Guide · Face lifting
Ultherapy vs HIFU in Singapore one brand, one technology, and how to compare them
Ultherapy is a brand. HIFU is the technology behind it and many other devices. Here is what sets Ultherapy apart, what to compare between brands, how to read a promotion, and where SkinRev Lab and IN Eternity Clinic fit.
Written & medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · 16 October 2026
Quick answer
- HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) is the general technology: ultrasound focused to heat small points at set depths under the skin. Ultherapy, made by Merz Aesthetics, is one brand of it, often described in research as micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V).
- What sets Ultherapy apart is built-in imaging: its DeepSEE® transducers show the tissue on screen while treating, at depths of 1.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm. Other HIFU brands, such as Ultraformer MPT by Classys, use interchangeable cartridges at fixed depths.
- SkinRev Lab does not offer Ultherapy or medical HIFU. Our SKINLIFT® is a non-medical focused-ultrasound session at CityLink Mall: S$888 for the face and S$488 for the double chin, per session before GST.
- Medical HIFU in our network is performed by Dr Sin Yong at IN Eternity Clinic, Pacific Plaza, on the Ultraformer MPT, and priced at consultation. If you want Ultherapy specifically, confirm with the clinic before booking whether it is available.
Brand vs technology
Ultherapy is a brand; HIFU is the technology
Ultherapy and HIFU are not rivals. HIFU stands for high-intensity focused ultrasound: a handpiece focuses ultrasound to a point beneath the skin, much as a magnifying glass concentrates sunlight, and heats a tiny spot of tissue to the range where collagen contracts. Lines of these points are placed at set depths, and the body then lays down new collagen over the following weeks.
Ultherapy is one brand of this technology, made by Merz Aesthetics. In medical papers it is usually called micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation, or MFU-V. Ultraformer, made by the Korean company Classys, is another brand, and there are many more. They share the principle but differ in how energy is delivered, how depth is chosen and whether the operator can see the tissue while treating.
SKINLIFT® at SkinRev Lab, a non-invasive aesthetic centre at CityLink Mall, is different again: a non-medical focused-ultrasound session done by an Aesthetic Specialist. It is neither Ultherapy nor medical HIFU.
| Ultherapy | Ultraformer MPT (HIFU) | SKINLIFT® (SkinRev Lab) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A brand of micro-focused ultrasound with real-time visualisation | A brand of HIFU with interchangeable cartridges and a micro-pulsed mode | A non-medical, multi-sequential focused-ultrasound protocol |
| Maker | Merz Aesthetics | Classys | Delivered with N Pulse-Ultrasound technology |
| Imaging while treating | Yes, through DeepSEE® transducers | Not described by the maker | No |
| Depths | 1.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm | Face cartridges at 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.5 mm; deeper cartridges for the body | Aimed at the dermis and subdermal connective tissue |
| Who performs it in our network | Not offered by SkinRev Lab; ask IN Eternity Clinic whether it is available | Dr Sin Yong at IN Eternity Clinic | An Aesthetic Specialist at SkinRev Lab |
| Price | Varies by provider; see what drives it below | Priced at consultation by the clinic | Face S$888; Double Chin S$488 per session, before GST |
What makes Ultherapy different
Seeing the layers while treating
Ultherapy's distinguishing feature is visualisation. Merz describes its DeepSEE® transducers as providing simultaneous visualisation and treatment: the same handpiece that delivers the energy also shows an ultrasound image of the tissue underneath, imaging down to about 8 mm. The practitioner can see the layers below the transducer before each line is placed.
The DeepSEE® transducers treat at three depths: 1.5 mm in the superficial dermis, 3.0 mm in the deep dermis, and 4.5 mm at the SMAS and platysma, the fibrous muscle layer that a surgeon tightens in a facelift. Much of the published research on micro-focused ultrasound, including studies cited below, used Ultherapy.
