Ultherapy: Reading the Skin First
Ultherapy: Reading the Skin First, Part 3

Can You Have Ultherapy After Work?

From a weekday evening appointment to work the next morning: a closer look at the Ultherapy visit.

Cover image for Can You Have Ultherapy After Work?

Lunch breaks are too short, and the weekend is already booked. On the subway home from work, you type a question into the search bar: “Can I have Ultherapy after work?” V Clinic Gangnam, near Sinnonhyeon Station, is open until 8 p.m. on weekdays without a lunch closure. Allow around 10 minutes for measurements and 20–30 minutes for treatment, plus time for anesthesia and soothing care. Check the latest arrival time for Ultherapy appointments.

What to ask when booking

1. The latest weekday arrival time for Ultherapy

2. Which anesthesia method is planned for you and how long it takes

3. If sedation is planned: fasting requirements, how you will get home, and whether someone needs to accompany you

Waiting area · V Clinic Gangnam website
Waiting area · V Clinic Gangnam website

01 Arrival

An after-work visit to Sinnonhyeon starts on the 15th floor

You arrive on the 15th floor after a day of chasing messages. While completing the medical questionnaire, note whether your main concern is your jawline, cheeks, or neck. This can help make the consultation more focused.

A pen points to the skin layers on-screen during an explanation · V Clinic Gangnam official video

02 Measurements, around 10 minutes

A numerical look at your skin today

AI Fit Ultherapy PRIME uses SKENA to assess skin condition before and after treatment. U-01, “What We Check Before Discussing 600 Ultherapy Shots” ( https://vclinicfitnote.com/en/m/beui/articles/ultherapy-before-shot-count ), explains why the process begins with measurements.

Reader questions · The doctor’s answers, translated from his words in the video

Why do you start with measurements?

“I recommend having a skin analysis first, to identify the areas of concern or which treatment is needed, and then proceeding with treatment.”

What should I make sure of?

“Whether your skin condition has been properly recorded before treatment…”

What to check: When booking, ask whether you can receive a copy of your measurements.

Ultherapy PRIME screen. The top shows a cross-sectional ultrasound image; the bottom shows a map of facial zones · V Clinic Gangnam official video

03 Examination and treatment planning

The face is divided into zones to plan tips and shots

When you want to know the shot count

Isn’t it better to have more shots?

“We first design which tip and how many shots each area needs… and then proceed with treatment.”
“The right location, the right amount, the right energy.”

Considerations for faces with little facial fat are covered in U-02, “Can You Have Ultherapy If You Have Little Facial Fat?” ( https://vclinicfitnote.com/en/m/beui/articles/ultherapy-for-lean-faces ).

Medical Director 유동균 of V Clinic Gangnam brings both hands to his cheeks as he says, “What people having Ultherapy worry about most…” Korean subtitles appear at the bottom.

04 Anesthesia

“Does it hurt?” A first question in an Ultherapy consultation

Let’s be direct: Ultherapy can be painful.

That is because the ultrasound creates heat in deeper tissue layers rather than on the skin’s surface.

The clinic offers information about sedation and numbing cream (topical anesthesia). The method is decided in consultation with the clinical team, taking your health and treatment plan into account. The team also includes 박철희, a specialist in anesthesiology and pain medicine. If pain concerns you, raise it during your examination.

Treatment room · V Clinic Gangnam website
Treatment room · V Clinic Gangnam website

05 Treatment, 20–30 minutes

Pain after treatment, in numbers

A dermatology clinic in Thailand asked 231 people who had received Ultherapy PRIME to rate their post-treatment pain from 0 to 10. All had previously received the earlier-generation Ultherapy treatment.

Distribution of post-treatment pain scores for Ultherapy PRIME

Panithaporn 2025, 231 people. Mean score: 2.75 out of 10; 78 people (34%) scored 4 or higher. Score 0: 10%; scores 1–3: 56%; scores 4–6: 30%; scores 7–9: 3%; score 10: 0%. Percentages are rounded.
Panithaporn 2025, 231 people. Mean score: 2.75 out of 10; 78 people (34%) scored 4 or higher. Score 0: 10%; scores 1–3: 56%; scores 4–6: 30%; scores 7–9: 3%; score 10: 0%. Percentages are rounded.

Among the 231 respondents, the mean post-treatment pain score was 2.75 out of 10. A total of 78 people (34%) scored 4 or higher. The distribution was: 0, 10%; 1–3, 56%; 4–6, 30%; 7–9, 3%; and 10, 0%. Rounded percentages may not add up to 100%.

This was a survey at a single dermatology clinic, and the paper does not specify the anesthesia method. Lim 2025, an Ultherapy PRIME case series, reported a mean score of 4.50; Amiri 2025, a pooled analysis of MFU-V overall, reported 4.85. The study populations and treatment methods differ, so these figures cannot be compared directly. None of these studies reports results from V Clinic Gangnam.

Ultherapy PRIME handpiece · V Clinic Gangnam official video

06 Soothing care and the journey home

After soothing care, it is time to go home

You receive soothing care after treatment. Because makeup is allowed from 4 hours afterward, you head home without it that evening.

A treatment-care bed with white sheets
A treatment-care bed with white sheets
A powder room with a marble washbasin
A powder room with a marble washbasin

Do not drive yourself on the day you receive sedation. Check with the clinic in advance about transport home and whether someone needs to accompany you.

