You didn’t ask for a double chin, but your genes or habits gave you one anyway. The fat that creates a double chin can be particularly stubborn and difficult to get rid of. For years, the only option people had for effectively removing that fat was liposuction. That was until the FDA approved Kybella, which became available in 2015.

Kybella specifically targets the fat in the submental, or chin, area. While other methods of fat removal physically suction away fat or destroy it by freezing, Kybella gets rid of fat by dissolving it. The injectable is made from deoxycholic acid, which is naturally produced by the body.

As you might have guessed, deoxycholic acid dissolves fat cells when it comes into contact with them. It will also dissolve any other cells it comes into contact with, though, which is why it is important to choose a board certified, trained facial plastic surgeon to perform your injections.

If you’re tired of your double chin, aren’t ready for surgery, and aren’t getting results from exercise or diet, Kybella might be just the thing for you. Here are a few reasons why so many people choose it.

Kybella Doesn’t Require Surgery

One thing that makes Kybella so appealing is that it doesn’t require surgery. Before the injectable became available, the most common way to reduce or get rid of unwanted chin fat was through liposuction.  Although neck liposuction is generally less invasive than other forms of surgery, it still requires sedation and local anesthesia. You also usually need to take a few days off from work afterwards.

Plus, liposuction has all the risks commonly associated with surgery, from bruising and swelling to excessive bleeding and tissue death. Kybella has some risks as well, but they are generally rare.

The Treatment Is Quick

Another reason why people choose Kybella is that the treatment itself is quick. Generally, the surgeon performing the injections needs just 20 minutes or so to do them. The exact length of your Kybella treatment depends on how much submental fat you have and how many injections you need. It’s possible for someone to need as many as 50 injections during one treatment. People with less fat typically require fewer injections.

It’s important to understand that although each treatment session itself is quick, multiple treatments are often needed. It all depends on the size of your double chin and the type of results you are after. Usually, people receive between two and six treatments, each spaced about one month apart.

Kybella Works

Of course, the convenience and minimally invasive nature of Kybella wouldn’t be worth much if the treatment didn’t do much. So, here’s the best reason to choose it: It works. Initial studies involving the injection found that 80 percent of people treated saw the results they wanted within four months. Even better, nearly 80 percent of treated people were happy with the results they got from Kybella.

Once the deoxycholic acid destroys the fat and your body flushes it away, that fat is gone for good. That means that the results you get from a series of Kybella injections are permanent. The only way for the double chin to return is if you were to gain weight later on.

Is Kybella for You?

Kybella sounds like a great option for getting rid of your double chin. But it’s not the right treatment for everyone. For example, if you have extra fat under your chin and also have loose, sagging skin in the chin and neck area, Kybella is most likely not the right treatment for you. Kybella only works on fat. If you remove the fat with the injection, you’ll still be left with the loose skin and are not likely to see the improvement you  had hoped to see.

Kybella is only for certain types of fat in the chin area. Fat that lies deeper, beneath the muscles, won’t be dissolved by the injection. But, if your fat is located directly beneath the skin and is in localized deposits, you are likely to get the results you want.

So far, Kybella is only FDA approved for treating the fat in the chin area. It might work on fat in other parts of the body, but it’s only been tested and considered safe for the chin area.

If you’ve had surgery in your neck and chin area in the past, it’s important to let your surgeon know before your injections. Having had surgery won’t rule out Kybella for you, but it may alter how the surgeon administers the injections and how many injections you receive. Additionally, if you have any infection in the chin area or are pregnant, your surgeon will recommend waiting until the infection has cleared or until after you’ve given birth before you receive Kybella.

Dr. Kyle Choe, a board certified facial plastic surgeon, is one of the first providers to offer Kybella in the Virginia Beach area. If you’re tired of your double chin or are hoping to get a more youthful profile, call 757.389.5850 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Choe and to learn more about Kybella today.