What Are The Best Treatments for A Double Chin
Advancements in cosmetic procedures have revolutionized the way we approach double chin treatments. Today, there is a wide range of safe and effective treatments that can significantly reduce or eliminate a double chin, restoring a more sculpted and harmonious facial profile.
We are going to explore the best treatments available for double chin, providing you with valuable information to help you make an informed decision about your aesthetic goals.
Four treatment options depending on anatomy:
When people complain about their “double chin,” they are generally talking about fullness below their jawline and behind their chin. This fullness, which is most commonly excess fat, causes many cosmetic problems. First, it weakens the profile (side view) and gives an oblique, or diagonal line, appearance from the chin to the lower neck instead of a sharp angle from the chin down to the neck.
Next, this fullness weakens the jawline itself, covering and camouflaging the bony edge that ideally can give a chiseled, contoured look. Also, in most patients, this excess bulk appears magnified when the patient looks down (think cellphone) and the excess fat and skin bunches or folds, causing the “doubling” appearance of the chin.
Overall, these signs all combine to give a heavier and less attractive appearance to the lower face. Therefore, improving the shape of this area behind the chin leads to a more defined, contoured, thinner, and more attractive face.
Liposuction – The obvious answer
For most patients, especially younger patients, better contour is easily achieved by debulking excess fat behind the chin. This submental (literally “below the chin”) fat can be examined by pinching the thickness of this area and comparing it to the other areas of the neck.
Also, the skin tightness and elasticity can be evaluated in the same way. If fat excess is present and if the skin is good enough, then simple liposuction can cause a dramatic improvement to the jawline in less than a half an hour.
This is done through 3 tiny (3mm) holes under the chin and jawline and can be performed under sedation or general anesthesia (patient’s choice). The recovery is generally painless (expect to be numb under the chin for weeks), but the patient must wear a compressive garment putting pressure on the suctioned area almost all the time for 2 weeks, and then at least 50% of the time during the 3rd and 4th weeks.
Overall, this surgery gives a MASSIVE amount of improvement in appearance for a very small procedure and is often the best choice for young adults with tight skin who want to make a big improvement.
Coolsculpting and Kybella- The nonsurgical alternative for fat
Some patients just can’t commit to the downtime of compression after liposuction. Others are simply not willing to have any surgery. Fortunately, 2 reasonable options exist for these patients. As long as their skin is not loose, many patients can be good candidates for Coolsculpting or Kybella treatments. It should be repeated that patients with loose skin are NOT candidates for Coolsculpting or Kybella (or liposuction either, for that matter).
Coolsculpting For A Double Chin
Coolsculpting involves attaching an external chilling device (that looks kind of like a mini vacuum cleaner) under the chin. This device is kept in place and turned on for approximately 45 minutes and gets the tissue cold enough to kill some of the fat without killing the skin.
It is mostly painless (very cold and tight at first) and can cause numbness for a few weeks. For Coolsculpting, no compression is needed. Patients usually do need 2 or 3 treatments to get the best result. Occasionally some patients’ jawlines/necks just won’t fit well on the machine, and these patients cannot be treated.
Also, some patients have jaw shapes or fat distributions that are not ideally addressed with the Coolsculpting chin attachment.
Kybella For A Double Chin
Kybella injections can be a good option for patients who do not want surgery and who have excess fat, but who are not a good fit for the Coolsculpting machine. Kybella is injected with a tiny needle in a grid-like pattern in the area of fat excess under the jawline.
Because the injection sites can be customized, fit or size is never an issue. Unfortunately, the treatment usually consists of 20 or more injections, each of which burns for 10-20 seconds while the fat is being dissolved. After the treatment, the area swells significantly and becomes numb for a few days and gives a tight, rubbery feel and appearance to the area.
After about 1 week, the appearance is back to how it started and then the fat continues to decrease for another few weeks. Most patients need 2 or 3 treatments, and these are separated by 4-6 weeks.
Neck Lifts and Chin Implants – when there’s more anatomy to fix
Liposuction, Coolsculpting, and Kybella only do 1 thing: remove fat. If the problem is anything more than excess fat directly under the skin, they are not the best solutions.
Some young people with good skin can have weak jawlines because their chins are too small to give a good profile. These patients benefit tremendously from a chin implant which takes less than an hour. Often, chin implants are combined with liposuction to create unbelievable transformations.
Other patients have anatomy below, or even deeper than, the fat that can be suctioned. These patients have deep anatomy that sticks far enough down and forward to interrupt a defined jawline and neck. In such patients, an incision placed under the chin allows access to remove deep fat that cannot be treated with liposuction.
This approach also allows trimming down excess bulk from some muscles and even shaving down salivary glands that bulge out below the jawline.
Very commonly, though, patients who come in for liposuction, Coolsculpting, or Kybella have a problem that requires a totally different approach- LOOSE SKIN. If you start with loose skin, then deflating the fat below it will make the skin even LOOSER! In these patients, a surgical neck lift is required, which takes 2-3 hours.
At Weniger Plastic Surgery, we understand the impact that a double chin can have on your confidence and overall well-being. Our team of skilled professionals is dedicated to helping you achieve your aesthetic goals through state-of-the-art treatments. Whether you’re seeking a non-surgical solution or exploring the possibility of a surgical intervention, we are committed to providing you with the highest quality care and delivering exceptional results.
So, if you’re ready to embark on your journey towards a more youthful and defined chin, join us as we explore the best treatments for double chin. Let us guide you through the options, empowering you to make an informed decision and discover the path to a more confident you.