XERF RF Lifting in Gangnam: Who Is It For, How Many Shots, Does It Hurt, and What Does It Cost?

Quick answer: XERF is a monopolar radiofrequency (RF) lifting device made by Lutronic that heats the skin using two frequencies, 2MHz and 6.78MHz. It fits people whose skin itself has loosened, more than people who have lost volume. REPIC Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul offers XERF from November 17, 2026, and during the launch promotion from November 23 to December 31, 2026, prices start at 510,000 KRW for XERF 100 shots and 440,000 KRW for Eye XERF 100 shots (VAT not included). There's no data yet on how long results last.

I'm Dr. Jay (Yongheon Ha), a doctor at REPIC Clinic in Gangnam. XERF is new, so the questions in consults are almost always the same. How is it different from Thermage? How many shots do I need? Does it hurt? How long does it last? This article only covers what can actually be checked today. Where there's no data, I say so.

What is XERF?

It's a monopolar RF device that delivers radiofrequency energy into the skin to generate heat. The maker is Lutronic, a Korean company. Thermage FLX uses a single frequency, 6.78MHz; XERF uses two, 2MHz and 6.78MHz. During treatment, a cryogen spray cools the skin surface, and the depth can be set to one of 3 levels: shallow, medium or deep.

About regulatory clearance, plainly. The US FDA cleared XERF through the 510(k) pathway in August 2025, and the device it was compared against was Thermage FLX. But the US clearance wording is "electrocoagulation and hemostasis" in dermatologic and general surgical procedures. Lifting and wrinkles aren't mentioned. No human clinical data was submitted; equivalence was shown with tissue temperature testing. Most new devices go through this step. Even so, nobody can say yet that it has been "proven to work the same as Thermage."

Who is XERF for, and who isn't it for?

It suits people whose skin has thinned and loosened, so that fine lines and lost firmness show up together. When I see sagging, the first thing I sort out is whether the skin has stretched or whether volume underneath has dropped out and left a hollow. RF heats the skin layers, so it's for the first case. A face that sags because the cheeks have hollowed won't be filled, however many shots of XERF it gets. For those patients, I talk about filler or collagen boosters first.

The same goes for heavy sagging that has pulled weight down below the jawline. That's beyond what a heat-tightening treatment can be expected to do. If the expectation and the likely result won't match, I think the right thing is not to recommend it.

What is a "shot," and how many do I need?

One shot is a single pulse of energy delivered with the tip against the skin. Each shot covers an area the size of the tip, so the shot count reflects how much area is heated and how many passes overlap. We offer 100, 300 and 600 shot options. So is 600 shots twice as good as 300? It doesn't work out like that.

I couldn't find any published manufacturer guidance on how many shots each area needs. So I decide from face size, where the sagging is concentrated, and skin thickness. For a single area such as around the eyes or mouth, 100 shots fits. For the full face, I start from 300. If we're layering passes over the cheeks and jawline or extending to the neck, we move toward 600.

Does XERF hurt? Do you use numbing cream?

The manufacturer presents XERF as a treatment done without numbing cream, and the company's ongoing US trial was also designed without local anesthesia. But no trial has yet compared its pain side by side with Thermage or other devices. It's a heat treatment, so expect moments that feel hot and prickly.

People also ask, "If it hurts less, does it work less?" There's no data on the link between pain and results either. I don't believe firing at a level you can barely tolerate gives a better result. I adjust intensity area by area while watching how you respond.

When will I see results, and how long do they last?

With the data available now, nobody can honestly say "it lasts X months." Only a handful of papers on XERF exist. One is a retrospective study of 16 people that measured eyebrow and eyelid height right after a single treatment and at 1 and 3 months, and reported improvement. All the authors had ties to the manufacturer and there was no control group, so the evidence level is low. A US trial using 2 sessions about 4 weeks apart is underway, with no results published yet. How many sessions you need is decided after the exam.

What's different about Eye XERF?

Eye XERF is REPIC Clinic's name for treating the eye area on its own. It isn't a product name from the manufacturer. Skin around the eyes is thin and curved, and a full-size face tip can't reach some of it well, so Lutronic released small tips designed for narrow, curved areas. There's a report describing technique with these small eye-area tips, but it doesn't compare results in numbers. If the upper eyelid looks droopy because it has hollowed, that may be a volume issue rather than a heat-treatment issue, and we sort that out at the exam first.

Are there side effects? Who shouldn't get XERF?

It's a heat treatment, so redness and swelling can occur afterward. No systematic data on XERF-specific adverse events exists yet; the retrospective study described them only as "mild and transient." The US company trial excluded people with implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers, metal implants that could interfere with the energy, permanent fillers or implants, active infections, and cancer or autoimmune disease. If any of these apply to you, tell us beforehand. We don't treat during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Aftercare instructions are given on the day, and if you have a flight home, tell us your departure date at the consultation so we can schedule around it.

How much does XERF cost? (Launch promotion, Nov 23 – Dec 31, 2026)

REPIC Clinic in Gangnam is running a XERF launch promotion from November 23 to December 31, 2026. All prices are VAT not included, and you can book in advance. At promotional prices, you can't request a specific doctor.

The Re2O options pair XERF with a treatment that fills hollow areas, and ONDA is a device that delivers heat a different way. Promotion options can be booked on the XERF page, which also lists regular pricing outside the promotion period; all prices are on our price list. Korean and international patients pay the same.

How we do it at REPIC

Diagnosis, plan, treatment, follow-up. At the doctor's consultation, we first sort out whether sagging comes from stretched skin or lost volume, then look at skin thickness and where the sagging sits. That's where we decide whether XERF fits, how many shots go where, and whether to treat the eye area separately. If volume loss is part of the picture, we plan a filling treatment such as Re2O alongside it. After treatment we check your progress and set the next step again. We don't push the first plan through unchanged.

Related reading

• XERF vs Thermage, Ultherapy, ONDA and Density: what's the difference?
• Thermage FLX cost in Gangnam: 600 and 900 shots
• Thermage vs Ultherapy: differences and how to choose

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This article is general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Results vary from person to person.