Shurink vs. ONDA Lifting: What’s the Difference, and Which Suits the Face and Body Better?

Hello. This is Dr. Park Ji-seon of ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic.

There’s a question I’m often asked by people who come in for consultations about facial lifting or improving their body contour.

“What’s the difference between Shurink and ONDA?”

“I heard both are treatments that reduce fat — which one should I get for better results?”

In fact, both treatments can be used on the face and body, and they have in common that they are used for fat reduction and improving skin elasticity.

However, they differ in the energy they use and the way they deliver heat.

ONDA delivers heat energy to fat tissue and is used to reduce localized fat volume and improve skin elasticity,

while Shurink is a treatment that forms thermal coagulation points at a target depth beneath the skin to induce tissue contraction and collagen remodeling.

In particular, Shurink is used not only to improve skin elasticity and sagging,

but also, with tips that target the fat layer, to reduce a double chin or localized fat on the body.

So rather than declaring one treatment better, it’s important to choose based on your current amount of fat, the degree of skin sagging, and the treatment area.

Today I’ll go over how the two treatments work and how they differ, which cases each suits on the face and body, and whether they can be done together.

The biggest difference is the energy used and the way heat is delivered.

First, Shurink is a treatment that uses high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)​.

It works by concentrating ultrasound energy at a set depth beneath the skin to form tiny thermal coagulation points.

On the face in particular, it delivers heat energy to target depths including the fascia (SMAS) layer to induce tissue contraction and collagen remodeling,

through which improvement in skin elasticity and sagging can be expected.

Also, when the energy is concentrated in the fat layer, it can induce thermal damage to fat cells, which can help reduce localized fat.

ONDA Lifting, on the other hand, uses 2.45GHz microwaves.

It works by delivering heat energy to the skin and subcutaneous fat tissue to induce changes in fat tissue and collagen remodeling.

The recommendations of the ONDA International Advisory Board, published in Bioengineering in 2024, also

describe localized fat reduction and skin elasticity improvement as the main purposes of the treatment.

Here’s a brief summary of the features of the two treatments.

ONDA Lifting is a treatment to consider when fat volume makes your facial contour or body line look less defined.

A typical facial area is the double chin!

Even if you don’t weigh much, fat concentrated under the chin can blur the boundary between the face and neck.

In such cases, it’s important not only to tighten the skin but also to manage the volume of fat under the chin.

The same goes for the body. Even if your overall weight is within the normal range,

fat concentrated on the abdomen, flanks, thighs, and so on can make the line of a particular area a concern.

ONDA Lifting can be considered for these people as well.

So what changes does ONDA bring about in fat?

ONDA Lifting uses microwave energy to deliver heat to subcutaneous fat tissue.

A study published in Cosmetics in 2025 analyzed abdominal fat tissue under a microscope after ONDA treatment.

It observed damage to fat cells and a response from the macrophages that clear them away.

This finding shows that ONDA can induce direct changes in fat cells.

At ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic, we use ONDA 3mm and 7mm handpieces, dividing the treatment by depth according to the amount of fat and skin condition.

The 3mm handpiece reaches from the dermis to the upper part of the fat layer and is used to address skin elasticity,

while the 7mm handpiece reaches the subcutaneous fat layer and is used to refine fat.

So on the face, fat in the double chin and jawline is refined with the 7mm, while jawline elasticity, the front of the cheeks, and the deep cheek fat area are addressed with the 3mm.

For the body as well, we plan the remaining fat volume with the 7mm and surface elasticity with the 3mm together.

Even in the same area, the ratio of fat to elasticity differs from person to person, so the ratio in which the two depths are used also differs.

ONDA Lifting can be considered especially in the following cases.

• You can pinch a plump layer of fat under your chin

• A double chin blurs the boundary between your face and neck

• Localized fat on your abdomen or flanks is a concern

• You want to reduce fat volume on your upper arms or thighs

• You want to improve both localized fat and skin elasticity

However, because the amount and distribution of fat differ by area on the face and body,

it’s important to check where and how much fat is distributed, and to choose the areas that need treatment.

Shurink is a treatment to consider when declining skin elasticity makes the jawline or the area around the cheeks look saggy.

As we age and the elasticity of the tissue supporting the skin decreases,

the jawline can look less defined than before, or the area around the mouth can feel like it’s drooping.

In such cases, improving skin elasticity and sagging may be more important than reducing fat.

Shurink concentrates focused ultrasound energy at target depths beneath the skin, such as the fascia (SMAS) layer, to form tiny thermal coagulation points.

In this process, thermal contraction of tissue and collagen remodeling are induced, and improvement in skin elasticity and sagging can be expected over time.

That said, Shurink isn’t a treatment used only for skin elasticity.

When focused ultrasound is delivered to the fat layer, it can induce thermal damage to fat cells, so it can also help reduce fat.

At ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic, we mainly use the 2.0mm, 3.0mm, and 4.5mm tips of Shurink Universe for facial treatments, but

when the double chin has a lot of fat and the subcutaneous fat layer is thick enough, we sometimes use up to the 6.0mm tip.

