Some people really have double chins — Chris Christie, Jobba the Hut, and Orson Welles, to name a few. But truth be told, the vast majority of us will have some sort of junk going on under our chin as we age. The clinical term is submental fullness. If you don’t want to say “double chin,” say submental fullness. Considering pretty much everyone has some degree of a double chin at some point; it’s odd that more attention hasn’t been given to the problem by the aesthetic industry. Now that has changed with Kybella®, a prescription medicine available at Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery. Kybella® is the brand name for a prescription injection formulated with deoxycholic acid to improve the appearance and profile of moderate to severe fat below the chin, commonly known as a double chin.
Lots of double chins
Do you have a double chin? You’re not alone, not in the least. In 2015, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery conducted a survey and found that 67% of people said they’re bothered by a double chin. That’s two-thirds of the U.S.! The survey also found that those people ranked their irritation with their double chin just as highly as their wrinkles or other signs of aging. As we age, our skin sags; it’s just a fact of life. A variety of factors play a part: the influence of gravity, simple intrinsic aging (where decreasing production of collagen means the skin has less underlying support), genetics (some people simply have looser skin below the jawline), and weight gain. All of these factors cause our skin to droop. And because the skin under the chin has no underlying bone or muscle beneath it, it’s even more obvious when it becomes lax and hangs downward.
Kybella® to the rescue!
Until now, a facelift or neck lift was really the only way to deal with a double chin. Then Kybella® was developed and approved by the FDA. It is now the only injectable treatment to improve the appearance and profile of a double chin. The basis of Kybella® is deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acid is a naturally occurring molecule in the body that aids in the breakdown and absorption of dietary fat. When injected into the fat beneath the chin, Kybella® (and its deoxycholic acid) destroys the fat cells. Once those cells are gone, there is no storage mechanism to store and accumulate fat in the area.
Multiple treatments yield the best results
At Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery, we customize your Kybella® treatment. Most patients are happy with their new chin after two to four treatments. Others require six. The number of treatments will depend on the amount of fat stored under your chin, along with your desired final profile. Treatments are spaced four weeks apart. Plus, Kybella® has no side effects and requires no recovery time. There can be some temporary swelling at the injection sites, but that passes quickly. Because Kybella® destroys the fat cells, the results are permanent. However, if you gain weight, submental fat can return.
