HIFU Singapore · Focused Ultrasound · Jawline, Lower Face & Neck · Dr Sin Yong

HIFU Singapore

Lifting from the deeper layers, without incisions

HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) at IN Eternity Clinic places heat at set depths under the skin to tighten the supporting layers of the face and neck. It is used for early jowling, a softening jawline, loose skin under the chin and a heavy brow. Medical Director Dr Sin Yong decides whether HIFU suits your face, at which depths, and whether it should be combined with other treatments. The device used is described on the Ultraformer MPT page.

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0
Downtime
1
Session
12–18 mo
Results Duration
SMAS
Depth Targeted

In short: HIFU at IN Eternity Clinic Singapore uses Ultraformer MPT, a CLASSYS focused-ultrasound platform that places energy at set depths — typically 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm on the face, with deeper cartridges for the body. The 4.5 mm depth targets the SMAS, the layer addressed in surgical facelifting, making HIFU a non surgical face lift option and a skin tightening treatment in one. It is frequently compared with Ultherapy Prime, which is also micro-focused ultrasound, and with Thermage, which is monopolar radiofrequency and works on a different tissue target. Which one suits a face depends on whether the problem is laxity, descent or volume — established at assessment by Medical Director Dr Sin Yong.

Key facts
  • What it is: high-intensity focused ultrasound that heats small points at set depths under the skin, leaving the surface intact.
  • Depths: 1.5 and 3.0 mm for the dermis; 4.5 mm for the SMAS, the support layer repositioned in a surgical facelift.
  • Used for: early jowling, a softening jawline, loose skin under the chin and on the neck, and a heavy brow.
  • Not for: excess fat, bone structure or advanced laxity — other options are discussed for these.
  • Afterwards: mild redness, swelling or tenderness for hours to a few days; change builds over two to three months.
  • Device: CLASSYS Ultraformer MPT, at IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza.
Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, Medical Director, IN Eternity Clinic · Last updated
What Is HIFU

The Science Behind Non-Surgical Facelifting

HIFU converges ultrasound energy into small heated points under the skin. At the 4.5 mm depth it reaches the SMAS, the fibrous support layer that a surgical facelift repositions. The heat makes the tissue contract and starts a repair response that lays down new collagen over the following months.

Because the energy is focused below the surface, the skin itself is left intact. Depths of 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm let the dermis and the SMAS be treated separately. Change is gradual, there are no incisions, and most people go back to their day with mild redness or tenderness at most.

At IN Eternity Clinic focused ultrasound is also one part of the VF Lift (Vertical Facelift) and Time Freeze Laser Lift protocols, where it is combined with other energy devices for concerns HIFU does not reach, such as excess fat or surface skin quality.

“The useful question is not which device to choose. It is which depth your face actually needs.”
Dr Sin Yong, Medical Director · IN Eternity Clinic

What HIFU Can Treat

01
Jowling & Lower Face Sagging — HIFU Face Lifting
HIFU at the SMAS depth along the jawline can tighten early jowling and sharpen the jaw line where laxity, rather than fat or bone, is the cause.
02
Nasolabial Folds & Midface Descent
Support in the midface can soften the deepening of the smile lines (nasolabial folds) that comes with tissue descent.
03
Double Chin & Submental Laxity — HIFU Face Tightening
Under the chin, HIFU tightens loose skin and supporting tissue. Where the fullness is mainly fat or a short jaw, other options are discussed.
04
Brow Lifting & Upper Face
Shallow cartridges can tighten skin around the brow. Lines are placed away from the eye itself.
05
Neck Skin Tightening — HIFU Skin Tightening Singapore
On the neck, shallower depths are used for loose skin and horizontal lines, often as part of a lower-face plan.
Dr Sin Yong's Approach

HIFU As Part of a Complete Protocol

HIFU tightens; it does not remove fat or improve surface texture. For that reason Dr Sin Yong often pairs it with other energy devices when the assessment shows more than laxity.

The VF Lift (Vertical Facelift) combines HIFU with volumetric radiofrequency, so laxity, lower-face fullness and collagen are addressed within one protocol.

The Time Freeze Laser LCLR® protocol uses laser energy for lifting and for small, compact fat pockets along the jaw.

VF Lift — Vertical Facelift Time Freeze Laser Lift

Double chin removal Singapore — why the cause decides the treatment

Fullness under the chin is a common reason people ask about HIFU, and the cause should be worked out before choosing a device.

