Short version: ONDA is a body contouring and skin tightening device that uses microwaves rather than ultrasound or radiofrequency. In Seoul it is priced anywhere from around ₩100,000 for a small session to over ₩1,500,000 for a large one, depending on how the clinic measures the dose. This guide explains how it differs from Ultherapy and Thermage, how to read a quote, and which Seoul clinics currently offer it.
What is ONDA Coolwaves?
ONDA is made by DEKA, an Italian medical device company. It works with microwaves at 2.45 GHz, marketed under the name Coolwaves.
The frequency is the point. Microwaves at this frequency are absorbed more readily by tissue with a high fat content, so the energy concentrates in fat cells instead of heating every layer equally. According to the manufacturer, roughly 80 percent of the energy is directed at the fat layer and about 20 percent reaches the dermis, which is where the secondary tightening effect comes from. A cooling system in the handpiece protects the surface of the skin while this happens.
DEKA supplies two applicators, described as deep and shallow, for different tissue depths.
What ONDA is actually approved for
This is worth getting right, because a great deal of marketing copy gets it wrong — and because it is the sort of thing you can check yourself.
In Korea, the device holds three MFDS approvals, all through the importer Ecora: 수인 22-4482 (ONDA, 2022), 수인 24-369 (ONDA SMART, 2024) and 수허 26-28 (ONDA PRO, 2026). The stated purpose on the first two is applying 2,450 MHz electromagnetic energy to the body for pain relief. The newest adds tissue coagulation. None of the three lists fat reduction, body contouring or skin tightening.
In the United States, ONDA PRO is listed with the FDA by El.En under clearance K260647, granted 2 April 2026 — filed under the device name SPECCHIO, which is why searching the database for “ONDA” returns nothing. It sits in product code PBX: heat “for minor relief of minor aches and pain,” and mechanical massage giving “a temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite.”
What this does and does not mean. Using an approved device for an aesthetic purpose is normal and lawful; a great deal of aesthetic medicine works this way, in Korea and everywhere else. It does not mean the treatment is unsafe or improper. But body contouring, localised fat reduction and skin tightening are manufacturer and clinic claims, not what either regulator approved. If a clinic tells you the device is “FDA-approved for fat reduction,” that is not what the clearance says — and you are entitled to ask what the claim rests on.
How is ONDA different from Ultherapy and Thermage?
All three are often grouped together as “lifting” in Korean clinics, but they use different energy and target different tissue. They are not interchangeable.
| ONDA | Ultherapy | Thermage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | Microwave (2.45 GHz) | Focused ultrasound | Radiofrequency |
| Main target | Fat layer | Deeper support layers | Dermis |
| Mainly used for | Localised fat, cellulite, mild tightening | Lifting the face and neck | Overall skin tightening |
| Typical areas | Body, sometimes face | Face, neck, décolletage | Face and body |
In practice a clinic will usually recommend one over another depending on whether your main concern is a sagging jawline, loose skin texture, or a pocket of fat that has not responded to diet. If a consultation recommends the same single device for every concern you raise, that is worth questioning.
What happens during an ONDA treatment?
Treatment is done with a handpiece moved across the target area. Settings differ between body and facial work because the applicators reach different depths. Most people describe the sensation as deep warmth rather than pain, and clinics in Seoul generally perform it without injected anaesthesia, though topical numbing cream is commonly applied depending on how sensitive you are.
There is usually no downtime. Results are not immediate: changes from fat-targeting treatments develop over weeks as the body clears the treated cells, so clinics normally plan a course rather than a single visit.
How many sessions you need depends on the area and your starting point. Ask the clinic to put the recommended number of sessions in writing before you commit, and ask what the plan is if results fall short of what was discussed.
Who is ONDA usually suggested for?
Because the energy concentrates in fat, ONDA is generally discussed for areas where a pocket of fat is part of the problem rather than skin quality alone. Common examples are the abdomen, flanks, inner thighs, upper arms, and the area under the chin.
It is less likely to be the first suggestion if your concern is fine lines, surface texture, or pigmentation, since those sit in the upper layers of the skin and are usually addressed with lasers or injectables instead. Significant sagging, similarly, is often outside what any non-surgical device can meaningfully change.
Whether it suits you is a clinical judgement, and a reasonable consultation will say so plainly. If a clinic recommends ONDA without examining the area or asking what you have already tried, that is a reason to get a second opinion before paying for a course.
