Ultraformer vs Ulthera vs Oligio vs Sofwave — the honest Bangkok comparison (4 mechanisms, 4 outcomes, not interchangeable)

01The four mechanisms, plainly explained

Ultraformer III (HIFU). High-intensity focused ultrasound.

Energy converges to a single focal point at depths of 1.5, 3.0, or 4.5 mm. The focal point reaches ~65–70°C, producing thermal coagulation that triggers collagen synthesis.

The ultrasound passes through the upper skin without heating it. Made by CLASSYS Inc. (South Korea); we use the Ultraformer III.

Most-prescribed HIFU device in Asia.

Ulthera SPT / Ulthera Prime (MFU-V). Micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation.

Same focused-ultrasound principle as HIFU, with two material differences: the device has real-time ultrasound imaging built in, so the physician sees the actual tissue depth being treated; and the cartridges are calibrated to deliver coagulation points along a line (not a single point), producing a more uniform pattern. Ulthera SPT covers depths 1.5/3.0/4.5 mm; Ulthera Prime adds a 6.0 mm cartridge.

Made by Merz Aesthetics (USA / Germany). FDA-cleared since 2009; the only non-invasive FDA-cleared lifting device for brow, submental, and neck.

Oligio X (Monopolar RF). Radio-frequency energy in the 0.3–10 MHz range.

Energy passes from a handpiece electrode through the skin to a return electrode, heating the dermis volumetrically (not via a focal point). Dermis reaches ~60–70°C; new collagen forms over 8–12 weeks.

Distinct mechanism from ultrasound — heats from the outside in, not at a focused depth. Made by Daeyang Medical (South Korea).

Often deployed alongside HIFU, not as a substitute.

Sofwave (Synchronous Parallel Ultrasound). A different ultrasound modality from HIFU/MFU-V — energy is delivered in parallel beams that heat a 1.5 mm depth across a wide area simultaneously, rather than converging to a focal point.

FDA-cleared 2019; clinical evidence is shorter than Ulthera. Made by Sofwave Medical (Israel).

We do not carry Sofwave in either branch — see section 06.

02Decision tree — which device suits which patient

Patient profile A — early laxity, late 20s / 30s, mild brow descent or jawline softening. Recommendation: Ultraformer III.

Lower energy delivery is well-matched to mild laxity; the higher-priced Ulthera Prime is over-spec for this case. Ultraformer III at ฿15,000 base provides the best price/benefit ratio.

Patient profile B — moderate laxity, 40s, visible jawline descent or moderate submental looseness. Recommendation: Ulthera SPT at ฿18,000 OR Ulthera Prime at ฿45,000 if the patient has heavier tissue density or denser submental looseness.

The 6.0 mm Prime cartridge is justified for tissue-dense or 50+ patients.

Patient profile C — skin envelope laxity (the skin itself feels crepey or looks textured), dermal thinning, but without significant structural descent. Recommendation: Oligio X (RF) — at ฿40,000 — for dermal volumetric tightening.

This is NOT a substitute for HIFU on a structurally-descending face; it's a different problem.

Patient profile D — heavy laxity in late 50s+, multiple zones (lower face + jowls + jawline + submental + neck). Recommendation: combine HIFU/MFU-V (lifts SMAS) with RF (tightens dermal envelope).

This is the 'belt and braces' approach we use for patients who would historically have been surgical candidates but want to defer a facelift by 5–10 years.

When to NOT pick HIFU at all: pregnancy / breastfeeding (no safety data); active facial inflammatory disease (acne, eczema, rosacea flare); facial metal implants in treatment zones (pacemaker not contraindicated as long as it's not in the face); recent botulinum toxin injection (wait 2 weeks); recent filler injection (wait 4 weeks). These are the standard exclusions; the consultation confirms candidacy.

03Side-by-side comparison — the 9-row table we use at consult

Mechanism: Ultraformer III = single-focus HIFU. Ulthera SPT/Prime = visualised MFU-V (lines, not single points). Oligio X = monopolar RF. Sofwave = synchronous parallel ultrasound.

Treatment depth: Ultraformer covers 1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5 mm. Ulthera SPT covers 1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5 mm.

Ulthera Prime adds 6.0 mm. Oligio X reaches dermal layer only (~1.5–2.5 mm).

Sofwave is 1.5 mm only — that's its design intent (mid-dermal-only treatment).

Visualisation: Only Ulthera (SPT and Prime) has built-in real-time ultrasound imaging. The other three are blind-shot — the physician estimates tissue depth from anatomical landmarks and patient feedback.

FDA clearance: Ulthera SPT 2009 (brow/submental/neck). Ulthera Prime 2022 (handpiece update).

Sofwave 2019 (lift indication for upper face and neck). Ultraformer III is CE-marked + Thai FDA + KFDA but does NOT hold US FDA clearance for the lift indication.

Oligio X is CE + Thai FDA + KFDA.

Patient-rated discomfort (1–10): Ultraformer 3–5/10. Ulthera SPT 5–7/10.

Ulthera Prime 4–6/10 (slightly more comfortable than SPT due to wider beam). Oligio X 2–4/10 (RF is generally more comfortable than focused ultrasound).

