COOLSCULPTING COOL MINI, KYBELLA INJECTIONS AND MICRO-LIPOSUCTION
Frustrated with those extra pockets of fat underneath your chin? Does your double chin make you want to hide or wear turtlenecks year-round? Unfortunately, submental fat (fat underneath the chin) is one of the areas where it is most difficult to lose fat. Genetics plays a role in submental fullness and to put it simply, there just aren’t any exercises one can do to specifically target the area under a chin. So, when it comes to options… What can one do? At Ventura Institute of Dermatologic Arts (VIDA), we offer more than one solution when it comes to pesky fat below the chin: Cool Mini, Kybella injections, and/or Micro-liposuction.
Freeze Chin Fat with the CoolSculpting Cool Mini
Recently approved by the FDA, the Cool Mini, is a new applicator for CoolSculpting (a procedure that freezes fat away) that can specifically target smaller areas on the body, like under the chin. For patients with mild to moderate fat, Dr. Karlsberg generally recommends two CoolSculpting, Cool Mini treatments, followed by a touch up that may include one to two Kybella injections.
Cool Mini treatments work by “sucking” affected areas up into a hand piece, while simultaneously chilling (or creating ice crystals) the fat cells, ultimately destroying them. One session can take up to an hour and can freeze up to 1/3 of the fat from under your chin. In some patients, two overlapping Cool Mini treatments may be performed back to back. The procedure is a particularly great treatment for those looking to avoid surgery since there are not any incisions to be made and there’s no downtime.
Kybella Injections Dissolve Fat Underneath the Chin
Kybella injections are another non-surgical option used to reduce the appearance of upper neck fat, or a double chin. It is the first and only injectable method approved by the FDA that destroys fat cells permanently. Unlike Micro-liposuction, which is often a one-time procedure, Kybella often requires a series of treatments – typically two injection sessions, scheduled four weeks apart. If patients combine Kybella injections with Cool Mini, then the first Kybella injection is scheduled about four weeks after the CoolSculpting treatment. Kybella injections are fast and only require a short in-office appointment.
Non-invasive Kybella injections contain deoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the body used to break down and destroy fat cells. Kybella melts the fat cells that collect under the chin improving the contour of your chin and jawline with only mild symptoms such as swelling and bruising.
Micro-Liposuction for Treatment of a Double Chin
Many patients are familiar with the term liposuction, a surgical procedure designed to remove fat from specific areas of the body. Micro-liposuction is similar, except that instead of a larger cannula used in surgical settings, it uses a very tiny cannula, so it is minimally-invasive, virtually painless, and can be performed in our office using only local anesthesia (numbing).
Micro-liposuction may be recommended for patients who have more submental fat than can be sufficiently addressed with the CoolSculpting Cool Mini and/or Kybella. Due to the small size of the cannula used, the procedure provides unprecedented control in removing fat to treat a double chin, while simultaneously refining the jawline and addressing the jowls.
The Micro-liposuction procedure’s tiny cannula is so small that no stitches (sutures) are needed under the chin after the procedure. Sometimes two additional areas of entry, just under each ear, are also used to remove the fat along the jawline. Chin Micro-liposuction takes approximately 30 – 60 minutes and is often combined with a skin tightening procedure such as the non-surgical neck lift. Bruising and swelling can be quite common, but typically reside within 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the patient. The majority of patients are back to work and life, provided it’s not overly-strenuous, within a day or two.
Reveal a Fabulous Jawline with VIDA
At VIDA, our board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Peter Karlsberg, and his professional, licensed physician’s assistant, Michele Ayans PA-C, are trained to administer these options and provide informative information through consultation. We understand that though excess fat under the chin may not present medical dangers, it absolutely affects one’s self-image. And we’re confident that through Micro-liposuction, the CoolSculpting Cool Mini, or Kybella injections for the chin, we can help you reveal a fabulous jawline and regain your confidence.
For more information on the Cool Mini, Kybella or Micro-liposuction for a double chin, contact us at this link, or call (805) 677-1600.