What this means
Both depths were linked to higher eyebrow height over 12 weeks, measured from photos. No control group was used, so this does not prove the treatment caused the lift.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- 20 Korean adults
- Kind of research
- A clinical trial in people
The science
- Original title
- Efficacy and Safety of 1.5- and 3.0-mm High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Eyebrow Lifting in Korean Adults: A Prospective Randomized Split-Face Study.
- Authors
- Yoo KH, Song H, Choi Y
- Journal
- Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI)
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
- Study type
- Clinical trial · in humans
- PMID
- 42867024 ↗
Abstract
Background
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is widely used for noninvasive eyebrow lifting, but within-subject comparisons of cartridge focal depths are scarce. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 1.5- and 3.0-mm cartridges for eyebrow lifting in Korean adults, with an exploratory between-depth comparison.
What they did
In this randomized split-face study, 20 Korean adults were treated once with the 1.5-mm cartridge on one side and the 3.0-mm contralaterally (225 J/side). Average and maximum eyebrow heights (AEH, primary; MEH, secondary) were measured from standardized photographs at baseline, post-treatment, and weeks 1, 4, and 12. Satisfaction, pain, and adverse events were recorded.
What they found
Both measures increased significantly at all time points (unadjusted p < 0.05). At week 12, AEH increased by 1.76 ± 1.19 mm (1.5-mm) and 1.23 ± 1.33 mm (3.0-mm); 98.75% one-sided CI lower bounds (1.10 and 0.51 mm) met the corrected primary efficacy criterion. MEH met the separately corrected criterion with the 1.5-mm (0.57 mm) but not the 3.0-mm cartridge (-0.08 mm). The exploratory week-12 AEH difference was nonsignificant (p = 0.116). No treatment-related adverse events occurred over 12 weeks, supporting short-term tolerability in this cohort rather than definitive safety. Each cartridge was associated with significant within-subject increases in photographic eyebrow-height measures through 12 weeks and high satisfaction, although the corrected MEH criterion was not met with the 3.0-mm cartridge. Without a sham control, findings indicate within-subject improvement, not causal efficacy; the between-cartridge comparison is inconclusive, not evidence of equivalence. Larger, sham-controlled studies are needed.
The authors' abstract, grouped under plain headings from its own section labels.
Yoo KH, Song H, Choi Y Efficacy and Safety of 1.5- and 3.0-mm High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Eyebrow Lifting in Korean Adults: A Prospective Randomized Split-Face Study. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI). 2026. doi:10.1111/srt.70393. PMID: 42867024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42867024/