Shurink 300 Shots: Placement Matters More Than the Number

Hello. I am Dr Song Myeong-seung of NUWA Clinic Gangnam, where I diagnose the concern before I treat the face.

There is a question that always comes up in Shurink consultations at my Gangnam practice. “Is 300 shots enough?” “I heard somewhere else gives 400.” I understand the impulse to compare by shot count, since that is the only number in view. But to give you the conclusion first: with Shurink, where the shots go and at what depth decides the result far more than how many go in. Today I want to show how 300 shots were divided in an actual case, and how things looked a week later.

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Where do 300 Shurink shots go? There are two depths

Shurink focuses ultrasound at a single point to create heat within the skin, and depending on the cartridge, 4.5mm reaches the fascial layer and the submental fat layer, while 3.0mm reaches the deep dermis.

So 300 shots is not a single block but a number divided in the planning — which depth, in which area, and how many shots. Someone whose concern is submental fat and someone whose concern is cheek resilience end up with completely different distributions, even at the same 300 shots.

An actual case: no weight gain, but a blurred jawline

This patient came in saying her weight was unchanged, but in photographs her jawline looked indistinct and the area under the chin looked thick.

Looking together in front of the mirror, there was a little fat to pinch under the chin, and the jawline was at an early stage where sagging was beginning. It had not descended as far as the fascial layer, so there was no need to go as far as Ultherapy, and we planned 300 shots of Shurink, which could address the fat and the early sagging together.

This is how the 300 shots were divided

The largest share of 4.5mm went into the submental fat layer, 4.5mm was also used from the jawline down to the lower cheek, and only a small number of 3.0mm shots went into cheek resilience.

The reason the largest share went under the chin is that this patient’s concern leaned more towards fat than sagging. Conversely, the cheeks did not have much fat, so the shot count there was reduced. Placing shots deeply where the tissue is thin can leave the cheeks looking hollow.

One week on: how did the chin and jawline change?

When I saw her again at week one, the thickness under the chin had reduced and the boundary between chin and neck was more defined than before.

Week one is only the beginning, though. Collagen created by ultrasound heat is produced over two to three months, so the definition of the jawline becomes clearest at around three months. The accompanying photographs are unretouched originals taken at the same angle and under the same lighting, and results may differ from person to person.

What to check before comparing shot counts

Even at the same 300 shots, the energy reaching the skin differs depending on whether the cartridge is genuine and whether it is used within its designated shot count.

And whether your concern is fat or sagging, and whether your facial fat is thin or thick, changes how the same shot count is distributed. This is why I do not start a consultation with shot counts. I look first at what is blurring the jawline, and divide the shots after that.

Shurink is not right for everyone

For sagging that has descended as far as the fascial layer, I look at Ultherapy rather than repeating Shurink; and for those who have little facial fat to begin with, a device working in the skin layer such as Thermage or Titanium may suit better than 4.5mm, which reaches the fat layer.

Shurink suits early sagging and tidying submental fat; it is not the answer to every kind of sagging. The differences between lifting devices are set out in our comparison of four lifting treatments, and the options are also laid out together in our lifting guide.

Three things to check before having Shurink

Whether your concern is fat or sagging, whether your facial fat is thin or thick, and whether a genuine cartridge is used within its designated shot count. Only once these three are settled does 300 shots become 300 shots that suit your face.

If your jawline feels blurred and you are looking into Shurink, I will look at where the shots should go with you, rather than how many.

This has been Song Myeong-seung of NUWA Clinic Gangnam, where face shape concerns are diagnosed first. NUWA Clinic Gangnam is directly in front of Exit 7 of Gangnam Station, on the 3rd and 4th floors at 385 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul.

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Frequently asked questions

Q. Is 300 shots of Shurink enough?

A. It depends on the area of concern and the thickness of your facial fat. Where the focus is under the chin and along the jawline, 300 shots is often sufficient; to cover the whole face, the distribution is reworked.

Q. When do the results start to show?

A. Many people notice a change in submental thickness or in the boundary at one to two weeks, with resilience developing further over the two to three months in which collagen is produced. This varies from person to person.

Q. What is the difference between 4.5mm and 3.0mm?

A. 4.5mm reaches the fascial layer and the submental fat layer; 3.0mm reaches the deep dermis. Submental fat and the jawline are addressed mainly with 4.5mm, and cheek resilience mainly with 3.0mm.

Q. What is the difference between Shurink and Ultherapy?

A. Both use ultrasound. Ultherapy carries greater energy and is used for deep sagging descended from the fascial layer; Shurink is less stimulating and is mainly used for early sagging and tidying submental fat.

Q. How often should Shurink be repeated?

A. It depends on your condition, but I generally look at intervals of three to six months. Precise intervals are advised after diagnosis.

Q. I don’t have much facial fat. Can I still have Shurink?

A. Placing 4.5mm deeply where the tissue is thin can leave the cheeks looking hollow, so a device working in the skin layer such as Thermage or Titanium is often looked at first. We decide after diagnosis.

*Effects and results of this treatment may vary with individual condition, and responses such as redness, swelling, warmth or discomfort may appear afterwards. Accurate diagnosis and the decision on whether to proceed should always be made through consultation with a specialist.