At a glance
| Device | Maker | Technology | MFDS and FDA status | Downtime, as stated by the sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy and Ultherapy PRIME | Ulthera, Inc. (Mesa, Arizona, USA), part of the Merz Group (Frankfurt, Germany) | Micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V). The transducers image the tissue down to 8 mm and treat at 1.5, 3 and 4.5 mm | MFDS: sold in Korea by Merz Aesthetics Korea as a focused-ultrasound stimulation system; a décolleté indication was added in September 2016; permit number and date not confirmed. FDA: de novo order in 2009 (eyebrow lift); later 510(k)s added under the chin and neck (2012) and the décolleté (2014); PRIME platform cleared in 2024; arms and abdomen (letter of 24 Feb 2025); knees (letter of 21 May 2026) | Merz says normal activities can resume right after treatment. Skin may look flushed, and redness should fade within a few hours. Some people have mild, temporary swelling, tingling or tenderness. Trials report redness, swelling, pain and transient nerve effects |
| Shurink and Shurink Universe (Ultraformer III and Ultraformer MPT) | Classys Inc., Seoul, Korea | High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Cartridges treat at set depths from 1.5 to 13 mm (face 1.5 to 4.5 mm). Shurink Universe adds an MP (micro-pulse) mode | MFDS: Shurink 2014 and Shurink Universe 2021 (company history); wrinkle uses added in 2021 and 2024. FDA: no 510(k) found for Shurink or Ultraformer | Classys lists the downtime as none; some people get slight redness and swelling for a few hours to a few days. In a 12-person study, pain and mild redness during treatment resolved within 2 days |
A "clearance" is not an approval. Where the table gives the maker's own statement, it is not independent evidence.
How they differ
Imaging
Ultherapy's DeepSEE transducers image the tissue down to 8 mm while the operator treats. The FDA cleared the imaging function to check that the transducer is in contact with the skin and to confirm the treatment depth, for example to avoid bone.
A consensus paper sponsored by Merz tested Ultherapy against three Korean HIFU devices, including Ultraformer III (Shurink). It found that only Ultherapy had imaging. Treat this as the maker's claim, because the owner of Ultherapy sponsored the paper. We found no description of imaging on the Classys pages we read.
Depths and modes
- Ultherapy treats at three depths: 1.5 mm (superficial dermis), 3 mm (deep dermis) and 4.5 mm (the SMAS and platysma muscle layer).
- Shurink Universe cartridges cover 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.5 mm for the face, plus 6, 9 and 13 mm for the body.
- MP mode. Classys says Shurink Universe's MP mode delivers ultrasound energy 2.5 times faster than its normal mode. That is the maker's statement.
Regulatory status
- Ultherapy. Its first US authorization was a de novo order in 2009 to lift the eyebrow. Later clearances added the area under the chin and the neck, and lines and wrinkles of the décolleté. The current cleared list for Ultherapy PRIME is the eyebrow, under the chin and neck, the décolleté lines, the abdomen, the arms and the knees. Merz announced the arms and abdomen on 5 November 2025 and the knees on 11 August 2026. In Korea, Merz Aesthetics Korea markets it as a focused-ultrasound stimulation system medical device. We could not confirm the MFDS permit number or date.
- Shurink. Classys lists MFDS approval of Ultraformer III (Shurink) in 2014 and of Shurink Universe in 2021. Korean press reported an eye-area, mouth-area and neck wrinkle indication for Shurink in October 2021. Until the end of 2024, Shurink Universe's approved purpose was eyebrow lifting. MFDS then added eye-area, mouth-area and neck wrinkle improvement for its 2 mm cartridge. We found no FDA clearance for Shurink or Ultraformer. The FDA clearances listed for Classys are for other devices.
Sessions and shots
Merz presents Ultherapy as a single, personalized session. In one clinical study, photos were compared 90 days after treatment, so results build over months. In a small study of Ultraformer III, one session improved measurements at 90 days. We did not find a repeat interval stated by Classys.
Korean clinics count both devices in shots (샷, syat). The two devices deliver different energy per pulse, and no source we read equates one Shurink shot with one Ultherapy shot. Read our Ultherapy and Shurink shots guide.
How clinics price them
Korean clinics price both by shot count. At most clinics the price per shot falls as the count rises. Most clinics now list Ultherapy PRIME. Shurink is usually priced far lower per shot than Ultherapy. Because the devices are different, a per-shot price is a fair comparison only within the same device.
Published prices in this directory
The table shows the lowest and highest published regular price per treatment. Amounts and units differ, for example in shot counts and areas, so check the item before you compare.
| Item | Clinics in this directory | Published regular prices (lowest) | Published regular prices (highest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy 울쎄라 | 18 | ₩300,000 (≈ US$227) EU:GENES Skin Clinic · Eye Ultherapy 100 shots (add-on) · VAT not stated | ₩5,100,000 (≈ US$3,850) DAMI Skin Clinic · Ultherapy Prime (body) 1,500 shots · VAT excluded |
| Shurink 슈링크 | 13 | ₩25,000 (≈ US$19) JRYN Skin Clinic Nampo · Shurink Universe 100 shots · VAT excluded | ₩1,125,000 (≈ US$849) Youngjong Central Skin Clinic · Shurink · 600 shots · VAT excluded |
Facts come from the sources listed on this page; prices from the clinics' own price lists, checked up to 29 October 2026. Prices differ in product, amount and VAT basis.
