Onda joules are not radiofrequency shots
“Thirty thousand must be far more than six hundred shots” is a comparison that cannot be made. Three different units are circulating under similar names. Here is what each one counts.
The short answer
The figure quoted for Onda lifting is in joules, the unit of energy, not in ultrasound lines and not in radiofrequency shots. In Korean the same word covers both a line and a joule, which is where the confusion starts. A radiofrequency shot, an ultrasound line and a joule count different things, so no conversion formula exists, in manufacturer documents or in the literature. That is why 30,000 J of Onda and 600 shots of Density cannot be set side by side and ranked. Miso Clinic has Density, XERF and Oligio Kiss, and does not have an Onda device. This column recommends no device; it explains how to read the units. Miso Clinic is at 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, in front of Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital station. Phone 053-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00 with no lunch break, closed Sunday and public holidays.
One word, two meanings
| Written as | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Line | One pass of the focal point, containing several coagulation points | The Ultherapy trial planned 820 lines for face and neck |
| Joule (J) | The SI unit of energy: the total delivered | The Onda submental study used 35,000-45,000 J in a ten-minute session |
Many people read the Onda figure as a line count from focused ultrasound. It is a different quantity. Lines in Ultherapy or Shurink count passes; the figure in Onda counts energy.
Why Onda counts in joules
Because of how it works. Onda does not fire discrete shots; it emits continuously for a set time. It is more natural to record how much was delivered than how many times it fired.
Onda is a microwave device: neither radiofrequency, which is current, nor focused ultrasound, which is sound. It is a third class, heating a different target at a different depth, so it was never a device to line up against the others in the first place.
| Unit | What it counts | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Shot | One delivery of energy through a tip, sealed into that tip | Density, XERF, Thermage and other radiofrequency |
| Line | One row of roughly 1 mm³ coagulation points | Ultherapy, Shurink and other focused ultrasound |
| Joule (J) | Total energy delivered, summed over the exposure time | Onda and other microwave devices |
Is 60,000 twice as much as 30,000
In total energy, yes: joules add and subtract. It does not mean twice the result. Two other things have to be read with it.
- Over what area it was delivered. The same 30,000 J concentrated on a small region and spread over a wide one are different treatments.
- What depth it was aimed at. The same total with different settings heats a different plane.
For scale, the submental study used 35,000 to 45,000 J in a ten-minute session, which helps when reading the figures sold in the market. And no formula converting joules into shots, or shots into joules, exists as far as we can establish. The question “how many Density shots is 30,000 J of Onda?” has no answer.
Unlimited is not a unit
Clinics sometimes advertise an unlimited treatment. That is a way of selling, not a unit of dose. It tells you nothing about how much was delivered.
In radiofrequency it barely holds together as a concept, because the count is sealed into the tip and the tip stops firing once it is spent. If a treatment is sold by time, then minutes are the unit; unlimited is not.
Comparing prices side by side
Searching for the price of Onda lifting and of Density together is common. Comparing the two numbers directly goes wrong.
- The units differ, and joules do not convert into shots.
- The classes differ, and the two heat tissue in different ways.
- Market numbers generally come from a consumable or a time specification.
So rather than the number, ask which part of my face and which plane you are aiming at. Fees depend on the area and the extent of treatment and are explained by phone or at the clinic.
Summary: what is established and what is not
Established
- The figure quoted for Onda is joules, that is total energy, not lines
- Lines in focused ultrasound count passes; the words look alike and the quantities do not
- The Onda submental study used 35,000-45,000 J in a ten-minute session
Not established
- Any conversion formula between joules and shots
- Any study comparing Onda and radiofrequency devices under the same conditions
- Any human data showing results scale with total joules
Onda joules and radiofrequency shots: common questions
How does the Onda figure differ from a shot count?
They count different things. The Onda figure is joules, the total energy delivered, while a radiofrequency shot is one delivery of energy through a tip. No conversion formula exists.
Is 30,000 in Onda the same as 30,000 in Ultherapy?
No. The Ultherapy figure counts lines, each one a pass of the focal point. The Onda figure is a unit of energy.
Is 60,000 twice as much as 30,000?
In total energy, yes. But the result depends on the area and depth it was delivered to, so it does not mean twice the effect.
How many Density shots is 30,000 J of Onda?
It cannot be converted. No formula between the two units exists in manufacturer documents or in the literature.
How many units is an unlimited treatment?
Unlimited is a way of selling rather than a unit. It does not say how much was delivered.
Does Miso Clinic have Onda?
No. Miso Clinic has Density, XERF and Oligio Kiss. This column is not a ranking of devices but an account of how to read the units.
Where can I discuss lifting treatment in Daegu?
Miso Clinic is at 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, in front of Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital station, 053-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00-19:00, Saturday 10:00-16:00, closed Sunday and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Product pages: Density · XERF · Oligio Kiss
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Onda specifications — DEKA (Florence, Italy) published data: microwave 2.45 GHz, marketed as Coolwaves, up to 200 W, with epidermal cooling; handpieces Deep · Shallow · Pocket. Dose is counted in total energy (J) and time, not in shots. Miso Clinic does not have an Onda device.
- Onda submental study — Zappia E et al., Lasers Med Sci 2025;40(1):28, PMID 39841282. 10 women · two sessions 30 days apart · 10 minutes each · 35,000-45,000 J per session (70-90 W) · assessed 12 weeks after the last session. Submental laxity score fell from 3.6 to 2.3. No control group, 10 people, and submental rather than whole face.
- The unit used by focused ultrasound (Shurink class) — Ulthera System Instructions for Use and trial documents. One line is a row of roughly 1 mm³ coagulation points, and the device displays a recommended line count per transducer. The planned dose in a five-centre Chinese trial (NCT03351335) was 820 lines for face and neck. Clinics often call one line a shot. Miso Clinic does not have a Shurink device.
- The units do not convert — a shot (sealed tip count), a line (one ultrasound pass) and a joule (total energy) count different things. No formula converting 600 shots into joules, or 30,000 J into shots, exists in manufacturer documents or in the literature. The tables here reproduce published manufacturer values and must not be read as a ranking.
- A shot is a sealed specification — US FDA GUDID entries and each manufacturer’s published data. The 300 / 600 / 900 sold in the market fall out as multiples and combinations of those specifications. It is a consumable unit, not a clinically defined dose.
- Density specifications — Jeisys Medical published data: monopolar then bipolar in sequence, up to 400 W, RIC impedance adjustment, five-stage gas cooling, tips ALPHA 600 · Eye 600 · Face 1,000 · Body 600 shots (sealed guaranteed count). Approved as a medical device by the Korean MFDS. Tip areas are not published by the manufacturer.
- XERF specifications — Lutronic published data: monopolar, 6.78 MHz plus 2 MHz, handpieces i05 (5×10 mm · 400 shots) · i10 (10×10 mm · 300 shots) · E40 (20×20 mm · 600 shots) · E60 (20×30 mm · 600 shots). The shot count is sealed into the tip; it is not a recommendation for how many shots a face needs.
- Medical advertising law — Medical Service Act of Korea, Article 56(2), which prohibits testimonial advertising, comparison with other clinics, superlative claims and advertising that guarantees or implies a guaranteed treatment effect. That is why this column reports mechanisms and data without ranking devices.
- Fees and patient inducement — Medical Service Act Articles 45 (posting of non-covered fees), 27(3) (prohibition of inducement for profit) and 56(2) (prohibited advertising). That is why no price or discount appears in this column.
- Miso Clinic practice guidance — indication criteria, site-by-site design, and the explanation and consent procedure. This is the source for every sentence marked as clinical judgement.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.
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