What does ONDA cost in Seoul?
Most Seoul clinics do not publish prices for this treatment, which makes it hard to compare before you arrive. One that does is Gangnam VS Line Clinic, and the way it prices ONDA is worth understanding: it quotes by energy delivered, in joules — not by shots.
| Energy delivered | Price (per session) |
|---|---|
| 10,000 J (10 kJ) | ₩100,000 |
| 60,000 J (60 kJ) | ₩480,000 |
| 80,000 J (80 kJ) | ₩650,000 |
| 100,000 J (100 kJ) | ₩850,000 |
| 120,000 J (120 kJ) | ₩1,000,000 |
| 160,000 J (160 kJ) | ₩1,300,000 |
| 200,000 J (200 kJ) | ₩1,500,000 |
Prices as published on the clinic’s own price page, checked August 2026. The page is marked VAT별도 — VAT charged separately, so add 10% to every figure above. The clinic also states the figures are for reference and vary with individual condition, treatment scope and materials. No consultation fee is published.
This is a useful reference point precisely because the unit is energy. If another clinic quotes you a number of shots, the two figures are not comparable without asking what each one delivers.
Why ONDA quotes are hard to compare
This is the part most visitors get caught by. Korean clinics do not all quote ONDA the same way.
- Some quote by shot or line count — a number of shots for a named area.
- Others quote by energy delivered — measured in kilojoules, for example 60 kJ or 120 kJ for a given area.
These are not the same unit, and a lower headline price can simply mean a smaller dose. Before comparing two clinics, ask each one the same three questions:
- What dose is included, in whichever unit you use?
- Is this a single-session price or a course price?
- Is VAT included, and is the consultation charged separately? Since the VAT refund for foreign patients ended in 2026, this now decides what you actually pay.
Getting those three answers in writing is more useful than any price comparison you can do from abroad.
How Seoul compares with other markets
We are asked this often, usually about Singapore, Bangkok or London. We cannot answer it honestly, so we would rather say that than publish a table of figures we cannot source.
The obstacle is the unit. Korean clinics price ONDA by energy delivered. Clinics in most other markets price by treatment area, or by session, or sell a course of four to six and quote the course. Two numbers written side by side would be measuring different amounts of work, and the comparison would flatter whichever market happened to be selling the smaller dose.
There is also a practical problem: clinics in the UK and US commonly quote only at consultation, so there is often no published figure to compare against in the first place.
What to do instead. Ask your local clinic two questions — what area or dose does this price cover, and how many sessions is it. Then ask a Seoul clinic the same two. Compare those answers rather than the headline numbers.
How ONDA compares with cryolipolysis and injectables
If you have researched non-surgical fat reduction before, you have probably come across cryolipolysis, sold under brand names such as CoolSculpting, which uses controlled cooling rather than heat. Both approaches aim at fat cells without surgery, but the experience differs: cryolipolysis typically involves a suction applicator held in place for a set period, while ONDA is delivered by moving a handpiece over the area and is described as warm rather than cold.
Fat-dissolving injections are a third route, and they work differently again — a substance is injected into the fat layer rather than energy being applied from outside. Korean clinics often list several of these options side by side, which is why consultations here can feel like a menu rather than a recommendation.
There is no universally better option among them. What matters is which one a clinician recommends for your specific area after examining it, and whether they can explain why they ruled the others out. That explanation is the useful part of a consultation, and it is reasonable to ask for it directly.
What to ask before you pay
Bring these questions to consultation and write down the answers. They are the ones that most often go unasked and most often cause disappointment later.
- What dose is included in this price, in shots or kilojoules, and how does that compare with what you would normally use for this area?
- How many sessions are you recommending, and what would you expect after the first one alone?
- Is the quoted figure per session or for the whole course, and is VAT included?
- Who performs the treatment — a doctor, or a nurse or therapist under supervision?
- What happens if I see no change? Is there a review appointment, and is it charged?
- If I am flying home in a few days, is there anything I should avoid?
A clinic that answers all six without hesitation is giving you what you need to decide for yourself.
How we chose the clinics below
This is not a ranking. We looked for clinics that state their address, hours and treatment list openly, are reachable by subway, and give a visitor some way to ask questions before arriving. Everything below is taken from each clinic’s own website and can change — confirm directly before booking.