Which one to ask about
This page does not rank the devices. The doctor decides after an examination. Questions to ask the clinic:
- Which device and version is it: Ultherapy or Ultherapy PRIME, Shurink or Shurink Universe?
- How many shots does the price include, for which areas and at which depths? Ask to see the shot counter.
- If the clinic says the device images the tissue, what does it mean, and does the device do it?
- How does the clinic show that the device and its cartridge or transducer are genuine (정품 인증, genuine-product verification)?
- How many sessions and what interval does the doctor suggest?
- Who performs the treatment, and does the price change if the head doctor does it?
- Is VAT included (부가세 별도 means VAT is charged on top), and is this a regular or an event price?
Read more on the Ultherapy and Shurink pages.
FAQ
What is the difference between Ultherapy and Shurink?
Both are focused-ultrasound devices, but they come from different makers. Ultherapy is made by Ulthera, which Merz owns, and has imaging and US FDA clearances. Shurink is made by Classys in Korea and has MFDS approval. They differ in depths, imaging and regulatory status, and in how clinics price them, which is by shots.
Which one has FDA clearance?
Ultherapy does. Its first US authorization was in 2009, and its cleared uses now include the eyebrow, under the chin and neck, the décolleté lines and, for Ultherapy PRIME, the abdomen, arms and knees. We found no FDA clearance for Shurink or Ultraformer. Shurink is MFDS-approved in Korea. Ask the clinic about the status of its device.
Does Shurink have imaging like Ultherapy?
Ultherapy images the tissue down to 8 mm during treatment. A Merz-sponsored paper found that only Ultherapy had imaging among the four devices it tested, which included Ultraformer III (Shurink). That is the maker's claim, not independent evidence. We found no description of imaging on the Classys pages we read.
Can I compare Ultherapy and Shurink prices per shot?
Not like for like. Clinics price both by shot count, and Shurink is usually far lower per shot, but the devices deliver different energy per pulse. No source we read equates one shot of one device with one shot of the other. Compare shots only within the same device, and ask what the shots cover.
How many sessions of Ultherapy or Shurink do I need?
Merz presents Ultherapy as a single, personalized session, with results building over months. In a small study of Ultraformer III, one session improved measurements at 90 days. We did not find a repeat interval stated by Classys. Your doctor decides the number of sessions and the interval after an examination.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: K260618 Ulthera System 510(k) clearance letter and summary (expanded indications: knees)
- Merz Aesthetics: Merz Aesthetics announces new knee indication for Ultherapy PRIME (11 Aug 2026)
- Ulthera, Inc. / Merz Aesthetics: Ultherapy PRIME for physicians: the gold standard
- The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (PMC): Long-term Efficacy of Micro-focused Ultrasound with Visualization for Lifting and Tightening Lax Facial and Neck Skin Using a Customized Vectoring Treatment Method (J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2016)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: K233996 Ulthera System (UC-1 Control Unit PRIME) clearance letter
- 메디게이트뉴스: 멀츠, 울쎄라 전문가 교육 프로그램 '아우라' 시즌2 심포지엄 (2024-12-19)
- 메디칼타임즈: 리프팅기기 '울쎄라' 소프트웨어 런칭 심포지엄 (2016-12-08)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: K072505 Ulthera System: Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation (de novo) order
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: K121700 Ulthera System 510(k) summary and clearance letter
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: 510(k) Premarket Notification database record K134032 (Ulthera System)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: K243035 Ulthera System 510(k) clearance letter and summary (abdomen, arms)
- Merz Aesthetics: Merz Aesthetics announces new arms and abdomen indication for Ultherapy PRIME (5 Nov 2025)
- Ulthera, Inc. / Merz Aesthetics: What to expect from the non-invasive lift (Ultherapy PRIME)
- Classys Inc.: ULTRAFORMER MPT product page
- 스마트투데이: 클래시스, 슈링크 유니버스 눈가와 입가, 목에도 쓴다 (2025-01-06)
- Classys Inc.: CLASSYS History
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA): openFDA 510(k) records for applicant Classys
- Classys Inc.: ULTRAFORMER III product page
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (PMC): Quantified Facial Rejuvenation Utilizing High Intense Focus Ultrasound with Multiple Penetrative Depths (Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2022)
- Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (PMC): Microfocused ultrasound with visualization: Consensus on safety and review of energy-based devices (J Cosmet Dermatol 2021; sponsored by Merz Aesthetics)
Prices in the tables are the regular prices that clinics in this directory publish on their own price lists, checked at each update.