Is Ultraformer like Ultherapy?
Like Ultherapy, but Korean. Here we call it Shurink.
So what’s missing?
A live screen, and years of studies.
Is it as good?
Nobody has tested the two side by side.
If a clinic abroad offered you “Ultraformer”, you were offered the machine Korean clinics book every day under another name.
Short answer:
- Ultraformer and Ultherapy work on the same idea. Both focus ultrasound into tiny hot spots under unbroken skin, and any firming builds over months.
- The big differences are the screen and the evidence. Ultherapy shows the layers live; Ultraformer fires at fixed depths without that picture, and has far fewer studies.
- No trial has compared them head to head, so “as good” has no honest answer yet. In Korea, Ultraformer usually costs less.
Is Ultraformer the same as Shurink?
Yes. Both names belong to one Korean maker, Classys. Its newest model is Shurink Universe in Korea and Ultraformer MPT abroad, sold in more than 70 countries (Classys press release).
Photo: the manufacturer’s official site.
So “Shurink vs Ultraformer” compares one machine family under two labels. In America the picture differs: Ultherapy is FDA-cleared to lift the brow, under the chin and the neck [1], but I could not find Ultraformer in the FDA’s device clearance database when I searched on 6 October 2026.
What actually differs between the two machines?
1. Seeing under the skin. Ultherapy’s handpiece is also an imaging probe. It shows tissue down to about 8 mm before each line fires [1]. For Ultraformer MPT, Classys lists a small touchscreen for settings, but no imaging (Classys). The operator works from the cartridge depth and their own knowledge of the face.
Photo: the manufacturer’s official site.
2. Depth choices. Ultherapy’s transducers fire at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm [1]. Ultraformer’s face set adds a 2.0 mm cartridge, plus deeper ones for the body.
Photo: the manufacturer’s official site.
3. Speed and price. Classys says its pulsed mode is 2.5 times quicker than its standard mode. In Korea a session usually costs well below Ultherapy.
Is Ultraformer as good as Ultherapy?
Nobody knows yet. The Ultraformer studies I found are small. One scanned 50 faces in 3D right after a single session [2], when swelling still looks like lift. Another followed 34 people’s eyelids for 12 weeks, and some authors work for Classys [3].
Ultherapy has more papers, but its results also vary from face to face. The reasons in why Ultherapy works less on some faces apply to any ultrasound lift.
Does Ultraformer hurt less, and how long is recovery?
I found no study comparing pain between the two. In my chair, the deep cartridge hurts most where there is little fat over bone: the tip of the chin and over the cheekbones. That is my observation, not a measurement.
Recovery looks similar on paper. Ultherapy’s maker lists redness, swelling, pain and short-lived nerve effects as the most common side effects, says redness usually fades within hours, and says normal activities can resume straight away [4].
What can go wrong?
- Fat loss. Heat at the deep layer also reaches fat. It is rare in published studies but among the most frequent reports to the US FDA’s device problem database [5]. A thin face needs care.
- Nerve irritation. Numbness or an uneven smile, usually settling over weeks.
- The eyes. Eye doctors have reported damage to the cornea and lens after HIFU on the eyelids [6, 7]. Ultherapy’s own instructions say to keep the energy off the eyes, the eyelids and the area inside the bony eye socket rim [1].
Who should wait?
Ultherapy’s instructions rule it out over open wounds, severe or cystic acne, and pacemakers or metal implants in the area. They advise against firing directly over dermal filler, and say it was never tested in pregnancy or breastfeeding [1]. I could not find a public Ultraformer version of this list, so I use the same one: clinical judgement, not a rule from Classys.
What I tell my patients before Ultraformer
- Which cartridges, and how many lines per area? Two sessions with the same name can differ a lot.
- Is my face thin, or have I lost weight lately? Say so before the deep row.
- How will you protect my eyes? Ask before any work near the lower lid.
- Judge it at three months, with photos.
The other Korean ultrasound lifts are lined up in Shurink vs Ulthera, and Korea’s stand-ins for other famous names are in Is there a Korean alternative to Botox, Thermage or Ultherapy?
Have a question about your own case? Ask me on LINE or by email — details on the Contact page.
Read next
- Why Didn’t My Ultherapy Work? 5 Faces That See Less Lift
- Skincare After HIFU or Thermage: What I Tell My Patients
- Korean clinics, honestly: every comparison in one place
FAQ
Is Ultraformer the same as Ultherapy?
No. Both are focused-ultrasound lifts, but Ultraformer is made by Classys in Korea, where it is called Shurink, and Ultherapy is made by Merz. Ultherapy shows the skin layers on a live screen; Ultraformer fires at fixed cartridge depths without one.
Is Ultraformer FDA approved?
I could not find it in the US FDA’s device clearance database when I checked on 6 October 2026. Ultherapy is FDA-cleared for lifting the brow, under the chin and the neck. Classys sells Ultraformer in more than 70 other countries.
Is Ultraformer cheaper than Ultherapy?
In Korea it usually is. Compare the cartridges used and the number of lines per area, not only the total price, because fewer lines also cost less.
References
- Ulthera, Inc. (Merz Aesthetics). Ulthera System Instructions for Use, featuring DeepSEE technology for Ultherapy PRIME. 2026. Sections 2.1–2.4 and table 3.4. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- Kim JS. Three-dimensional analysis of lifting effects after high-intensity focused ultrasound (Ultraformer-MPT) across seven facial aesthetic units. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(10):e6203. 10.1097/GOX.0000000000006203
- Hwang Y, et al. Efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound for treating upper and lower eyelid sagging. JPRAS Open 2026;48:147-154. 10.1016/j.jpra.2025.10.036 (authors affiliated with the manufacturer)
- Merz Aesthetics. Ultherapy safety statement, FAQ and “What to expect” pages. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- Humphrey VS, Rambhia PH, Gmyrek R, Chapas A. Microfocused ultrasound with visualization: a systematic review of adverse events and risk of subsequent facelift compromise. Dermatol Surg 2025;51(4):424-429. 10.1097/DSS.0000000000004510
- Marafon SB, Marinho DR, Kwitko S. Cornea opacity, uveitis with iris atrophy and lens damage following cosmetic high-intensity ultrasound of the eyelid: a case report. BMC Ophthalmol 2023;23(1):230. 10.1186/s12886-023-02947-9
- Liu J, Luo H, Li N. Micro-focused ultrasound treatment for periocular skin leading to corneal leukoma with iridocyclitis: a case report. J Cosmet Dermatol 2025;24(12):e70601. 10.1111/jocd.70601
Disclaimer: This article explains treatments in general terms and is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. What happens varies from person to person, and no article can tell you what to expect. Please discuss your own case with a licensed medical professional where you live. I do not endorse specific clinics or device brands.
14 years in practice · replies to messages herselfA doctor in Korea, in practice since 2012 — your K-Beauty Doc. Physician in non-surgical aesthetic medicine, practising in Ansan, South Korea. Every article here is written from clinical practice and the published literature. Not medical advice.
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