VS Line Gangnam — Teheran-ro (publishes prices online)
Teheran-ro 107, Medi Tower 3F, Gangnam-gu. The clinic lists ONDA alongside Ultherapy Prime, SofWave, thread lifting and Rejuran Healer.
Two things stand out for a visitor. It publishes individual treatment prices on its website, which is unusual in this area and lets you budget before you fly. And the site is available in English, Chinese, Japanese and Thai, so you can read the treatment pages in your own language before contacting them.
Hours run to 20:30 on weekdays and 17:00 on Saturday, which helps if you are fitting an appointment around a work trip.
What it publishes: individual treatment prices, in four languages, before you contact them.
TheHeal Dongdaemun Dermatology Clinic (north-east Seoul)
Wangsan-ro 36-gil 6, Hillstate Cheongnyangni The First 2F, Dongdaemun-gu. This is a dermatology clinic rather than a general aesthetic clinic, and it describes ONDA in technical detail — microwave energy delivered through handpieces working at 3 mm and 7 mm depths, performed without anaesthesia.
It is worth knowing about if you are staying in the north-east of the city rather than around Gangnam. Cheongnyangni is a major transfer station, so it is straightforward to reach from most of Seoul. The site has English and Japanese versions.
Prices are not published, so ask for a written quote at consultation. Hours are 10:00 to 20:00 on Monday, Thursday and Friday, 10:00 to 19:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10:00 to 16:00 on Saturday, with a lunch break from 13:00 to 14:00 on weekdays.
Where it is: outside Gangnam, in the north-east of the city.
Also opening this year
Chungdam The Cell (청담더셀의원) — Dosan-daero 412, 3F and 8F, Gangnam-gu. The clinic is scheduled to open around 21 September 2026. According to information provided by the clinic, its menu will include ONDA lifting and Thermage FLX, with Ultherapy Prime added later in the year, alongside intravenous and regenerative treatments.
Dosan-daero runs through the Cheongdam and Apgujeong area, which is where most of Seoul’s higher-end clinics are concentrated. The nearest subway access is Apgujeong Rodeo or Cheongdam, depending on which end of the road you approach from.
The clinic had not opened at the time of writing, so we have not been able to see the facility, confirm its consultation languages, or verify pricing. We will update this section once it opens. If you are planning a trip for later in the year, it is worth contacting them directly to confirm what is available by then.
Frequently asked questions
Is ONDA the same as HIFU?
No. HIFU devices use focused ultrasound. ONDA uses microwaves. They reach different tissue and are used for different concerns, so a clinic offering one is not necessarily offering an equivalent to the other.
Does ONDA work on the face?
DEKA supplies a shallow applicator and some clinics use ONDA on the face. Whether it suits your face depends on how much fat is involved in the area you want treated, which is a question for consultation rather than something to decide in advance.
How soon will I see a change?
Not immediately. Changes from fat-targeting treatments develop over weeks, and clinics usually plan several sessions rather than one.
Is there downtime?
Generally none. Warmth or mild redness can last a short time afterwards, and most people go back to normal activity the same day.
Should I book before I arrive in Korea?
Yes, if your dates are fixed. Evening and Saturday slots fill up in Seoul, and contacting a clinic before you fly also gives you time to get a written quote and confirm what language the consultation will be in.
Is ONDA cheaper in Korea than at home?
It depends, and the comparison is harder than it looks. Because Korean clinics quote by energy delivered rather than by “one treatment,” a Seoul price and a price from your own country may not describe the same amount of work. Ask both for the dose, then compare.
Will one session be enough?
Rarely. Clinics generally plan a course, and a single session is more often used to see how you respond than to finish the job. If you only have time for one visit on this trip, say so at consultation so the clinic can tell you honestly whether it is worth starting.
Can I combine ONDA with other treatments on the same trip?
Many clinics offer several devices and will discuss combining them, since ONDA, Ultherapy and Thermage address different layers. Whether combining is sensible for you, and in what order, is a clinical decision — ask the clinic to explain the reasoning rather than accepting a package at face value.
Last updated: 2 August 2026.
KKUMI Blog is not a medical provider and its writers are not doctors. This article is general information, not medical advice. ONDA is a medical device procedure that carries risks, and results vary from person to person. Always consult a licensed doctor before deciding on any treatment. Clinic details are taken from each clinic’s official website, or from information the clinic provided, and can change — confirm directly before booking.
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