Imaging does not make the energy stronger or by itself mean a better result. Who holds the handpiece and how the face is assessed still matter more than the logo.
Other HIFU brands
Ultraformer and cartridge-based HIFU
Most HIFU platforms work with cartridges set to a fixed focal depth. Classys lists ten interchangeable cartridges for Ultraformer MPT: 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.5 mm for the face, 6.0, 9.0 and 13 mm for the body, and booster cartridges. MPT stands for micro-pulsed technology, a mode that shortens treatment time. The maker's product page does not describe built-in imaging, so depth is chosen by cartridge and by the doctor's knowledge of the anatomy.
At IN Eternity Clinic, our affiliated clinic at 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, beside Orchard MRT, HIFU is performed by Dr Sin Yong (MBBS Singapore, MRCS Edinburgh, MSc Practical Dermatology Cardiff) on the Ultraformer MPT. He looks at skin thickness, fat distribution and where the sagging sits before choosing depths. The clinic gives the price at consultation, after that assessment.
Comparing providers
What to compare across brands and clinics
Whichever focused-ultrasound device you are offered, the same questions sort a sensible plan from a sales pitch.
- Depths and transducers: which depths will be used on which areas, and why. A plan that reaches the SMAS at about 4.5 mm is different from one that stays in the dermis.
- Imaging: whether the device shows the tissue in real time, as Ultherapy does, or relies on fixed-depth cartridges and the operator's anatomy knowledge.
- Who performs it: whether a doctor assesses you and performs the treatment, and what their training is.
- Lines or shots: Ultherapy is usually counted in lines and many other HIFU brands in shots. Ask how many are planned per area, but do not compare the numbers across brands, because energy per line or shot differs.
- Comfort: how discomfort is managed. In general this means numbing cream, adjusting energy or density area by area, and other measures your doctor decides on.
- Assessment and review: whether there is a consultation first and a review visit afterwards, since most of the change appears over two to three months.
- Price drivers: the brand and its consumable transducers or cartridges, the number of areas and lines, the doctor's time, and whether the price is per session and includes GST.
Ultherapy promotions
How to read an Ultherapy promotion
A promotional price is not a problem in itself, but it should tell you exactly what you are buying. Merz Aesthetics has publicly warned in the region about counterfeit and refurbished Ultherapy transducers, saying that inaccurate energy delivery risks burns and that genuine transducers cannot be recharged or refurbished once used up. In some markets it has offered QR-code checks of the system and transducer.
Before you pay for any offer, wherever it is:
- Is it Ultherapy, or HIFU described as similar? Ask for the device brand by name. An advert for HIFU is not an advert for Ultherapy.
- Is the system and transducer genuine and in date? Ask to see them, and use the manufacturer's verification where one is offered.
- Who performs it, and where? Ask whether a doctor assesses you and carries out the treatment.
- What is included? Ask which areas, which depths and how many lines, and whether numbing or a review visit costs extra.
- Is it a one-time rate or a package? Ask for the standard per-session price as well, and whether GST is included.
- Is anyone promising a fixed lift or a set number of sessions? Results vary, and a responsible provider will say so.
Where we fit
What SkinRev Lab and IN Eternity Clinic offer
SkinRev Lab does not offer Ultherapy, and it does not perform medical HIFU. What we offer is SKINLIFT®: a 30-minute, needle-free session using multi-sequential pulsed ultrasound, done by an Aesthetic Specialist with no numbing. It suits early softening of the jawline or jowls and maintenance, and it is planned as a course after an assessment. SKINLIFT® Face is S$888 and SKINLIFT® Double Chin is S$488 per session, before GST.
Medical HIFU is performed by Dr Sin Yong at IN Eternity Clinic on the Ultraformer MPT. If you are set on Ultherapy specifically, ask the clinic before booking whether it is available; the clinic's HIFU page describes the Ultraformer MPT. IN Eternity Clinic is open Monday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm, closed Sunday; WhatsApp +65 8815 3008. SkinRev Lab, at #B1-28 CityLink Mall, can also pass your enquiry on.
