Body contouring: Ultraformer MPT vs XERF vs Thermage FLX: which tightens, which reduces fat?

01The short answer — two goals, three machines, no proven winner

Body contouring mixes two goals: reducing the thickness of fat, and tightening loose skin. The sources below speak about technology families, not about a named machine, and none of them lets us say that one of these three does either job better than the others.

A claim that one of them dissolves fat and another tightens skin is not supported by the records we found.

Ultraformer MPT delivers focused ultrasound; the manufacturer lists a body cartridge range of 6.0, 9.0 and 13 mm depths beside its face cartridges. XERF and Thermage FLX heat tissue with monopolar radiofrequency and use surface cooling.

02The three at a glance — what each side is listed for, and what is missing

XERF and Thermage FLX are grouped because they share a technology family. The face and neck versions of these programs are compared in our face comparison.

03What the research says — and what it cannot

A 2025 systematic review of HIFU in skin tightening and body contouring (45 studies) reported skin-laxity improvements of 18 to 30 percent in the lower face, neck and eye area, and circumference reductions of 2.5 to 4.5 cm for the abdomen and thighs. Fewer than 5 percent of patients had transient redness, swelling or mild discomfort.

The authors say treatment protocols are not standardized and that long-term efficacy needs more research; the level of evidence is 3.

A 2016 review of non-invasive body contouring devices, including RF, HIFU and cryolipolysis, found statistically significant but mild to moderate effects, for example 2 to 4 cm of circumference reduction across a whole course, and no definitive non-invasive treatment for cellulite. Because the studies differ in method, it found comparing techniques difficult, and most participants had a BMI below 30.

Neither review compares these three devices, so the numbers describe technology families, not a promise for any one machine or person.

04Body programs and prices — body only, not interchangeable with the face

These are the clinic's standing catalogue prices for body programs, read from the price list and shown only while each price is valid. They are for body tightening only and cannot be converted to a face treatment, and terms are as set by the company.

A shot on one device is not the same as a shot on another.

• Ultraformer MPT, body, 1,200 shots: ฿35,999
• Ultraformer MPT, body, 2,400 shots: ฿69,999
• Ultraformer MPT, body, 3,600 shots: ฿99,999
• XERF, body, 900 shots: ฿55,999
• XERF, body, 1,800 shots: ฿99,999
• XERF, body, 3,600 shots: ฿189,999
• Thermage FLX, body, 900 shots: ฿59,999
• Thermage FLX, body, 1,500 shots: ฿79,999
• Thermage FLX, body, 2,000 shots: ฿89,999

05Questions that decide it — before you choose a program

Start with the area and the goal: less fat thickness, tighter-looking skin, or both. A physician should say which of those the proposed device is meant to address for that area, and what would change the plan, including doing less.

• Which area and which goal, fat thickness, skin laxity or both, is this device meant to address here?
• What did the studies of this technology measure, and after how many sessions?
• What is one shot here: which area, depth or mode, and how many are proposed? Shot counts are not comparable across devices.
• What will I feel, what temporary redness or swelling should I expect, and when should I call?
• Is this a body program? Body prices cannot be converted to the face.