The question we hear most often about our two devices is not which one is better. It is whether they can be used together, and whether the combination is worth it. The short answer: yes they can, the pairing is deliberate rather than a upsell, and it suits a specific kind of skin. This article explains the mechanism behind the combination, who it helps, and who it will not.
Silk Clinical is the only clinic in the South Island operating both a Volnewmer and an Ultraformer MPT, which is why we field this question more than most.
Why would one face need two devices?
Because skin does not age in one layer.
Beneath the skin you can see sits the SMAS, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system. It is a structural sheet of tissue, and it is the layer a surgeon repositions during a facelift. As it descends with age, the face loses its scaffolding: jowls form, the jawline softens, the mid face drops.
Above the SMAS sits the dermis, the collagen-rich layer that gives skin its firmness and snap. Collagen production declines steadily from our thirties onward, and the result is surface laxity: skin that looks loose, crepey, or tired even when the underlying structure is holding.
A face can age predominantly in one layer or in both. When both layers are involved, treating only one leaves half the problem untouched. That is the case the combination exists for.
What does Ultraformer MPT do?
Ultraformer MPT is a fourth-generation HIFU device. It focuses ultrasound energy at precise depths, the way a magnifying glass concentrates light, creating tiny thermal coagulation points where the energy converges. At 4.5mm it reaches the SMAS itself, which no other non-surgical technology consistently does.
Those thermal points trigger the body's wound-healing response: contraction first, then months of new collagen production that lifts and supports the treated area. The MPT generation delivers points 25 times finer than earlier devices, which improves both precision and comfort.
In the combination, Ultraformer is the lifting tool. It works on the foundation.
What does Volnewmer do?
Volnewmer is monopolar radiofrequency operating at 6.78MHz. Where HIFU focuses energy into points, RF heats tissue volumetrically: the energy travels through the dermis broadly and evenly, protected at the surface by continuous cooling.
That controlled dermal heating does two things. Existing collagen fibres contract immediately, which produces the mild tightening many clients notice after a single session. More importantly, the heat triggers collagen remodelling across the treated area over the following three to six months.
In the combination, Volnewmer is the tightening tool. It works on the surface quality and firmness of the skin itself.
How do the two treatments complement each other?
The honest way to describe it: the mechanisms do not overlap, so the results stack rather than compete.
Ultraformer lifts structure from the deepest treatable layer. Volnewmer firms the dermis above it. A face treated with both gets support at depth and density at the surface, which is closer to how a face actually ages than any single-device plan.
This is also why we do not present the combination as two doses of the same thing. If you only have surface laxity, Volnewmer alone may be the right plan. If your concern is structural descent with good skin quality, Ultraformer alone may be. The combination earns its place only when both layers need work, and that is an assessment, not a default.
For a fuller comparison of the two technologies in isolation, read when to choose RF vs HIFU.
What order do the treatments happen in, and how far apart?
The sequencing and spacing of the two devices are decided at your consultation, not published as a fixed recipe. The right order depends on which layer needs the most work, your skin's condition, and your timeline. Both treatments happen on separate visits, and neither carries downtime, so the schedule flexes around your life rather than around recovery windows.
We are deliberate about not publishing a one-size protocol here. Anatomy varies, and a recipe that suits one face would shortchange another. What we can promise is that the plan you get is built for your face by the nurse treating it.
What results can I realistically expect?
Both devices develop their results the same way: an immediate mild tightening from collagen contraction, then progressive improvement over three to six months as new collagen matures. That timeline overlaps, so a combination plan started now reaches its peak as a whole, months down the track, looking gradual and natural rather than sudden.
Longevity is device-specific. Volnewmer results typically last 12 to 24 months. Ultraformer results typically last one to two years. Individual results vary with age, skin condition, and lifestyle, and maintenance sessions on either device can extend results.
And the honest boundary: the combination narrows the gap to surgical outcomes, but it does not close it. If you have significant laxity and want the change a facelift produces, we will say so at your consultation and suggest the right surgical referral. That honesty is cheaper for you than two device sessions that cannot deliver what you actually want.
Who suits the combination?
The strongest candidates share three things. Early to moderate laxity, visible in both structure and skin quality. Realistic expectations: improvement, not transformation. And a preference for no downtime over maximum change.
Clients with laxity in only one layer suit a single device. Clients with advanced laxity suit a surgical opinion. The consultation exists to sort out which of those three groups you are in, before you spend anything on treatment.
What does the combination cost?
Each device is priced individually: Volnewmer full face is $2,500, and Ultraformer MPT full face including neck is $2,500, with smaller areas priced lower on each. Combined pricing for your specific plan is confirmed at consultation, because the areas and coverage differ per face. Full detail is on the combination page and the price list.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can both treatments be done on the same day? A: The sessions are planned as separate visits, and the timing between them is set at consultation based on your skin and your plan.
Q: Does one device replace the other? A: No. They work at different depths through different mechanisms. HIFU lifts at the SMAS layer; RF tightens the dermis. Neither does the other's job.
Q: Is the combination painful? A: Volnewmer needs no anaesthetic and most clients describe it as a warm massage. Ultraformer involves a prickling sensation that is generally well tolerated. Neither has recovery downtime.
Q: How do I know if I need one device or both? A: You do not need to know; that is the consultation's job. Your nurse assesses laxity at each layer and tells you honestly which plan fits, including the plan of doing nothing yet.
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