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Serving the Great Lakes Bay Area

How Can You Improve the Appearance of a Double Chin?

Admin • Feb 03, 2020
Young Laughing Woman— Saginaw, MI — Ronald C. Barry MD


If you have a layer of subcutaneous fat around your chin and neck, you may be embarrassed by the appearance of a double chin. Thankfully, cosmetic options are available to deal with this issue. Read on to learn more about this cosmetic issue and how to treat it with a minimally invasive procedure.

What Causes a Double Chin?

A poor diet of trans fats and processed foods can make you more prone to the appearance of a double chin, especially if you are overweight or obese. A doctor can help you adjust your diet and help you implement an exercise plan. These lifestyle changes may be enough to eliminate a double chin over time.

However, diet and overall weight aren't the only factors in causing double chins. As a person ages, their skin naturally becomes less elastic, which can contribute to the appearance of a double chin.

Your family history can also play a role since your genes affect how elastic your skin is and how fat is distributed in your body.

If dietary changes and exercise haven't helped eliminate a double chin, you can try cosmetic treatments.

What Is Mesotherapy and How Can It Help?

Mesotherapy is a broad term for many types of injection treatments that can remove excess fat and tighten skin. These injections may involve pharmaceutical preparations, hormones, vitamins, homeopathic preparations (e.g. plant extracts), etc.

One type of mesotherapy that may help reduce a double chin is Kybella - an injectable form of sodium deoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring molecule that can break down fat. Kybella is approved by the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) and has been shown to be an effective treatment.

During this treatment, your doctor will use very fine needles to inject Kybella into the mesoderm, or middle layer, of your skin. This compound of sodium deoxycholic acid will then dissolve fat around the chin and neck. Once dissolved, your body's metabolism will naturally clear the fat cells from the treatment site.

What Is a Kybella Treatment Like?

It usually takes about six treatments for you to get your desired results. Before a treatment session, your doctor may have you stop taking NSAIDs and aspirin so that you can reduce the risk of bleeding and bruising.

Every session is different, but during each session, your doctor will apply a numbing agent to your skin or local anesthetics to make you more comfortable. He or she will then inject the sodium deoxycholic acid in key areas around the chin and neck.

While mesotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure, you can experience some side effects after treatment, such as:

  • Swelling and redness
  • Bruising
  • Sensitivity around your chin and neck
  • Skin discoloration
  • Itchiness
  • A rash

These side effects should diminish after your sessions. Lastly, your doctor may take pictures after each session so that you can track your results and see your progress.

What Are the Benefits of Mesotherapy?

Although there are some side effects after mesotherapy, these symptoms are very mild compared to what you could experience after major procedure. There are no incisions, just tiny pin-pricks at the injection sites.

Furthermore, you don't need to have an extensive recovery period after mesotherapy. For example, if you had liposuction, then it would take you up to six weeks to recover.

One great benefit of mesotherapy is its affordability. Many cosmetic procedures aren't covered by insurance, meaning that you could spend thousands of dollars to undergo surgeries. On average, mesotherapy can be between $250 and $600. If you don't need many sessions for your desired results, then this cost range could be more viable than other cosmetic options.

Contact Ronald C. Barry, MD, to learn more about mesotherapy treatments like Kybella and how to treat your double chin.


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