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weight-loss
Kybella® for Double Chin
Kybella is an injectable treatment that permanently destroys fat cells beneath the chin. It uses deoxycholic acid, a substance the body already produces to break down dietary fat. Most patients need two to four sessions spaced about a month apart, and destroyed fat cells do not return.
How Kybella Works
Kybella is synthetic deoxycholic acid, a molecule your body naturally uses to absorb fat. Injected into the pocket of fat under the chin, it disrupts the membrane of the fat cells there, and those cells are cleared by the body over the following weeks.
Once destroyed, those fat cells cannot store fat again. That is why the result is considered permanent, provided your weight stays stable.
Who Kybella Is For
Kybella is for patients bothered by fullness under the chin, sometimes called submental fullness or a double chin, especially when:
- The fullness persists despite diet and exercise
- It is inherited and has been present at any weight
- You want to avoid surgery or liposuction
It treats fat, not loose skin. If skin laxity is the main issue, a tightening treatment such as Thermage FLX is the better fit, and some patients benefit from both.
What to Expect
The treatment area is marked with a grid and numbed. A series of small injections is placed across the area. The appointment takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Expect noticeable swelling afterward. This is the most significant recovery of any injectable treatment offered here, and it is worth planning around.
Aftercare
Swelling under the chin is expected and can be pronounced for several days, sometimes up to two weeks after the first session. Bruising, tenderness and areas of firmness are also common. Ice helps in the first 24 hours.
Most patients schedule the first session with a quiet week ahead. Swelling is typically less with each subsequent session.
Session Length
15 to 20 minutes
Downtime
15 to 20 minutes
Session Count
Typically two to four, spaced about one month apart
Results Timeline
Visible after swelling resolves, building across the series
Results Duration
Permanent, with stable weight
Device or Brand
Kybella® (deoxycholic acid injection, Allergan)
FDA Status
FDA approved for the improvement of moderate to severe submental fullness
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Kybella treatments will I need?
Most patients need two to four sessions spaced about a month apart, depending on how much fullness is present.
Is Kybella permanent?
Yes. The fat cells destroyed by treatment do not regenerate. Maintaining your weight preserves the result.
How much swelling should I expect?
Enough to plan around. Swelling under the chin is pronounced for several days after the first session and can last up to two weeks. It is the expected response, not a complication.
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Dr. Todd A. Besnoff, MD
Medical Director
Top Doctor in Tampa Bay
Dr. Besnoff has been referred to as one of the Top Doctors in Tampa Bay (as seen in the recent Tampa Bay Magazine Top Doctors issue) and Top 100 Aesthetic Provider in America! Dr. Besnoff has assisted and/or performed hundreds of thousands of surgical procedures since 1995 in specialties such as plastic surgery, gynecology, tissue donation and life-saving emergency treatments. In fact, Ultimate Image has been known to have performed more BOTOX® / Dysport® treatments in Tampa Bay than any other provider.