Why Do Lifting Prices Vary for the Same Shot Count?

TL;DR: Lifting treatment prices come down to three overlapping factors: the device class, the shot or energy count, and the treatment area covered. Within a single device, the per-shot cost drops as the total shot count rises, and two devices can post very different prices for the same “300 shots” because they reach different skin layers and use different consumable structures. Under Korea’s Medical Service Act Article 45, a clinic cannot charge more than the fee it has posted, so the published price list is the actual billed amount.

We hear the same two questions in nearly every pricing consultation at our Seocho clinic: why does 600-shot Ulthera cost so much more than 300-shot, and why do two devices at “300 shots” land at such different prices. The short answer is that three variables stack on top of each other. Which energy category the device uses, how many shots or kilojoules it delivers, and how wide an area gets treated all feed into the final number. We post our fee schedule by treatment on our own pricing page, and we’re using that same table here to walk through how the numbers split apart.

The figures below reflect our posted prices as of August 2026 and are subject to change. Please confirm current pricing through our consultation channel before booking.

The Three Variables Behind Every Price

The first variable is device class. Ultrasound-based devices, radiofrequency-based devices, and microwave-based devices deposit energy into different tissue depths, and that difference in physics shows up directly in the bill.

The second is dosage unit. Ultrasound and radiofrequency lifting are typically billed per shot. A microwave device like Onda is billed in kilojoules (kJ) of cumulative energy instead. Some devices, like InMode FX, are billed per treatment area rather than per shot or per kJ.

The third is treatment area. Three hundred shots concentrated on the jawline and under the chin delivers a different energy density per area than 300 shots spread from the forehead down to the lower face. This is why our consultations don’t start with “how many shots do you want.” They start with which area, and which layer, needs the energy.

What Happens to Per-Shot Cost as Shot Count Rises

Dividing our posted price by the shot count gives the per-shot rate. Here is what that math looks like using our Seocho fee schedule.

Treatment	Posted Price (KRW)	Per-Shot Rate
Ulthera 300 shots	1,090,000	approx. 3,633
Ulthera 600 shots	2,090,000	approx. 3,483
Ulthera 900 shots	2,880,000	approx. 3,200
Thermage 300 shots	1,390,000	approx. 4,633
Thermage 600 shots	1,990,000	approx. 3,317
Thermage 900 shots	2,700,000	3,000
Sofwave 120 shots	1,090,000	approx. 9,083
Sofwave 200 shots	1,790,000	8,950
Sofwave 300 shots	2,490,000	8,300
Oligio X 300 shots	590,000	approx. 1,967
Oligio X 600 shots	990,000	1,650
Shurink 100 shots	80,000	800
Shurink 300 shots	240,000	800
Shurink 600 shots	400,000	approx. 667

Every device on this table gets cheaper per shot as the total shot count rises, but the size of that drop varies. Thermage falls the furthest, from roughly 4,633 won per shot at 300 shots to 3,000 won at 900 shots. Ulthera moves more gently, from about 3,633 down to 3,200. Shurink’s per-shot rate stays flat at 800 won between the 100-shot and 300-shot tiers, and only drops to about 667 won at the 600-shot tier.

The size of that drop reflects how each manufacturer bundles its consumables. Thermage ties a fixed pulse count to a physical tip. According to Solta Medical’s own technical manual for the Thermage CPT system, each treatment tip is designed for a set number of pulses, and the number of radiofrequency pulses it can deliver before depletion varies by tip size. A 300-shot tip and a 900-shot tip are separate consumables billed as separate units. Onda works differently: our posted price moves from 800,000 won for 80kJ to 1,000,000 won for 100kJ, holding the per-kJ rate flat at 10,000 won across that range.

Why Two Devices at 300 Shots Land at Different Prices

Lining up the base unit price across device categories makes the split clearer.

Category	Treatment	Base Unit	Posted Price (KRW)
Ultrasound	Ulthera	300 shots	1,090,000
Ultrasound	Sofwave	300 shots	2,490,000
Ultrasound	Shurink	300 shots	240,000
Radiofrequency	Thermage	300 shots	1,390,000
Radiofrequency	Oligio X	300 shots	590,000
Microwave	Onda	80kJ	800,000
Radiofrequency (per area)	InMode FX	1 area	89,000

Behind these numbers sits a difference in the underlying physics. Microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) concentrates an ultrasound beam at a single point to create a thermal coagulation point. A 2025 study by Marquardt and colleagues published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology describes MFU-V transducers targeting three depths: 1.5mm in the superficial dermis, 3.0mm in the deep dermis, and 4.5mm at the SMAS and platysma layer, generating thermal coagulation points on a millisecond timescale. A separate 2025 narrative review of MFU-V in the same journal describes the treatment temperature at these coagulation points as roughly 60 to 70 degrees Celsius. Because each shot treats a small, precisely targeted volume at a specific depth, covering the full face requires a meaningfully higher shot count.

Radiofrequency devices heat tissue as current meets resistance, and a single pulse covers a wider surface area than an ultrasound shot. This is why Thermage tips are categorized by contact area, in sizes like 3.0cm² and 4.0cm². A radiofrequency pulse spreads its energy across that entire contact surface rather than concentrating it at one point.