Back to work the next day

What to know before looking in the mirror the next morning

The clinic website states that daily activities and face washing are possible from the day of treatment. However, the timing of your return to activities may vary with your skin’s response and the anesthesia method. Redness usually lasts a day or two; swelling, tip marks, and dull discomfort along the jawline or above the eyebrows may settle over 1–2 weeks, though individual experiences vary.

• Avoid alcohol, smoking, saunas, and strenuous exercise for 1–2 weeks. Try to book outside a week with work dinners involving alcohol.

• Do not cool the treated area.

• If you have an important presentation or photoshoot, allow a 1–2 week buffer when choosing your treatment date.

Questions that come up the next morning

My face looks much tighter immediately after treatment. Is that the result?

“With Ultherapy, that very tight feeling immediately after treatment… is usually a temporary phenomenon.”

Then when should I assess it?

“Even if the effect seems limited at one month… it is worth waiting a little longer, to around three months.”

How can I check whether anything has changed?

“We measure before treatment, perform the treatment, and then you come back after a month, or two to three months… We consider the measurements alongside photographs.”

Individual variation: The timing and degree of change differ from person to person.

Source note: The aftercare information follows the general precautions on the clinic website. Instructions given by the clinic on the day of treatment take priority.

The research behind this article

PubMed · PMID 40965929 · J Cosmet Dermatol 2025. Pain, Erythema, and Edema After Facial Lifting With Ultherapy Prime or Ultherapy Legacy—A Survey Study. Panithaporn D · J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(9):e70467

“cultural differences can impact the perception and expression of pain”

Cultural differences may influence how people perceive and express pain.

• A retrospective survey at a single dermatology clinic in Bangkok, January–May 2025, involving 231 people who received Ultherapy PRIME.

• Mean post-treatment scores (0–10): pain 2.75, redness 1.61, swelling 1.31.

• Limitations: A single clinic, no blinding, and comparison with previous records. No external funding or conflicts of interest.

doi:10.1111/jocd.70467 ( https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.70467 ) · Sources: PubMed and the full text on PubMed Central

Frequently asked questions

How late can I arrive for Ultherapy after work?

The clinic is open until 8 p.m. on weekdays. When booking, confirm the latest arrival time, allowing for anesthesia and soothing care.

Can I go straight back to work the day after Ultherapy?

The clinic website states that daily activities are possible from the day of treatment and makeup from 4 hours afterward. However, the timing of your return to activities may vary with your skin’s response and the anesthesia method. Redness, swelling, and tip marks vary between individuals. Follow the clinical team’s instructions on the day of treatment.

Is Ultherapy PRIME very painful?

There can be pain. In the survey of 231 people (Panithaporn 2025), the mean post-treatment pain score was 2.75 out of 10. About one in three scored 4 or higher. These are results from that study, not from V Clinic Gangnam. The anesthesia method is decided during the examination.

Before treatment: what to know

• Results, their duration, and the degree of pain vary with skin condition, age, and lifestyle.

• Redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness, and tingling may occur and are usually temporary. If unusual symptoms persist, return to the clinic promptly for advice.

• Figures from the papers are findings from those studies. They do not represent or guarantee treatment results at V Clinic Gangnam.

• If sagging is severe, nonsurgical lifting alone may not achieve the change you want. Other options can be discussed after an examination.

References

Panithaporn D. Pain, Erythema, and Edema After Facial Lifting With Ultherapy Prime or Ultherapy Legacy—A Survey Study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(9):e70467. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.70467

Lim J, Siew TW, Xu Y. Early Experience With Ultherapy Prime in Asia Pacific: A Pilot Case Series. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2025;13(11):e7269. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000007269

Amiri M, Ajasllari G, Llane A, et al. Microfocused Ultrasound With Visualization (MFU-V) Effectiveness and Safety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Aesthet Surg J. 2025;45(3):NP86–NP94. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjae228

The clinician

유동균, Medical Director · V Clinic Gangnam · Juvéderm Key Doctor. Full member of the Korean aesthetic surgery and laser medicine and clinical aesthetic medicine societies.

This content provides information to help readers understand treatment and does not replace diagnosis or treatment. Whether to proceed and which method to use are decided after a clinical examination. For aftercare, follow the instructions given by the clinical team on the day of treatment.

Continue the Ultherapy series

Part 1 · What We Check Before Discussing 600 Ultherapy Shots — https://vclinicfitnote.com/en/m/beui/articles/ultherapy-before-shot-count

Part 2 · Can You Have Ultherapy If You Have Little Facial Fat? — https://vclinicfitnote.com/en/m/beui/articles/ultherapy-for-lean-faces

By 유동균, Medical Director

Medical Director of V Clinic Gangnam. Juvéderm Key Doctor. Full member of the Korean aesthetic surgery and laser medicine and clinical aesthetic medicine societies.

Thank you for taking the time to read.
More in this series

Ultherapy: Reading the Skin First

From the story to your skin

Consult with V Clinic Gangnam

Every skin has its own story. Explore the right approach for yours with our medical team.

15F Seosan Building, 441 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea

Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00; Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00; no lunch break

This content provides general health information. Treatment results and effects vary with individual skin conditions. Side effects may occur. Consult a qualified medical professional before making treatment decisions.