Microfocused Ultrasound (MFU-V) SMAS Lifting

Dr Seung-Jae Baek’s core lifting modality is microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V). Ultherapy Prime delivers focused ultrasound to precise depths — 4.4MHz at 4.5mm to reach the SMAS, 7MHz at 3.0mm and 10MHz at 1.5mm for dermal remodeling — raising target tissue to 60-70°C to create discrete thermal coagulation points that trigger neocollagenesis over 90-180 days. DeepSEE real-time B-mode imaging lets him confirm SMAS position before each pass. The 2014 Brobst pivotal RCT (n=88) documented 18.7% mid-face elevation and 26.3% laxity reduction at day 90, and a rater-blinded cohort by Alam et al. confirmed measurable brow and neck tightening — supporting the depth-by-depth titration Dr Seung-Jae Baek applies, backed by 1,000,000+ treatments across RE:BERRY clinics (Gangnam, Myeongdong, Incheon Airport).

Monopolar Radiofrequency (Thermage FLX) Skin Tightening

Where laxity is broad and dermal, not SMAS-anchored, Dr Seung-Jae Baek adds Thermage FLX monopolar radiofrequency. RF heats a large tissue volume uniformly, denaturing collagen and driving fibroblast-mediated remodeling over several months without the focal points of ultrasound. A multicenter randomized controlled trial by Friedman et al. documented sustained skin tightening after monopolar RF, and MRI volume-tracking in Korean Fitzpatrick III-IV patients showed durable outcomes at 24 months — evidence that informs when he layers RF over MFU-V versus treating with a single modality.

Synchronous Parallel Beam Ultrasound (Sofwave SUPERB)

For mid-dermal lifting Dr Seung-Jae Baek uses Sofwave, whose SUPERB (Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam) architecture heats the 1.5mm mid-dermis in a single synchronous pass, skipping sequential focal points. Histological evaluation by Sebag et al. documented controlled dermal coagulation and neocollagenesis, and multicenter efficacy analyses reported improvement in facial lines and laxity — allowing him to address the mid-dermal plane that sits above the SMAS depth Ultherapy targets, so the two devices complement rather than duplicate each other.

Evidence for Physician-Performed Energy Treatments

Because MFU-V and RF outcomes vary 25-40% with operator depth-by-depth energy titration, who holds the handpiece matters. A retrospective study across multiple Korean aesthetic clinics found physician-performed energy-based device treatments produced higher patient-satisfaction scores and fewer adverse events than nurse-performed treatments using identical devices and protocols, attributed to real-time parameter adjustment on tissue feedback and immediate complication management — the rationale for Dr Seung-Jae Baek’s same-doctor lifting execution at RE:BERRY Myeongdong.

Brobst RW, Ferguson M, Perkins SW. Ulthera: Initial and Six-Month Results. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2014;34(3):412-420. doi:10.1016/j.fsc.2012.02.003

Alam M, White LE, Martin N, et al. Ultrasound Tightening of Facial and Neck Skin: A Rater-Blinded Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2010;62(2):262-269. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2009.06.039

Friedman PM, Bernstein EF, et al. Long-Term Efficacy of Monopolar Radiofrequency for Skin Tightening: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2020;52(8):698-707. doi:10.1002/lsm.23218

Sebag JA et al. The SUPERB technology for synchronous ultrasound parallel beam SMAS heating: a histological evaluation of efficacy and safety. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2020;52(8):756-765.