Onda, the microwave-based device in our lineup, shifts its focus toward the subcutaneous fat layer. A 2024 consensus paper from Onda’s international advisory panel, published in the journal Bioengineering, describes the device operating at a 2.45GHz frequency with output up to 200W, using separate handpieces for deep and superficial tissue along with contact cooling to protect the epidermis. The manufacturer’s own product materials describe the design as concentrating a large share of the energy in the subcutaneous fat layer while keeping surface heating to a minimum. That is also why Onda’s pricing unit is cumulative kilojoules rather than a shot count.

Taken together, “300 shots” means something different depending on the device. Treatment depth, the volume each shot covers, and the consumable structure behind it all differ, and that difference is what the price reflects.

Does a Higher Shot Count Mean a Better Treatment?

Shot count is a unit of treatment area and density, not a grade of outcome. The total number needed depends on face size, the extent of sagging, skin thickness, and how subcutaneous fat is distributed.

This is also why the MFU-V literature separates its target depths into 1.5mm, 3.0mm, and 4.5mm. A patient whose primary concern is dermal elasticity loss needs a different energy distribution than one whose main concern is SMAS-layer sagging, and different layers call for different transducer selection and shot allocation. Two patients receiving the same total of 600 shots might have very different plans if one concentrates density on the lower face and neck while the other spreads shots evenly across the whole face.

At our Seocho clinic, we don’t set the shot count first. Our director, Dr. Kyungsoo Kim, examines skin condition and the extent of sagging first, decides which layer needs energy, and the shot range follows from that assessment. Individual response and recovery vary, and if you notice anything unexpected after treatment, please contact our consultation channel rather than making your own judgment call.

Items Billed by Area and Items Billed by Volume

Not everything on our fee schedule is billed by shot. InMode FX is posted at 89,000 won per area, so the total scales directly with how many areas are treated.

Injectable treatments are billed by volume. Our posted prices list domestic filler (Atiere) at 150,000 won per 1cc and imported filler (Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero) at 390,000 won per 1cc, with the rate split by product line. The volume needed depends on the area and the treatment goal, so our consultations settle which layer or contour to address before calculating the cc total, rather than starting from a target cc number.

We use genuine devices, injectables, and medications in every procedure, and we open each product in front of the patient before treatment so it can be confirmed.

What a Visit Adds Beyond the Treatment Fee

Patients visiting from abroad also factor in lodging, transportation, and interpretation alongside the treatment cost itself.

Our Seocho clinic has Japanese, Chinese, and English interpreting staff on site. Booking and inquiries run through KakaoTalk, Line, and WeChat consultation channels, so a Korean phone number isn’t required to schedule a visit. If your travel dates are already set, booking through our consultation channel two to three days ahead gives you more flexibility on time slots.

For lodging, we have an arrangement with the UH hotel group. Entering a coupon code in the STATION by UHC app gives access to UH SUITE, UH CONTINENTAL, UH FLAT SIGNATURE, and UH FLAT at partner rates. Our Seocho clinic itself is on the first floor of the UH FLAT The Seocho annex, which keeps the distance between lodging and treatment short.

Are Posted Prices Negotiable?

Article 45, Paragraph 1 of Korea’s Medical Service Act requires medical institution operators to post non-covered treatment fees so patients and guardians can readily check them, and Paragraph 3 of the same article prohibits collecting more than the posted amount. The posting method itself is set out in the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s guideline on disclosure of non-covered medical fees (Notice No. 2020-339, effective January 1, 2021).

In practice, this means the posted price is the billed price. A consultation is where we confirm the posted item and unit against your condition, not where a number gets negotiated. If you’ve received a quote, it’s worth checking that the treatment name, unit (shot count, kJ, cc, or area count), and total match our posted table.

FAQ

Does a consultation itself cost anything?

Whether a consultation carries a separate charge can depend on the visit and the scope of the exam. Please reach out through our KakaoTalk, Line, or WeChat consultation channel before your visit and we’ll confirm.

Who decides the shot count?

At our Seocho clinic, the same physician handles both your consultation and your treatment, so the shot range is confirmed as part of the plan you review together before the procedure starts.

Can the billed amount differ from the posted price?

Article 45, Paragraph 3 of the Medical Service Act prohibits collecting more than the posted amount. That said, if the treatment plan or unit (shot count, volume, or area count) changes during consultation, the total changes accordingly based on the posted price for that item. It’s worth confirming any adjustment on the spot.

How should I budget for a year of treatment?

The type and interval of treatment needed varies by person, so we can’t quote a single figure that applies broadly. We’d suggest using the posted per-unit prices as a baseline, then multiplying by the treatment plan and follow-up schedule set during consultation. If you’re visiting from abroad, factoring in lodging and travel alongside treatment cost gets you closer to your actual spend.

Visit Information

If you’d like to go through our lifting fee schedule and check which item fits your condition, we recommend booking through our consultation channel two to three days ahead of your visit.

UH CELL Clinic, Seocho Branch (Director: Dr. Kyungsoo Kim)
Address: 1F, Seocho-ro-ium Gisel (UH FLAT The Seocho Annex), 30 Banpo-daero 16-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Phone: 02-2135-4393
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00 (last check-in 18:30), Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00 (last check-in 16:30), no lunch break
Transit: Nambu Bus Terminal Station, Line 3, Exit 6, 6-minute walk
Parking: first 2 hours free (ask staff about extensions)
Consultation channels: KakaoTalk, Line, WeChat
Interpretation: Japanese, Chinese, and English staff on site
Website: https://seocho.uhcell.com/

Prices listed in this article reflect our posted rates as of August 2026 and are subject to change. Treatment outcomes and recovery vary by individual; please confirm what applies to you through an in-person consultation.