Sofwave (we don't have first-hand patient data — published reports indicate 4–6/10).

Session duration: Ultraformer III 30–45 min. Ulthera SPT 100–110 min for 200 lines. Ulthera Prime 75–90 min for 200 lines (30% faster pulse timing). Oligio X 45–60 min. Sofwave 30–45 min.

Result onset: All four devices produce immediate tightness in the first 1–2 weeks (heat-shrink, temporary), then a flat-looking month 1, then visible collagen-driven results at month 3–4, peaking at month 6.

Result duration: Ultraformer 9–12 months. Ulthera SPT 12–18 months. Ulthera Prime 15–18 months. Oligio X 12–18 months. Sofwave 12–18 months per published data (limited Asian-population data so far).

Bangkok price (Waleerat 2026): Ultraformer III ฿15,000 base. Ulthera SPT ฿18,000 base. Ulthera Prime ฿45,000 for 200-line package. Oligio X ฿40,000. Sofwave — we don't carry. See section 06.

04Bangkok pricing 2026 — what the entry-level package includes

Ultraformer III ฿15,000: 300 shots, single zone (e.g., lower face OR jawline). The 600-shot package at ฿9,999 is the promo-anchored entry (per chat-mining; available periodically).

Add 1,000 shots ฿15,999 for two zones; 5,000-shot whole-face programs ฿60,000.

Ulthera SPT ฿18,000 base: lower face only, 150 lines. Lower face + jawline + submental at 200 lines is ฿28,000.

Add neck (+50–80 lines) ฿8,000. The original FDA-cleared package most patients consider — proportionate for moderate laxity in the 40s.

Ulthera Prime ฿45,000: 200-line package across lower face + jawline + submental + brow. Includes the 6.0 mm cartridge depth pass for SMAS-density patients.

Premium choice for 45+ with moderate-to-heavy laxity. Adding neck/décolletage adds ฿15,000–฿20,000 to total.

Oligio X ฿40,000: whole-face program with RF microneedling. Designed for dermal envelope tightening — best results when combined with HIFU/MFU-V for structural lift on the same patient (sequenced, not same session).

Why the price differential exists: Ultraformer III is the manufacturing-cost-optimised choice (Asian-market origin, larger installed base, simpler cartridge engineering). Ulthera SPT/Prime carries Merz Aesthetics' R&D premium + the FDA-clearance premium + the visualisation-cartridge premium.

Oligio X sits between because RF cartridges are simpler than ultrasound cartridges but the device itself is fresh-from-Korea (2022 launch).

05Combining devices — the 80/20 of stacking

Most-common combination: Ulthera Prime (or SPT) + Oligio X. Different depths and mechanisms — Ulthera lifts at SMAS depth, Oligio tightens the dermal envelope.

Sequenced 4–6 weeks apart (not same session) so collagen response from each device peaks without interfering with the other.

Total package pricing: Ulthera Prime ฿45,000 + Oligio X ฿40,000 = ฿85,000 across two sessions over 6–8 weeks. Adding HA biostimulator (Sculptra or Profhilo) 3 months after the second device session compounds the result for patients in the heavy-laxity 50+ profile.

What we don't combine: two ultrasound devices in the same session (Ultraformer + Ulthera). Energy delivery in the same depths overlaps; you'd risk over-treating tissue.

If a patient asks for both, we run them 8–12 weeks apart, not back-to-back.

Sofwave + HIFU/MFU-V: same caution as above. Sofwave's 1.5 mm depth is similar to Ulthera's 1.5 mm cartridge — overlap risk.

RF + thread lift: this is the strongest non-injectable stack for patients 50+. Oligio X for dermal tightening + thread lift (Onyx / Grand Diamond / Ruby No.5) for structural scaffolding.

Combined ฿40,000 + ฿20,000–฿129,000 depending on thread program.

06Why we don't carry Sofwave — and what we offer instead

Sofwave is a legitimate device with FDA clearance (2019) and growing clinical literature. We don't run it at Waleerat for three reasons: (1) Ulthera Prime (Merz, FDA-cleared 2009 base, 2022 handpiece update) already covers the lifting indication with longer clinical history; (2) the synchronous-parallel ultrasound mechanism overlaps with our existing Ulthera coverage rather than adding a distinct modality; (3) the 1.5 mm depth limit means it doesn't reach SMAS — patients who would benefit from Sofwave's parallel-beam comfort profile typically benefit MORE from the depth coverage of Ulthera Prime.

If you're specifically searching for Sofwave Bangkok: the closest in-house option is Ulthera Prime at ฿45,000, which has overlapping treatment goals (lifting + tightening, upper face / submental / neck) with a deeper depth profile. The /sofwave URL at our domain redirects to /th/services/ulthera-prime for this reason.

What we'd recommend instead: book a free consultation. The physician will photograph your current laxity pattern, confirm anatomical candidacy, and recommend either Ulthera Prime alone OR Ulthera Prime + Oligio X depending on whether your concern is structural (SMAS-level) or envelope-level (dermal-level) or both.

This is the consultation we offer regardless of which brand you came searching for.