Ultraformer MPT vs XERF vs Thermage FLX: one ultrasound, two radiofrequency

01The short answer — different physics, no proven winner

Ultraformer MPT delivers focused ultrasound to set depths. The manufacturer lists face cartridges at 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.5 mm and a mode it says runs 2.5 times faster than normal mode.

XERF and Thermage FLX heat tissue with monopolar radiofrequency and use surface cooling. The published XERF protocol used 6.78 MHz and 2.0 MHz modes by facial zone; Thermage FLX has its own tips, cooling, vibration and calibration.

We found no study that compares Ultraformer MPT, XERF and Thermage FLX head to head. A device name cannot tell you suitability, settings or your own result.

02The three at a glance — what each side has and what is missing

XERF and Thermage FLX are grouped because they share a technology family. The two radiofrequency systems are compared in more detail in our XERF vs Thermage FLX guide.

03What the closest research says — and what it cannot

A randomized split-face trial (20 people, 6 months) put monopolar radiofrequency on one side of the face and microfocused ultrasound on the other. Both sides improved, and in this small sample the investigators' laxity scores did not differ significantly between the two approaches.

The trial used other devices, so it says nothing about how Ultraformer MPT, XERF and Thermage FLX rank against each other.

A systematic review of microfocused ultrasound (16 studies, all in women) found treatment moderately painful, with transient redness and sometimes swelling, and rare other effects. It also found results declined with greater laxity and with a BMI above 30.

These are findings about microfocused ultrasound devices in general; the review does not show that they hold for Ultraformer MPT.

04Catalogue prices — by program, not like for like

These are the clinic's standing catalogue prices for named programs, read from the price list and shown only while each price is valid. Each is the price of one program, not a total treatment plan, and a shot on one device is not the same as a shot on another.

For Thermage FLX, the face and neck together do not exceed 900 shots. Treatment of the body starts at 900 shots and goes up; body programs and their prices are in our body contouring comparison.

• Ultraformer MPT, neck and smiley lift, about 300 shots: ฿14,999
• Ultraformer MPT, full face and neck, 1200 shots: ฿35,999
• XERF, 300 shots: ฿25,900
• XERF, 600 shots: ฿45,900
• Thermage FLX, face and neck, 600 shots: ฿50,000
• Thermage FLX, face and neck, 900 shots, the most for face and neck together: ฿65,000

05Questions that decide it — before you choose a device

Start with your concern, not the name on the machine. A physician should connect each proposed zone to an assessed cause and say what would change the plan, including doing less or not treating a zone.

• Which zones would this device treat, and which would be reduced or skipped?
• How much laxity do I have, and what is a realistic expectation for my face, given that results declined with greater laxity in the review?
• What will I feel on the day, what temporary redness or swelling should I expect, and when should I call?
• What is one shot here: which area, depth or mode, and how many are proposed? Shot counts are not comparable across devices.
• Can I see the exact device and the tip or cartridge before treatment starts?