Three Major Side Effects of Hongdae Shurink and How to Fix Them

Hello, I’m Dr. Jo Won-jin, and I’ve been treating skin in Hongdae for 10 years.

I got Shurink, and now my cheeks look hollow ㅜㅜ

I didn’t feel any effect at all.

Even devices with lower energy output than Ulthera can still have side effects.

Shurink’s representative side effects can be narrowed down to three: hollow cheeks (sunken cheeks), burns, and no effect.

Most of these can be prevented with the right choice before the procedure.

Today, for those in Hongdae who are considering Shurink, I’ll summarize the following:

• Three major side effects of Hongdae Shurink

• Solutions for each side effect

• Criteria for choosing a Hongdae Shurink clinic

1. How Hongdae Shurink works and its effects

Shurink is a procedure that delivers thermal energy by firing high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as dots to specific layers inside the skin.

It stimulates deep layers (the SMAS layer) without affecting the skin’s surface.

The treated area then produces collagen on its own, which helps tighten the skin.

Because Shurink uses weaker energy than Ulthera,

some people may want to raise the output as much as possible in order to see better results.

However, if the energy that should go to the fascia layer is excessively delivered into the fat layer,

it can lead to the unfortunate result of fat loss.

I’ll explain that in more detail later.

2. Three Shurink side effects in Hongdae and how to fix them

1. Hollow cheeks: loss of cheek fat

Hollow cheeks are the issue you need to be most careful about with Shurink.

When melting ice in the kitchen, if you apply weak heat broadly, it melts evenly,

but if you keep heating one spot for too long, that area becomes dented, right?

Facial fat responds in a similar way.

If too many shots are delivered to someone who does not have much fat to begin with,

or if repeated shots accumulate in the same area, the fat there may disappear and the area may become sunken.

If energy is incorrectly delivered to the cheek, as shown in the photo above, fat loss can occur and hollow cheeks may develop.

How to fix it

• In mild cases, some recovery may occur over time
• If recovery is slow, replenish volume with collagen-inducing procedures such as Juvelook Volume or Sculptra
• Most importantly, from the start, set the number of shots and output according to the patient’s individual fat volume!

2. Burn: damage to the skin surface

Burns occur when the output is inappropriate or when shots are fired while the tip is not properly in contact with the skin.

Even if the energy itself is not very strong, some people have more fragile skin.

Also, the tip needs to be in firm contact with the skin to deliver energy,

but if a shot is fired while the tip is lifted during a rushed procedure, the energy will enter the surface.

In this case, blisters or pigmentation may remain on the epidermis.

The photo above shows burn symptoms after an ultrasound procedure.

How to fix it

• If a burn is suspected immediately after the procedure, contact the clinic right away and get a prescription for a regenerating ointment
• If pigmentation remains, improve it with whitening care or laser toning
• During the recovery period, be sure to protect yourself from UV exposure

3. No effect

"I paid for it, but I can’t tell any difference" is something some people say quite often.

Shurink may look like it was performed on the outside,

but if the energy is not delivered properly, the effect is barely noticeable.

Shurink is also more effective when performed properly along the lower face,

and for a double chin, the angle at which the tip is applied is important.

(If the angle is wrong, the energy can be lost midway.)

Because the output itself is not extremely strong,

there may be a minimum number of shots needed depending on the degree of sagging.

Rather than simply increasing the number of shots, you need to get an accurate diagnosis of the minimum number of shots appropriate for your condition.

How to fix it

• During consultation, accurately assess the number of shots expected to improve the skin based on elasticity and degree of sagging
• Collagen regeneration takes time, so observe for at least 1 month
• If there is still no change, discuss a supplementary plan with the doctor in charge

3. How to choose a clinic in Hongdae to minimize Shurink side effects

To be honest, with Shurink, who performs it and how it is performed has a greater impact on the result than the device itself.

Check item	How to confirm
Doctor performs the procedure personally	Whether the same doctor handles both consultation and procedure
Customized output settings	Whether the output is adjusted according to face shape and fat volume
Sufficient number of shots	Whether the number of shots is appropriate for the degree of sagging
Aftercare system	The response process if side effects occur

Rather than deciding based only on price, it is safer to check the items above one by one.

In particular, there is something useful to know about energy adjustment in lifting lasers.

Please be sure to read the article below.

4. Frequently asked questions about Shurink side effects (FAQ)

Q1. If Shurink caused hollow cheeks, should I avoid getting a similar treatment like Ulthera?

Actually, how it is performed matters more.

If it is properly planned during consultation and the risky areas are accurately avoided during treatment, it is fine.

Q2. Is it bad to get it too often?

Usually, because the duration of effect is shorter than Ulthera (Ulthera lasts about a year),

you may end up getting Shurink more often.

A cycle of about every 4 to 6 months is generally fine.

As shown in the photo above, depending on which tip is used and how Shurink is applied, it can also be used to improve fine wrinkles.

Closing

To summarize today’s article:

• The three representative side effects of Shurink are hollow cheeks, burns, and no effect
• Most problems come from technique and device management
• So it is important to check the consultation system, device, and number of shots rather than the price

If you look into the procedure using the criteria I mentioned today, you can reduce the risks.

Thank you. This was Jo Won-jin.