BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON IN RENO

Kybella could just be called deoxycholic acid because that is basically all it is. Deoxycholic acid naturally occurs in the body and is responsible for breaking down fat. In 2015, the FDA approved Kybella to be given by doctors in a series of injections under the chin. How many injections in a single session and how many overall treatment sessions (the limit is six) are variable based on the individual needs of each patient.

In the human body, deoxycholic acid’s job is to break down dietary fat. When doctors isolated this acid and its task, the obvious question was, “Would it work on other fat?” It does. Deoxycholic acid doesn’t differentiate between fat that is ingested (dietary fat) and fat that exists under your chin. So, when Kybella is injected into the fat that has accumulated under your chin, it breaks down the fat, just as it would if it were dietary fat. Once this fat is destroyed and flushed from the body, the storage mechanism of this fat (which is a leftover from our prehistoric days when stored fat was an insurance policy against lean times when food was scarce) is also gone. This means that you won’t accumulate fat again under your chin unless you gain a great deal of weight. When the fat is gone, your profile returns to that of your younger, much younger days.*

This depends on what is the main factor behind your double chin. For all of us, submental fullness (that’s the clinical term for a double chin) is a factor of sagging skin (as gravity and simple aging make our skin sag) and accumulated fat. Kybella does not tighten the skin. But by removing the fat, which is pushing the skin downward, most patients see dramatic changes in their profile with Kybella.

Still, if you are thin and your problem is really one of sagging skin, you would be better served with a neck lift than using Kybella.

Unlike dermal fillers or Botox, the results you achieve with Kybella are permanent. Once the fat is gone, it’s gone for good! This is more in line with the surgical results of liposuction than with dermal fillers. Prior to your first treatment with Dr. Dahan, you’ll decide on how much you want to change your profile. Once you get there, your results are permanent. Of course, there will be some additional slackening of your skin as you continue to age, but the fat is gone forever.*

The maximum number of Kybella treatments is six, but most patients don’t feel the need to have that many.* We find that most patients opt for two to four treatments to achieve their goals. Each treatment session involves a number of injections with a very small needle throughout the area under your chin.