A double chin can be one of the most frustrating cosmetic concerns to deal with: often diet and exercise do nothing to get rid of it, and it can make you look older or heavier than you are. So what do you do about it? Here at ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD, we offer Kybella, a game-changing injectable that can permanently destroy a double chin and offer you a sculpted, stunning jawline. To learn more about this incredible treatment, read on.
How Long Will Kybella Results Last?
Amazingly, the results of Kybella can be permanent if you’re willing to take the right steps after your treatment. This is because while many fat cells are destroyed permanently during your appointments, others will only release fluid and shrink in size. They could still grow again if you were to significantly put on weight in the future, resulting in the re-emergence of a double chin. But if you maintain a similar weight, supported by healthy eating and regular exercise, then you won’t have to worry about that happening and can enjoy your dream jawline for years to come!
How Does This Treatment Work?
This treatment is a series of injections that directly targets and destroy a double chin (also known as “submental fullness”). A very fine needle is used to send the product straight into the submental fullness, where it gets to work finding fat cells and either shrinking them down or destroying them completely. It does this using a key ingredient called deoxycholic acid, which is a molecule that occurs naturally in our bodies. Usually, it’s in the stomach, where it breaks down fat to aid in our digestion. Here, it works in the same way, but to break down fat in the chin!
These destroyed fat cells and fluids are treated by the body as waste, meaning that following your treatment, they’ll be flushed out via normal metabolic processes. When this happens, the double chin gradually disappears, and patients are left with a stunning, sculpted jawline. In fact, 79% of patients who participated in a clinical study noticed visible improvements after a few sessions. Because our bodies can’t produce new fat cells after adolescence, you won’t have to worry about new fat cells replacing the old ones!
Is This Treatment Safe?
Because deoxycholic acid is naturally-occurring, it’s highly unlikely that the body will reject it when it’s injected during this treatment. So patients love that the risk of any allergies is very low. Because treatment is minimally invasive, it doesn’t pose the same risk of infection as surgical cosmetic options might. If you’re worried about reacting badly to the anesthetic, never fear – we don’t use any, opting to instead use a very safe topical numbing cream that we’ll apply to the treatment areas before your injections.
What Will Treatment Be Like?
Your Consultation
The first step of this process is to come in for a consultation with a member of our expert team. This will be your chance to show us your submental fullness and talk us through what your cosmetic goals are. We’ll go through your medical history, including any medication you might be taking, to ensure you’re a suitable, healthy candidate. If everything looks good, we’ll draw you up a treatment plan that will be followed along with during your appointments.
Steps To Take
Ahead of your sessions, we may ask that you avoid certain activities to minimize your chances of bruising or swelling after treatment. This will include not taking blood-thinning medications such as aspirin or fish oil tablets, and not spending too much time in the sun so you don’t risk getting burnt. On the day, we’ll ask you to come in with a clean face and jawline, which means no makeup or even sunscreen. This is so no foreign substances can contaminate the needle during treatment.
Your Appointment
Treatment is performed right here in our gorgeous Baltimore office. After we apply the numbing cream to the treatment area, we’ll make a series of injections to the submental fullness. Many patients report that the needle is so fine and the cream so effective that they can’t feel anything! For this reason, it can actually be quite a relaxing experience. The process usually takes no longer than half an hour, and then you will be free to go.
Will There Be a Long Recovery Period?
Unlike surgical options that require a week of bed rest afterward, this treatment requires zero downtime. Patients can head straight back to work or errand-running after they’re finished, even driving themselves to and from their appointment. After treatment, we’ll often advise against things that can alter your blood pressure too much, like rigorous exercise and exposure to high temperatures. These lifestyle changes will only last a couple of days, however, then you can resume normal life!
How Many Sessions Will I Need and How Frequent Will They Be?
This will depend on the size of your submental fullness. For some people, as little as two will do the trick to achieve optimal results. For others, as many as six may be required. We’ll plan your follow-up sessions as part of your treatment plan, but usually they’re spaced about a month apart. What’s wonderful about this treatment is that sessions will always be as straightforward and easy as the first, making them easy to slot into even the busiest schedules. It’s quicker than getting a haircut!
How Long Will Results Take To Develop?
Results develop gradually as the fat cells and fluids leave your body via excretion. This can take up to two weeks but will vary slightly depending on your body and its metabolic processes. After this time, you’ll notice your double chin has decreased in size. By the end of your scheduled appointments, you should notice it’s dramatically diminished, leaving you with a striking, gorgeous new jawline! Patients love that gradual results mean this treatment can be as subtle and private as they want it to be.
Can This Treatment Be Used Anywhere Else?
Deoxycholic acid is very powerful, so it’s important it’s only injected into areas that don’t contain any cells or tissues that aren’t fat. Submental fullness is perfect for this treatment, since these fat cells are very isolated. But there’s almost nowhere else on the body that is so removed from critical tissues and organs, so we only use Kybella on the double chin. If you’re struggling with pockets of fat on other parts of your body, we can recommend alternative treatments that are safe and FDA-approved for use elsewhere!
Who Is a Good Candidate for This Kybella Treatment?
Since 68% of Americans struggle with submental fullness, it’s safe to say that there’s no one “perfect candidate” for this treatment. As long as you’re over 18, we welcome you to come in for a consultation if you’re struggling with a double chin, regardless of body shape, skin tone, or gender. Some medical conditions and pregnancy will render you ineligible for this treatment, but if this is the case, we’ll be delighted to talk you through some brilliant alternative treatments we offer here.
What if My Double Chin Is Caused by Sagging Skin?
During your consultation, we may examine your submental fullness and determine that it’s not caused by excess fat, but rather loose, hanging skin. This is incredibly common: as we age, we produce less and less hyaluronic acid (HA), which keeps the skin tight and supple. Without HA, the skin looses elasticity and becomes more sagging, resulting in folds, hollow areas, and jowls. If your double chin is the result of a loss of HA, destroying fat cells won’t do anything to diminish its appearance.
Instead, we may suggest your try dermal fillers. These incredible injectables provide the body with new, synthetic HA, which gives the skin new volume. When injected into the jawline, it can plump up hanging skin like jowls, which lifts it and offers the patient a sculpted, younger-looking jawline. In this way, they work similarly to Kybella. Dermal fillers can also be used to treat wrinkles, hollow cheeks, and thin lips. While the results are not permanent, patients are invited to come back for maintenance sessions every six months or so.
Get Ready for a Beautiful, Sculpted Jawline
If your double chin is making you feel self-conscious or like you can’t be yourself, you might be ready for Kybella. In just a few simple sessions, you can enjoy a refined jawline that shaves off years and has you feeling confident and free in your body. If you’re ready to get started, we’re ready to hear from you to learn more, call the team at ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD, today.
