What do they have in common?
Both use energy delivered to the skin, and both are arranged as a course of appointments. The suitable option, the treatment area and the schedule depend on an individual assessment, so similar names do not make them interchangeable.
So what is the actual difference?
They use different forms of energy, and the areas each is discussed for differ. Ask why a particular service is being recommended and which aspects of the procedure may affect your plans afterwards. Confirm the area and price before booking.
Which situations point to which tool?
Broad, early softness across an area tends to point to radiofrequency’s even warming. Work that calls for reaching deeper, more specific planes tends to point to focused ultrasound. But this is a judgement about your tissue, made by looking and feeling, not a rule you can apply to yourself from an article, and we would be overpromising to pretend otherwise.
Can they be combined?
Sometimes, sequentially. Different depths are different jobs, and a plan can address more than one. Whether that is worth it in your case is a cost-and-benefit conversation we have openly, with numbers, before anything is booked. Radiofrequency pricing is listed by area on our pricing page; focused ultrasound is quoted by area at consultation.
The honest way to decide.
Not by researching devices harder, but by having the assessment, where depth, area and expectations are read from your actual skin. The consultation is $75, credited to any treatment you complete within 30 days.