No Anesthesia, Zero Pain! The New Paradigm of 2025 Lifting Treatments

A month has already passed since 2025 began. They say age is just a number, but with each passing year, the gradual loss of skin elasticity — and the wrinkles and sagging that come with it — becomes a real source of stress. Amid the continued anti-aging trend of recent years, treatments designed to make one look younger than their actual age have grown increasingly popular, and even women in their 20s and 30s are now visiting plastic surgery clinics to maintain their skin's firmness.

A wide range of treatments exist to improve skin aging and maintain youthful, elastic skin, and more people are seeking out lifting lasers that require no recovery time and carry less burden than surgery. In this context, Xerf and Emface have recently seen high demand.

Xerf is a monopolar radiofrequency (RF) medical device developed by Cynosure Lutronic, a global aesthetic medical device company. Featuring a combination of two monopolar RF frequencies — 6.78MHz and 2MHz — Xerf is equipped with a three-level depth control system (Shallow-Middle-Deep) that was previously unattainable with conventional standalone monopolar RF, allowing treatment to be tailored to each patient's skin characteristics and treatment area.

It also delivers energy output and cooling effects in alternating fashion through its Wave Fit Pulse technology, combined with ICD gas cooling, allowing for a comfortable treatment experience without the need for anesthesia.

The Xerf Effector, used together with Xerf, incorporates a patent-pending spider pattern and enables real-time monitoring of surface temperature, helping to prevent side effects caused by excessive temperature rise. In particular, the large-format Xerf Effector 60 covers a wider area per shot, allowing for greater energy delivery while also reducing overall treatment time.

Emface is an anti-aging lifting device developed by BTL, a globally renowned UK-based medical device company. It combines radiofrequency (RF) and HIFES (High Intensity Facial Electromagnetic Stimulation) within a single applicator, stimulating the muscle layer beneath the skin — the root cause of facial aging.

As a 2-in-1 lifting device combining RF and HIFES technology, Emface induces collagen production and stimulates the facial muscles, offering temporary improvement in facial wrinkles. Beyond that, it also promotes collagen and elastin production, helping to improve wrinkles and skin texture, and supporting skin regeneration and firmness. It is particularly effective for treating the midface and forehead — areas that many women today are especially focused on.

Dr. Kim Ki-tae of TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic said, "Lifting lasers that require no anesthesia due to their pain-free nature, and that allow patients to return to daily life immediately after treatment, have recently become very popular." He added, "However, even with safe and convenient procedures, since each patient's skin condition, fat layer thickness, age, and degree of skin aging differ, it's important to have a thorough consultation with an experienced plastic surgery specialist before undergoing treatment in order to achieve satisfying results."