Cheekbone Ulthera: Do You Need to Treat the Entire Face for It to Work?

Dr. Wi Youngjin, Director, Beauty Stone Clinic, Hongdae Beauty Doctors

💡 Check this first before reading


Q. Isn't Ulthera lifting effective only if you treat the entire face?

A. Even if you focus on tightening just the cheekbones and around the eyes, the lifting effect spreads to the whole face. You don't need to do everything.


Q. What do the cheekbones have to do with lifting?

A. The cheekbones are the face's 'structural pillars.' When this area contracts, sagging tissues below rise in a chain reaction.

📌 Key points of this article

You don't need to treat the whole face with cheekbone Ulthera and lifting; just focus on the cheekbones and around the eyes

Contraction in these areas triggers overall facial lifting.

Why does tightening just one cheekbone lift the whole face?

When consulting about Ulthera procedures,

almost everyone asks me this.

"Isn't it only effective if you treat the entire face?"

To be honest,

many people think the more broadly you treat it, the greater the effect.

And that is actually a pretty natural misconception.

But there is one important thing here.

Structurally, the face has

'anchor points' that support the whole face.

Simply put, these are the points that act like pillars.

Those are the cheekbones and the area around the eyes.

Above the cheekbones lies the cheek fat tissue,

and beneath it hang the nasolabial folds, cheek fat, and jawline tissue.

The area below the eyes is similar.

The support structure that holds up the entire midface

is connected to the fascia around the eyes.

What makes this a bit tricky is that,

on the surface, you may think, "The cheeks are sagging, so I should treat the cheeks,"

but in reality, the cheekbone area needs to tighten first

for the lower tissues to lift along with it.

Even I wasn't sure about this at first,

but after doing hundreds of cases,

I became confident.

When we focused only on the cheekbones and around the eyes,

we repeatedly saw the nasolabial folds soften, the jawline become more defined,

and the cheeks lift upward.

Without touching any other areas at all.

The reason is,

the SMAS layer — simply put, the fascial layer beneath the skin —

connects the entire face as one unit.

When this fascia is tightened around the cheekbones and eyes,

it's like pulling one end of a cloth,

making the whole thing taut;

the lower skin rises in a chain reaction as well.

This is not simply a matter of machine differences,

but a difference in strategy in where the energy is focused.

👨‍⚕️ Director Wi Youngjin's key summary:


The cheekbones and around the eyes are the 'starting points' of the facial fascia.


When these areas are tightened intensively,


the sagging cheeks, nasolabial folds, and jawline below rise in a chain reaction.


This is why you can achieve an overall lifting effect


without having to treat the entire face broadly.

So which type am I — case-by-case approach

I know this sounds good,

but you're probably wondering whether it's right for your face.

It does vary by case,

but I usually classify them like this.

① When the cheeks sag and the nasolabial folds become deep

For these patients, cheekbone-focused Ulthera is key.

When the SMAS layer beneath the cheekbones is precisely targeted,

the cheek tissue is repositioned upward

and the nasolabial lines naturally soften.

② When the area under the eyes is hollow and the entire midface has dropped

Treatment focused around the eyes comes first.

Once the support structure under the eyes is released,

the entire midface can lift.

③ When you feel like "everything is sagging"

This is a point many people misunderstand,

but even in these cases,

in most cases, focusing only on the cheekbones + around the eyes is enough.

You don't need to treat the entire face.

But this isn't always good news.

There's one thing I must emphasize:

the skin around the cheekbones and eyes is thin and the nerves are sensitive, so

adjusting the energy level and depth is especially important.

If the energy is delivered at the wrong depth,

it can actually cause fat loss

or temporary nerve stimulation symptoms.

However, if an experienced doctor holds the handpiece directly

and proceeds while observing the anatomical structure,

it is an area that can be adjusted safely enough.

The reason we separately use high-resolution ultrasound

is also because of this.

The difference lies in where the energy is delivered and at what depth.

It wasn't a machine difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. After cheekbone Ulthera, won't the cheekbones look more prominent?

A. This is a concern many people have.

You may worry that stimulating the cheekbone area will make the cheekbones stick out more.

But Ulthera doesn't act on the bone;

it acts on the fascia and fat layer beneath the skin.

When this layer contracts, the cheeks actually lift,

making the cheekbones look less prominent.

However, if you already have very little cheek fat,

please be sure to mention that during consultation.

In such cases, we take a different approach.

Q2. Is one Ulthera treatment enough, or do I need repeats?

A. You can see results from just one session.

However, collagen regeneration usually takes

about 3 to 6 months to complete.

So, many people feel their skin is tighter 2 to 3 months after treatment

than right after the procedure.

For repeat treatments, depending on skin condition, age, and degree of sagging,

we recommend once a year or once every year and a half.

There is no need to do it more often than necessary.

KakaoTalk consultation is also available before your visit.


This has been Wi Youngjin.

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