Myeongdong Lifting Guide | Thermage, Ultherapy, VOLNEWMER & XERF at Lijin Clinic

Natural-looking lifting today is often less about dramatic transformation and more about improving skin quality, facial balance, and overall facial support over time.

At Lijin Clinic, a premium English-speaking skin clinic in Myeongdong, many patients ask not only about Thermage and Ultherapy, but also newer lifting treatments such as XERF, VOLNEWMER, ONDA, and EMFACE.

As more lifting technologies continue to develop, many patients now feel that choosing the right lifting treatment has actually become more confusing than before.

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Hello, I’m Dr. Youjoo Hwang from Lijin Clinic in Seoul.

During lifting consultations, I often hear similar questions from patients.

“What is the difference between Thermage and Ultherapy?”
“How are treatments like XERF or VOLNEWMER different?”
“Which lifting treatment is best for my face?”

In reality, lifting treatments do not all work in the same way.

Some treatments focus more on skin texture and elasticity, while others focus on jawline definition, facial contour, deeper tissue support, or lower-face heaviness. Because of this, understanding which type of aging change is appearing first on your face often becomes more important than simply choosing the most famous device.

At our Myeongdong skin clinic, lifting plans are personalized based on skin condition, facial anatomy, facial volume, skin thickness, and each patient’s desired direction of improvement.

How Are Lifting Treatments Different?

Most lifting procedures can generally be understood based on which layer the energy primarily targets and what type of improvement the treatment is designed to support.

Some lifting procedures focus more on improving skin elasticity and texture within the dermis, while others focus more on deeper contour changes or lower-face support. Certain treatments may also consider facial balance, muscle movement, or lower-face heaviness together.

At Lijin Clinic, lifting treatments are often categorized into several broader approaches depending on the patient’s concerns.

RF Lifting Treatments

RF lifting treatments primarily use radiofrequency energy to support collagen remodeling, skin tightening, and overall skin-quality improvement.

Compared to aggressive lifting approaches, RF-based treatments are often chosen by patients who want smoother skin texture, firmer skin, and gradual refinement over time.

Thermage

Thermage is one of the most well-known RF lifting treatments and has long been considered one of the representative devices in RF-based skin tightening.

Many patients considering Thermage are primarily concerned about skin laxity, enlarged pores, fine wrinkles, or overall loss of skin firmness.

Rather than dramatically pulling the face upward, Thermage is often understood as focusing more on supporting skin density and elasticity through RF energy.

XERF

XERF is another RF lifting treatment that has recently gained attention in aesthetic dermatology. At our clinic, patients interested in natural-looking tightening and gradual skin-quality improvement often ask about XERF during consultation.

XERF uses dual-frequency RF technology and is commonly considered by patients who want a more refined and balanced approach to skin tightening.

VOLNEWMER

VOLNEWMER is also an RF-based lifting treatment designed to support collagen remodeling and gradual skin-quality improvement.

Many patients describe VOLNEWMER as creating subtle and natural-looking refinement rather than dramatic transformation. Patients who prefer softer rejuvenation without looking overtreated are often interested in treatments like VOLNEWMER.

Who May Benefit More From RF Lifting?

RF-based lifting treatments are often considered in patients who:

• notice changes in skin texture and elasticity
• feel their skin appears thinner or less firm
• experience enlarged pores or fine wrinkles
• want gradual and natural-looking tightening
• have relatively low facial fat volume and prefer softer lifting approaches

HIFU Lifting Treatments

HIFU lifting treatments use focused ultrasound energy to target deeper tissue layers and are often considered by patients concerned about jawline definition or lower-face sagging.

Compared to RF lifting, HIFU treatments are generally more associated with deeper structural lifting and contour support.

Ultherapy

Ultherapy is one of the best-known HIFU lifting procedures and is often considered a representative ultrasound-based lifting treatment.

Ultherapy delivers focused ultrasound energy into deeper tissue layers including the SMAS layer and is commonly used for patients concerned about jawline blurring, lower-face heaviness, or facial sagging.

Shurink

Shurink is another HIFU-based lifting treatment frequently considered by patients interested in ultrasound lifting.

Depending on the patient’s facial structure and skin condition, Shurink may be used as part of a personalized lifting plan focused on facial contour and lower-face refinement.

V-RO

V-RO is also categorized within the HIFU lifting family and may be considered for patients interested in lower-face contour improvement and deeper lifting support.

Who May Benefit More From HIFU Lifting?

HIFU-based lifting procedures are often considered in patients who:

• feel their jawline has become less defined
• notice lower-face sagging or heaviness
• feel facial contours appear wider or softer than before
• want deeper contour-focused lifting

However, in patients with very low facial fat volume, aggressive ultrasound lifting may sometimes feel too strong depending on the individual case. Because of this, personalized treatment planning remains important.

Lower Face & Jawline Contouring

For some patients, the primary concern is not only skin laxity, but also heaviness around the lower face and jawline.

ONDA

ONDA is often considered in patients concerned about lower-face heaviness, double chin appearance, or jawline definition. Rather than focusing only on skin tightening, ONDA may also be used as part of a broader contour-focused lifting approach involving the lower face and submental area.

At Lijin Clinic, treatments such as HIFU lifting and ONDA may sometimes be combined depending on the patient’s facial structure and goals.

Facial Balance & Muscle-Based Lifting

Recently, lifting approaches considering not only skin laxity but also facial movement and facial balance have become increasingly popular.

EMFACE

EMFACE is a treatment designed to support both skin tightening and facial balance simultaneously.

Some patients feel that their overall facial impression appears more tired or less defined over time, even before severe sagging develops. In these situations, treatments focused on overall facial harmony and balance may also be considered.

Patients seeking softer and more natural-looking facial refinement are often interested in treatments such as EMFACE.

How Do You Choose the Right Lifting Treatment?

One of the most important parts of lifting consultation is understanding which type of change is currently appearing first on the face.

In general:

• RF lifting treatments such as Thermage, XERF, and VOLNEWMER are often considered for skin texture, elasticity, and gradual tightening concerns
• HIFU lifting treatments such as Ultherapy, Shurink, and V-RO are often considered for jawline support and deeper contour-focused lifting
• ONDA may be considered for lower-face heaviness and jawline contour concerns
• Combination approaches involving RF lifting, HIFU lifting, ONDA, or EMFACE may also be personalized depending on the patient’s goals

Although many newer lifting technologies continue to appear, Thermage and Ultherapy are still often considered reference devices within RF lifting and HIFU lifting because of their long clinical history and accumulated experience.

However, modern lifting approaches are becoming less focused on solving every concern with a single device alone.

Instead, many lifting plans today are designed through a layered approach that considers skin quality, facial contour, facial balance, lower-face heaviness, and tissue support together.

At Lijin Clinic, lifting treatments are personalized based on skin condition, facial structure, skin thickness, facial fat distribution, and the type of natural-looking improvement each patient hopes to achieve.

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When considering lifting treatments, the most important step is often not simply choosing the most famous device, but understanding what type of aging change is currently affecting your face the most.

Natural-looking lifting today is increasingly focused on balance, refinement, and gradual improvement rather than dramatic transformation alone.

At our premium English-speaking skin clinic in Myeongdong, lifting consultations are personalized based on each patient’s skin condition, facial anatomy, and aesthetic goals.

Thank you for reading.

This was Dr. Youjoo Hwang from Lijin Clinic.