. In a safety study of 49 Chinese patients treated with focused ultrasound at 3.0 and 4.5 mm without numbing cream, pain was rated severe in 54% of sessions; bruising appeared in up to a quarter of sessions, and two patients had temporary darkening on the forehead.

Clinics manage this in different ways, such as numbing cream, adjusting the energy area by area, or measures a doctor decides on, so ask what will be used. SKINLIFT is delivered without numbing cream or injected anaesthetic and uses sequential pulses rather than single high-intensity points. Most clients at SkinRev Lab find it comfortable, although it can feel stronger over bone, such as along the jawline; no published study has measured this, and the specialist will pause or adjust the settings if you are uncomfortable.

Sessions and maintenance

Sessions, timing and maintenance

Ultherapy is usually given as a single treatment, and most studies judge it at about 90 days, because collagen remodelling takes two to three months. A 2023 systematic review of 16 studies found that investigator-rated improvement after one treatment lasted up to a year in the studies that followed people that long, but longer-term data are not available. When to repeat it is decided by the provider.

SKINLIFT is planned differently: a short course of 30-minute sessions, set at your assessment, with change building over about 8 to 12 weeks. Results last months rather than years, because the face keeps ageing, and most people keep them with maintenance sessions planned at a review.

Whichever you choose, judge progress with photographs taken in the same light at the start and at about three months, not in the mirror the next morning.

Evidence

What the research shows, and what it does not

For micro-focused ultrasound the evidence is real but modest. The 2023 review of 16 studies, all in women, measured brow lifts of 0.47 to 1.7 mm and reductions of 26 to 45 mm² in the area under the chin on side photographs; investigators rated 92% of patients as improved at day 90, while patients described the change as mild. In the 103-person lower-face study, blinded reviewers saw improvement in 58% of those evaluated, and no change was detected in 55% of patients with a BMI over 30, against 12% of those with a BMI of 30 or below.

A 2025 meta-analysis of 42 studies of micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation reported investigator-rated improvement in 89% of patients and mostly mild, temporary redness, swelling, bruising and tenderness, but cautioned that counting neutral answers as positive may overstate the benefit.

None of these studies tested SKINLIFT. SkinRev Lab describes SKINLIFT as working on the same principle, so the research supports the mechanism rather than the protocol, and results vary from person to person.

Who suits which

Who each tends to suit

Both treatments tighten what is already there. The degree of laxity, the amount of soft tissue over the bone and your tolerance for discomfort decide which fits better, and sometimes neither does.

• SKINLIFT: early softening of the jawline or jowls, mild under-chin fullness with some laxity, people maintaining an earlier result, and anyone who wants no numbing and a 30-minute session near the CBD.
• Ultherapy or another medical focused-ultrasound treatment: mild to moderate laxity that a doctor has assessed, where deeper SMAS-level treatment with imaging is wanted and moderate discomfort is acceptable.
• Either can disappoint with heavy sagging and folds of loose skin, where a surgical opinion is more honest advice, and with volume loss, which tightening cannot replace.
• A BMI above 30 lowers the chance of a visible change with focused ultrasound, and a very thin face needs care, because over-treatment can deepen hollows.
• See a doctor first if under-chin fullness is large, firm, one-sided or appeared quickly, or if you have had fillers, threads or surgery in the area.

Ultherapy price

Ultherapy price in Singapore: what drives it

We do not quote other clinics' prices, and Ultherapy prices vary by provider. What you are paying for is easier to compare than a headline figure.

For comparison within our network, SKINLIFT is S$888 for the face and S$488 for the double chin per session before GST, planned as a short course, so compare total course cost rather than one session; IN Eternity Clinic prices its medical HIFU at consultation.

• The transducers: genuine transducers are used up over a set number of lines and cannot be refurbished, which is part of the cost. It is reasonable to ask to see both the system and the transducer.
• Lines and areas: full face, lower face, brow and neck need different numbers of lines. Do not compare line counts with the ‘shots’ of other HIFU brands, because energy per line differs.
• Who performs it: a doctor's assessment and treatment time cost more than a quick session, and are worth asking about.
• Comfort and follow-up: whether numbing and a review at about three months are included.
• Tax and terms: whether the price is per session, includes GST and carries any package conditions.

Questions to ask

How to ask any clinic the right questions

These questions work for SKINLIFT, Ultherapy or any other ultrasound lift. Clear answers, including what the treatment will not do, are worth more than a discount.

• Is this Ultherapy itself, or another focused-ultrasound brand described as similar? Ask for the device name.
• Which depths will be used on which areas, and why for my face?
• Will the tissue be imaged while treating, or are depths set by fixed cartridges?
• How many lines or shots per area, and how was that number chosen?
• Who assesses me and who performs the treatment? Is it a doctor?
• How is discomfort managed, and does that cost extra?
• When is the review, and what would make you suggest something other than ultrasound?
• Is the price per session, does it include GST, and what happens if I need more?

Where we fit

SKINLIFT at SkinRev Lab, and medical options at IN Eternity Clinic

At SkinRev Lab, #B1-28 CityLink Mall on the underground link between City Hall and Esplanade MRT, the ultrasound option is SKINLIFT; Ultherapy and medical HIFU are not offered there. SKINLIFT Face covers the jowls, nasolabial folds and jawline, and SKINLIFT Double Chin covers the area under the chin; each takes about 30 minutes. The centre is open daily, 11am to 8pm; WhatsApp +65 8266 9585.

If the Aesthetic Specialist finds deeper laxity, your enquiry is passed to IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, beside Orchard MRT. There, Dr Sin Yong performs medical HIFU on the Ultraformer MPT, with face cartridges at fixed depths up to 4.5 mm, after assessing skin thickness, fat and where the sagging sits; it is priced at consultation by the clinic. If you want Ultherapy specifically, confirm with the clinic whether it is available before booking; WhatsApp +65 8815 3008.

Sources

References & sources

1. Fabi SG. Noninvasive skin tightening: focus on new ultrasound techniques. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015;8:47-52.
2. Contini M, Hollander MHJ, Vissink A, Schepers RH, Jansma J, Schortinghuis J. A systematic review of the efficacy of microfocused ultrasound for facial skin tightening. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(2):1522.
3. 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.
4. Amiri M, Ajasllari G, Llane A, et al. Microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) effectiveness and safety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aesthet Surg J. 2025;45(3):NP86-NP94.
5. Chan NP, Shek SY, Yu CS, Ho SG, Yeung CK, Chan HH. Safety study of transcutaneous focused ultrasound for non-invasive skin tightening in Asians. Lasers Surg Med. 2011;43(5):366-375.

Common questions

Your questions,
answered