Double chin removal Singapore

The term covers four different findings: herniated or excess submental fat, a lax platysma band, loose skin, and a recessed or narrow jaw structure that makes a normal amount of fat look worse. HIFU addresses laxity and can contract tissue at depth; it does not correct jaw structure, and it is not a fat-removal procedure. Assessment establishes which of the four is dominant.

References

  1. Ayatollahi A, Gholami J, Saberi M, Hosseini H, Firooz A. Systematic review and meta-analysis of safety and efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for face and neck rejuvenation. Lasers Med Sci 2020;35(5):1007-1024. doi:10.1007/s10103-020-02957-9
  2. Fabi SG. Noninvasive skin tightening: focus on new ultrasound techniques. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2015;8:47-52. doi:10.2147/CCID.S69118
  3. Health Sciences Authority, Singapore. Infosearch — registered medical devices and health products. hsa.gov.sg
  4. Singapore Medical Council. Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors (2016 edition). healthprofessionals.gov.sg/smc

These sources describe mechanisms and general evidence. They are not a promise of any individual result; suitability is decided at an in-person assessment.

HIFU Singapore — Frequently Asked Questions

HIFU focuses ultrasound energy into small heated points at set depths, including the SMAS layer that surgical facelifts reposition. The tissue contracts and new collagen forms over the following months, so the skin tightens gradually without the surface being broken.
It is used for early facial laxity, jowling, smile-line deepening from descent, loose skin under the chin and neck, and a heavy brow. Where fat, bone structure or skin quality are part of the picture, Dr Sin Yong may combine HIFU with other treatments, for example within the VF Lift.
Change builds over two to three months as collagen remodels. How long it holds varies with age, skin laxity and lifestyle, so maintenance is planned individually rather than promised.
Downtime is usually short. Mild redness, swelling or tenderness can last from a few hours to a few days, and occasional temporary numbness or bruising is explained beforehand. Most people return to work the same day.
It depends on the number of lines, the areas treated and whether HIFU is combined with other treatments. A written quote is given after assessment.
HIFU is used across skin types, including Asian skin, because the surface is not heated in the way lasers heat it. Suitability still depends on your anatomy, skin thickness and medical history, and Dr Sin Yong assesses these before choosing depths.
Several focused-ultrasound devices are available in Singapore. IN Eternity Clinic uses the CLASSYS Ultraformer MPT, described on its own Ultraformer MPT page, with depths and lines set for each face.
Shallow 1.5 mm cartridges can tighten skin around the brow and outer eye area, with lines kept away from the eye itself. How much change is possible depends on how heavy the brow is and how the skin responds.
The term "HIFU facial" is often used for shallow-depth sessions aimed at skin quality. A lifting plan includes the 4.5 mm SMAS depth. Dr Sin Yong chooses depths according to what the assessment shows.
Cost depends on the number of lines, the areas and whether HIFU is part of a combined protocol such as the VF Lift. A personalised quote follows assessment.

HIFU pricing in Singapore varies with the number of lines delivered, the areas treated and whether it is combined with other lifting protocols. Because a plan is tailored to your face, a meaningful figure follows assessment rather than a fixed menu price. IN Eternity Clinic explains the full plan and its cost at consultation before anything proceeds.

Most patients describe brief moments of heat or a prickling sensation as each line of energy is delivered, particularly over bonier areas. Settings are adjusted for comfort, and the sensation passes quickly. What to expect is explained before treatment at IN Eternity Clinic.

HIFU results build over two to three months as collagen renews, and are commonly maintained with periodic treatment. The interval depends on your baseline skin laxity and rate of change, and is planned individually.

Change builds over the months after treatment as collagen renews, and is usually maintained with periodic sessions. How long it holds varies with baseline laxity and the rate of ageing, so the interval is planned individually at IN Eternity Clinic.

HIFU — high-intensity focused ultrasound — is a non-surgical treatment that delivers focused ultrasound energy to the deeper support layers of facial skin, including the SMAS layer addressed in surgical facelifts. It stimulates collagen so the skin lifts and firms gradually, with no incisions and, for most people, little downtime. At IN Eternity Clinic it is performed or directed by Medical Director Dr Sin Yong.