On the body, the 6.0mm and 9.0mm tips can be used to deliver energy to areas where fat is concentrated, such as the abdomen, upper arms, and thighs.

In other words, even with the same Shurink, the purpose of the treatment changes depending on which tip depth is used on which area.

Shurink can be considered especially in the following cases.

• Your jawline looks less defined than before and feels like it’s sagging

• You don’t have much cheek fat, but your skin looks loose

• Elasticity around your mouth or jaw has declined

• Your double chin fat is thick and you want to address the fat layer too

• Localized fat and elasticity on the body, such as the abdomen or upper arms, are a concern

However, a deeper tip doesn’t automatically mean better results.

Using a deep tip on an area where the skin and fat are not thick enough may not be appropriate,

so it’s important to choose by taking into account the actual tissue thickness and treatment area.

In actual practice, even when the concern is the same area, the cause is often different.

For example, even among people concerned about a double chin, some have a blurred jawline because of a lot of fat,

while others don’t have much fat but look like they have a double chin because the skin is sagging.

These can be broadly explained as three types.

① Fat-dominant type → ONDA Lifting or Shurink targeting the fat layer

This is the type where you can pinch a plump layer of fat under the chin, or fat is concentrated on the abdomen, flanks, and so on.

In such cases, it’s important to refine the contour by reducing fat volume.

ONDA Lifting can be considered first, and depending on the thickness of the fat and the area, using Shurink’s deep tips is another option.

② Low fat but sagging skin type → Shurink

This is the type where there isn’t much fat under the chin, but the jawline has blurred as the skin has loosened.

Cases where the skin of the upper arms or abdomen looks loose due to decreased elasticity after weight loss may also fall into this category.

In such cases, focusing on improving skin elasticity and sagging is more important than reducing fat, so Shurink can be considered first.

However, when skin sagging is severe, it may be difficult to expect sufficient improvement from non-invasive treatments alone.

③ Combined fat and sagging type → ONDA + Shurink

In reality, fat and skin sagging often appear together.

For example, when fat under the chin is thick and skin elasticity has also declined, or when there is abdominal fat along with loose skin.

In such cases, treatment can be planned to manage fat volume with ONDA while improving skin elasticity with Shurink.

However, the two treatments don’t necessarily have to be done together; depending on the amount of fat and skin condition, a plan with just one treatment is also possible.

Depending on the patient’s skin condition, doing ONDA and Shurink on the same day can also be considered.

Because the two treatments use different energies, they can be used together to manage both fat volume and skin elasticity.

For example, if fat under the chin is thick and skin elasticity has also declined,

you can plan to manage fat volume with ONDA while improving elasticity with Shurink.

On the body as well, both treatments can be used on areas such as the abdomen or upper arms where fat and skin sagging are both concerns.

Conversely, if you don’t have much fat and skin sagging is the main concern, you might have Shurink alone.

However, since both treatments use heat energy, when they are combined on the same area,

skin condition, fat thickness, and treatment intensity must be carefully considered.

What matters is not getting both treatments no matter what, but choosing the treatment you need based on your current condition.

At ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic, the doctor personally checks fat distribution, skin thickness, and degree of sagging, and then

plans the treatment area, energy, and number of shots individually.

With both treatments, some people feel a change after a single session,

but repeat sessions can be planned depending on skin condition and improvement goals.

For ONDA Lifting, we generally recommend about 3 sessions at 3–4 week intervals.

Whether to do additional sessions is decided while checking the amount of fat, the treatment area, and progress after treatment.

For Shurink, about 3 sessions at 1–3 month intervals can be planned.

Because collagen remodeling continues after treatment, the interval is adjusted while checking changes in skin elasticity and sagging.

Shurink and ONDA: it’s important to choose the treatment that suits your face and body.

Shurink and ONDA can both be used to improve facial contour and body line,

but they differ in the energy they use and the tissue they mainly target.

If localized fat volume, such as a double chin or fat on the abdomen or flanks, is your concern, ONDA Lifting can be considered first.

On the other hand, if declining skin elasticity and a sagging jawline are your concerns, Shurink can be considered,

and for a double chin with a thick fat layer or on the body, fat management using deep tips is also possible.

When fat and skin sagging occur together, combining the two treatments is also an option.

In the end, what matters is not which treatment is better,

but accurately identifying what changes your face and body need right now.

At ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic, the doctor sees you personally,

checks the fat distribution, skin thickness, and elasticity of your face and body, and then plans the treatment areas and methods you need.

Distinguishing which areas need fat volume reduced and which need skin elasticity improved —

this is an important part of creating a natural facial contour and body line.

About ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic

📍 Location: 1 min walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 3 (2F Boratial Bldg., 480 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

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🌐 Website: https://acrohani.com/en

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Hours: Weekdays 10:30–20:30 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Weekends & public holidays 10:00–15:30 (no lunch break)