Double Chin Reduction

Who wants a double chin? Many patients say the excess fat under their chin, or submental fat, is resistant to diet and exercise. Whether caused by heredity ageing or weight gain, submental fat has traditionally been treated with a facelift or liposuction. Now, there’s a non-surgical approach that takes only minutes per treatment. Approved by the FDA in June 2015, Kybella® (also sold as Belkyra™) is the first and only non-surgical injectable solution for submental fat, or more commonly referred to as a double chin.

A synthesized bile acid, Kybella® is also produced naturally within the body as an aid in digestion. When used for a double chin treatment, it gently breaks down unwanted localized fat over time.

At Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery, Dr. Anil Sharma administers Kybella® as a small injection. If desired, the skin or entire area can be numbed with local anesthesia. Each treatment takes about five minutes; most patients need two to four treatments, which might be spaced eight weeks apart. The effect is long-lasting and re-treatment is not usually necessary, although in some cases weight gain and future ageing result in new submental fat.

After Your Treatment

Following treatment, you may notice swelling and minor discomfort. Most patients do not require prescription pain medication after the procedure. If desired, Advil can be taken post-procedure to control any minor discomfort. The swelling is usually mild to moderate, but any patient undergoing this treatment for the very first time should schedule it at a time that allows a few days for healing, especially if swelling or bruising will keep them from going to work.

Kybella® cannot be used to treat excess skin or extreme fat deposits on the whole neck. To find out whether you are an appropriate candidate, contact Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery.

What is Submental Adipose or 'Double Chin'?

A double chin is unwanted fat under the chin. Medically known as submental adipose, this fat forms a convex distension that may even look like a triple chin. Double chins are often unrelated to weight and lifestyle. Edmonton patients frequently describe their double chins as hereditary and report that their submental fat is very hard to lose. Even when generalized fat groups shrink due to systemic weight loss, the double chin or triple chin may remain. A double chin often makes one look older. It distorts the patient’s natural jaw line, a sign of youth and masculinity in men.

Belkyra™ or Kybella®?

Like Juvederm®, Belkyra™ and Kybella® are aesthetic injectables. Approved by the FDA and Health Canada, they are liquids that can safely be injected under the skin to reduce and possibly eliminate fat under the chin. Both substances contain deoxycholic acid, which is naturally produced as a secondary bile salt. This acid disrupts the cell wall of the fat or adipose cell, causing the cell to burst. This process is called apoptosis. The fat molecules contained inside the cells are then removed by the body’s natural inflammatory response. The by-products are processed by the liver or kidney and eliminated through feces or urine.

Double Chin FAQ

What Side Effects Can I Expect?

These injectables cause no increased danger of cardiovascular disease, as the quantity of fat cells broken down is modest. Dr. Sharma counsels his patients to expect mild to moderate bruising, swelling, and/or discomfort. Some patients also experience a slight burning sensation.

Is There Any Particular Post-Treatment Care After a Belkyra™ Injectable Procedure?

Achieving the double chin reduction you desire may take two to several injections, normally performed six to 12 weeks apart. After each injection, predictable amounts of fat cells exposed to the compound are dissolved and then metabolized normally by the human body, decreasing the size of a double chin. Modest quantities of submental fat can be removed in several shots. Substantial amounts of subcutaneous fat, double, triple or quadruple chins may require several procedures, or these patients may benefit from tumescent liposuction.

How Long Does it Take for the Belkyra™ Injectable to Work?

Each treatment session takes between 15 and 20 minutes at a time. The process is then repeated one to three months later with full results showing about 7 weeks post-treatment.

Does Belkyra™ Injectable Work on Loose Skin?

Patients who also have an appreciable degree of lax skin will frequently combine Kybella® injectables with skin tightening processes such as Venus Legacy. This well-known energy device can tighten skin non-invasively once the fat has been reduced.

Author: Dr. Anil Sharma

Book a Consultation