Why Kybella® Might Be Right for You if You Don’t Like Your Double Chin

Do you avoid certain types of jewelry or certain poses in pictures to minimize the appearance of your double chin? A double chin is common, even in people who aren’t overweight. 

If your double chin doesn’t respond to a calorie deficit, your hormones and genetics could be to blame. 

In the past, surgical removal was the only solution for submental fat, which is the fat underneath the chin. Today, specialists can reduce the amount of fat stored underneath the chin by injecting deoxycholic acid. 

Deoxycholic acid is a bile acid produced by the body to break down fats. Kybella® is the only FDA-approved injectable for reduction of the double chin that contains this bile acid. Upon being injected into the body, the deoxycholic acid in Kybella destroys fat cells beneath the chin to ensure that this region cannot accumulate fat in the future. 

Below, we asked Dr. Safoora Zaka, our expert at Medical Aesthetics & Laser, to explain how Kybella can serve as an alternative to surgical procedures for reducing submental fat. 

Understanding how Kybella destroys fat cells 

Kybella injections attack the membrane lining of your fat cells, causing the core to leak out and be gradually eliminated by your body’s immune cells. 

Fat cells don’t regenerate, which makes the results of Kybella permanent. However, even though these fat cells can’t come back, weight gain can cause the fat cells in the surrounding areas to get larger. 

What to expect during a Kybella treatment

Before the treatment, Dr. Zaka outlines the area with a special marker and plans out where she will place the injections. 

To reduce your discomfort, she applies a topical numbing cream. Depending on how much fat you’d like to reduce, the number of injections can go up to 50 in one session. However, typically you can expect anywhere between 20 and 30 injections. 

Recovery and results 

During recovery, because of the large number of injections, you may experience some bruising, redness, inflammation, and light pain. 

However, these side effects usually go away on their own within a few days after the treatment. Results are visible anywhere between four and six weeks after the treatment, as your immune cells need time to clear up the damaged fat cells. 

Find out if you’re a good candidate for Kybella 

Good candidates for this treatment don’t have any active infections or skin diseases in the area they wish to treat. They have a double chin resistant to dieting and don’t want to undergo an invasive procedure. 

If you’re interested in achieving a more sculpted profile, contact us to schedule an appointment. Dr. Zaka will be more than happy to explain what Kybella entails and help you determine if you’re a good candidate for it.