Sofwave in Korea: what it treats at 1.5 mm, how a session runs, and who it fits

What Sofwave is, in plain terms

Sofwave delivers ultrasound in parallel beams rather than focusing it on one deep point. The energy reaches the dermis at 1.5 mm and forms coagulation zones there. That prompts collagen to regenerate in the layer where surface firmness sits.

Each shot forms seven cylinder-shaped thermal zones. The manufacturer describes one cylinder as covering what several conventional HIFU focal points would, so a single shot treats a wide area evenly.

The epidermis is cooled throughout the session, so heat stays in the dermis and the surface is protected. Sofwave is an FDA and CE cleared ultrasound device.

How a Sofwave session runs at Symphony in Seoul

If you are planning Sofwave in Seoul, the visit is short. The order below is how a session runs at our clinic.

1. Consultation. The doctor who assesses your skin writes the plan area by area, before the first shot.
2. Preparation. Topical anesthetic cream is applied to the areas being treated.
3. Treatment. The session takes within 30 minutes, with the epidermis cooled throughout.
4. After. Swelling and flushing are usually minimal, and normal activity resumes the same day.

The same doctor performs the session and answers your follow-up questions after you fly home. You can see who treats patients on our doctors page.

Who Sofwave fits, and when we suggest something else

Sofwave is aimed at surface firmness, including skin too thin for deep lifting. It is not a substitute for deep structural lifting.

• Fine lines around the eyes: crow's feet and lines on thin eyelid skin, at the outer corners and under the eyes.
• Neck lines: horizontal and vertical lines on sensitive neck skin.
• Forehead, glabella, mouth corners and nasolabial area: fine lines that follow a loss of superficial firmness.
• Cheeks, cheekbone line and jawline: contour lines that have blurred as firmness declined.
• Structure that has already descended: this sits deeper than 1.5 mm, so we will say so and plan with a different device.

Sofwave carries a low pigment burden, so a wide range of skin types can be treated. Whether it suits your skin is still confirmed in person at consultation.

Before, during and after Sofwave treatment in Korea

Because swelling is usually minimal, a Sofwave treatment in Korea fits into a short trip. We still confirm your flight dates at consultation, so nothing that needs time is left for your last day.

Whether and when to repeat Sofwave is decided with your doctor once the 4 to 12 week window has passed, not on a fixed schedule. Symphony is on the second floor of the Sinsa Hill Building in Gangnam, and directions from Sinsa Station are on a separate page.

Sofwave vs HIFU, Ultherapy and Thermage

Conventional HIFU concentrates energy at 3 to 4.5 mm in the SMAS fascia, to pull up structure that has descended. Sofwave stays at 1.5 mm in the dermis. It is chosen for a different problem, not as a milder version of the same one.

Ultherapy suits laxity in the deeper support layer, and our Ultherapy guide explains how that depth is checked on live imaging. For skin that has lost firmness rather than volume, Thermage FLX shot counts and pricing shows how that device is planned.

The three work at different depths, so a combined plan is common. Choosing a Sofwave clinic and device in Korea walks through that decision, and our lifting treatments overview lists every device we use.