When to see a doctor
Who should go straight to a medical assessment
Focused ultrasound tightens loose tissue. It does not replace lost volume, and it does not lift heavy, folded skin the way surgery can. A doctor's assessment is the right first step if any of these apply:
- Moderate laxity, deeper jowls or neck looseness, where medical HIFU or a combined plan may be considered.
- A very thin face with little fat, because over-treatment can make hollows look deeper.
- Volume loss rather than sagging, where a biostimulator or filler is often the better fit.
- Heavy sagging with folds of excess skin, where a surgical opinion is more honest advice.
- Recent fillers or threads, keloid scarring, bleeding problems, facial numbness, an implanted electronic device, or pregnancy.
What the research says
Modest, real change for the right face
A 2023 systematic review of 16 studies of single micro-focused ultrasound treatments found measurable tightening, such as brow lifts of 0.47 to 1.7 mm, in women with mild to moderate facial laxity. Treatment was moderately painful, and the authors noted that results declined with more severe laxity and a BMI above 30 (Contini 2023).
In a study of 103 adults treated with the Ulthera System for the lower face, blinded reviewers saw improvement in skin laxity in 58.1% of those evaluated at 90 days, with better outcomes when BMI was 30 or below. Average pain scores were about 5.7 to 6.5 out of 10 (Oni 2014).
A 2025 meta-analysis of 42 MFU-V studies reported improvement in most patients, a pooled pain score of about 4.9 out of 10 and mostly mild, temporary side effects, while cautioning that efficacy may be overestimated (Amiri 2025). These studies concern medical devices; they do not test SKINLIFT®.
Sources
References & sources
- 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. PMID 36674277.
- 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. PMID 24990884.
- 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. PMID 39540440.
- Merz Aesthetics. Ultherapy: the gold standard (physician information page).
- Classys. Ultraformer MPT product overview.
Common questions
Your questions,
answered
Is Ultherapy the same as HIFU?
Ultherapy is one brand of HIFU, made by Merz Aesthetics and described in research as micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation. HIFU is the wider technology, also used by brands such as Ultraformer. The main difference with Ultherapy is that its transducers show the tissue on screen while treating.
Does SkinRev Lab offer Ultherapy?
No. SkinRev Lab is a non-invasive aesthetic centre and does not offer Ultherapy or medical HIFU. We offer SKINLIFT®, a non-medical focused-ultrasound session: S$888 for the face and S$488 for the double chin, per session before GST.
Does IN Eternity Clinic offer Ultherapy?
The clinic's HIFU treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong on the Ultraformer MPT. If you want Ultherapy specifically, confirm with IN Eternity Clinic before booking whether it is available. WhatsApp +65 8815 3008, Monday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm.
How much is Ultherapy in Singapore?
It varies by provider, so ask for a written breakdown. The main drivers are the genuine transducers, the number of areas and lines, who performs it, and whether the price is per session and includes GST. We do not quote other clinics' prices, and medical HIFU at IN Eternity Clinic is priced at consultation.
How do I find the best Ultherapy provider in Singapore?
Look past the price. Check the device is genuine, that a doctor assesses you and performs it, which depths and how many lines are planned, how discomfort is managed and whether a review visit is included. A provider who explains what it cannot do is usually a good sign.
What is Ultraformer?
Ultraformer is a HIFU brand made by Classys. Ultraformer MPT uses interchangeable cartridges set to fixed depths, from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm on the face and deeper for the body, with a micro-pulsed mode that shortens treatment time.
Is SKINLIFT® a cheaper version of Ultherapy?
No. SKINLIFT® is a different, non-medical protocol, not a lower-cost version of the same treatment. It suits early laxity and maintenance. Where an Aesthetic Specialist sees deeper laxity, we suggest a medical assessment with Dr Sin Yong.