The number of HIFU sessions depends on your degree of laxity or descent and the result you are aiming for; some protocols work in a single session while others are staged. Your plan is set at consultation by Medical Director Dr Sin Yong.

They are not two versions of the same treatment. Monopolar radiofrequency such as Thermage heats a broad volume of dermis diffusely, which suits laxity, crepiness and overall skin quality across a wide area. Micro-focused ultrasound such as HIFU converges energy into small discrete points at a chosen depth, classically the SMAS, which makes it a structural intervention. Asking which is better is like asking whether a scalpel beats a suture; the useful question is which target your face actually has.
Both deliver micro-focused ultrasound at selectable depths and both aim at the SMAS for lifting. Ultherapy Prime lets the operator visualise the tissue plane before firing. Ultraformer MPT offers more interchangeable cartridges and a micro-pulsed mode that reduces treatment time. IN Eternity Clinic uses Ultraformer MPT. Neither platform is a guarantee of outcome — the plan and the operator matter more than the badge on the machine.
Primarily a lift. A skin tightening treatment works on the dermis to improve firmness and texture; HIFU places energy deeper, at the fibromuscular layer, to contract a specific plane. Where both skin quality and descent are contributing, they are addressed with different tools rather than one device asked to do both.
Sometimes, and it depends on the cause. A V shape face lift outcome depends on whether lower-face width comes from skin laxity, masseter bulk, fat or bone. Double chin removal in Singapore is commonly marketed as a single treatment, but submental fullness may be fat, platysma position, skin laxity or jaw structure — and those respond to different approaches. Assessment establishes which before any device is selected.
It is non-surgical and it targets the same layer surgery addresses, but it is not a facelift equivalent and should not be described as one. Results are gradual as collagen remodels over the following months, vary between individuals, and have limits. Where laxity is advanced, saying so at consultation is more useful than selling a course that will disappoint.
HIFU within combined protocols

Where HIFU sits in IN Eternity Clinic's lifting protocols

At IN Eternity Clinic, focused ultrasound is also one part of two combined protocols. They are used when the assessment shows that laxity is not the only issue, for example when lower-face fullness or skin quality also need attention.

Face & Body · Dual-Wavelength Laser
Time Freeze Laser LCLR®
IN Eternity Clinic's laser lifting and lipo-modelling protocol, used for compact fat along the jowl and under the chin together with skin tightening through collagen remodelling. Suitability and expected change are discussed at assessment.
Explore Time Freeze Laser LCLR →
Face · Volumetric RF & Focused Ultrasound
VF Lift — Vertical Facelift
A dual-energy protocol that combines volumetric radiofrequency with focused ultrasound, planned around three aims: lift (SMAS tightening), reduce (lower-face fullness) and firm (collagen).
Explore VF Lift →
SY
Dr Sin Yong
MBBS (NUS, Singapore) · MRCS (Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh)
MSc Practical Dermatology (University of Cardiff, UK) · MSc Aesthetic Medicine (University of London)
Graduate Diploma Sports Medicine (Singapore)
International Key Opinion Leader — CLASSYS | HIRONIC | DEKA | ALMA | FOTONA | LUTRONIC

HIFU is a widely used non-surgical option for lower-face and neck laxity in Singapore. It tightens the deeper layers without incisions; it is not a substitute for surgery where laxity is advanced.

HIFU in Singapore — How the Treatment Works

The science of focused ultrasound

HIFU delivers energy to set depths beneath the skin, creating small heated points that prompt collagen renewal. Because the energy is focused below the surface, the skin is not broken, and change develops gradually.

What HIFU treats — and how it compares

HIFU is used for early jowling, a softening jawline, loose skin under the chin and laxity around the neck and brow. People often ask how HIFU compares with Ultherapy: both use focused ultrasound, and Dr Sin Yong will explain which approach, or combination, fits your anatomy.

What to expect and downtime

A HIFU session takes about an hour, and most people go back to their day with mild redness or tenderness. Change builds over the following weeks as new collagen forms. Cost, sessions and maintenance are discussed at consultation.

Considering HIFU in Singapore? At IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road off Orchard Road, each consultation starts with listening, not a treatment menu. Medical Director Dr Sin Yong plans around your face, your skin and your schedule.

Book a HIFU Facelift Consultation

Dr Sin Yong personally performs all HIFU and VF Lift treatments. WhatsApp to book your consultation.

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Related: Non Surgical Facelift Singapore