If you’re one of the millions of Americans frustrated with their stubborn double chin, there’s good news: modern body sculpting treatments can help more than diet and exercise ever could. One particular treatment, Kybella, is an FDA-approved, minimally invasive, injectable method specifically for melting away a double chin. This treatment has been growing in popularity ever since its introduction in 2015, and we offer it at Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK. Can Kybella be used on cheeks? Let’s answer that on this article.
Kybella: 11 Things to Know
1. It Uses a Natural Body Chemical
Kybella is actually the brand name for a synthesized version of deoxycholic acid. This bile acid is normally found in the gut, where it works to break down dietary fat. When injected into a double chin, also known as submental fat, it goes to work on your fat cells there just as it would on fat that you eat. It breaks them down, and the body then flushes them out over a period of several weeks.
Because deoxycholic acid occurs naturally in the human body, almost everyone tolerates injections of the synthesized version well, making this treatment one of the safest and most comfortable ways to get rid of a double chin.
2. It’s a Permanent Solution to a Double Chin
This treatment can permanently get rid of a double chin, provided you maintain good diet and exercise habits. The reason it’s permanent comes down to the science of human body fat. Once we exit adolescence, our bodies almost never create new fat cells or destroy old ones. Instead, when we gain weight, more fat is stored in our existing fat cells, causing them to expand. When we lose weight, that fat is metabolized by the body and the fat cells shrink. This is one big reason why so many of us have pockets of stubborn body fat: we might have lost plenty of fat, but the cells are still there.
A deoxycholic acid treatment kills the fat cells that make up a double chin outright. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. This treatment doesn’t kill 100% of the fat cells in the treated area, though. That means that, should someone who’s had this treatment gain weight, the remaining cells could expand and cause the reappearance of a double chin. That’s one of the reasonswhy this treatment is recommended largely to people who already lead a healthy lifestyle.
3. It’s FDA-Approved Only for Use on a Double Chin
Many people wonder if Kybella could be used to treat other pockets of stubborn body fat, but for now, the FDA has approved it only for use on a double chin. The reason for this is simple: deoxycholic acid’s main purpose in the body is to break down dietary fat, but it does so in the safe confines of the gut. When injected elsewhere, it could conceivably damage other, non-fatty tissue.
It’s perfect for a double chin, which is comprised of a thick layer of fat set apart from any organs or other vital tissue, but it requires more study before it can be used to melt fat on the belly, love handles, face, or other popular spots for body contouring. This is also the reason why this treatment should only be performed by a trained professional who has experience conducting these treatments.
4. It’s a Quick Treatment With No Extensive Preparation
When you visit our location for your Kybella treatment, the first thing our practitioner will do is mark each injection site with a marker. Then, the area will be numbed with a numbing agent before the injections begin. The average patient will receive between twenty and thirty injections, but the number can go as high as fifty depending upon the size of the submental fullness being treated. Luckily, the needle used in this treatment is extremely thin, and that, combined with the numbing agent, means all you’ll feel is the slightest pinch.
The entire process takes just twenty minutes to half an hour from start to finish, making it one of the quickest options for melting a double chin. There’s also no need to prepare for your treatment. Unlike with invasive surgical procedures that often require fasting and other preparations, you can just walk in with no pre-planning aside from setting your appointment. You may want to avoid over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen prior to coming in as they can contribute to bruising, but it is not strictly necessary.
5. It Requires No Downtime
Unlike with invasive surgical procedures like liposuction, there is no need for recovery downtime with deoxycholic acid treatment. Once your treatment is finished, you can go right back to your normal daily routine. Because it’s so quick, you could even have it done during your lunch break and head right back to work, and no one would have to know!
6. It Takes Time for Results to Become Visible
Deoxycholic acid treatments do not provide instantaneous results. It takes time for the injections to work their magic and more time for the body to flush out the destroyed fat cells and eliminate them from the body. In three to four weeks, most people will begin to see visible results from their first treatment. Those results can continue to improve over time as the body continues to remove fat cells destroyed by the deoxycholic acid.
7. It’s Normal to Get More Than One Treatment
The number of treatments each person has depends on their goals and the size of their submental fullness. This is one of the best things about Kybella: the treatment and its results are easily customizable and adaptable to each individual’s needs. You can get one treatment or more, with fifteen injections or up to fifty. It all depends on the look you’re hoping to achieve and the size of your submental fullness.
Most people, however, will get more than one treatment. Treatments must be spaced one month apart, and each person can get a maximum of six treatments. That means that, should your goals require you to undergo the full course of six treatments, you will have to commit to six months’ worth of deoxycholic acid treatments, with one treatment per month. Luckily, with each treatment taking only fifteen to twenty minutes, most people will have time for this. When you visit us for your initial consultation, we will work with you to develop a treatment plan that suits your goals and your budget.
8. It’s Great for Most People
As mentioned above, this treatment is derived from a compound that occurs naturally within the human body. This means that it’s safe for most people. The ideal candidates are people who are already in good overall shape and have healthy lifestyles, but who also have stubborn double chins that don’t respond to diet and exercise. Good candidates for this treatment also have specific goals in mind and don’t mind having one treatment a month for up to six months.
9. It’s Not Suitable for a Small Minority
Despite Kybella being suitable for most potential candidates, there are certain conditions that rule people out from undergoing this treatment. In this section, we’ll break down a few populations for who should look to other options to achieve their aesthetic goals.
People Who Want to Lose Weight
It’s important to note that, while deoxycholic acid injections kill fat cells, they are not meant for weight loss. This is a cosmetic procedure only, and people who undergo it likely won’t notice a change in weight at all. Those hoping to lose weight for health reasons should instead speak to their physician about a diet and exercise plan that can help them achieve their goals.
People With Non-Fatty Double Chins
Not every double chin is the result of submental fat. In fact, most people will develop a double chin later in life for different reasons. Skin elasticity, for example, starts to degrade as we age. This often results in the skin beneath the jawline sagging, creating the appearance of a double chin. The neck muscles can also become slacker as we age, leading to similar results. People with a weak chin bone may also have the appearance of a double chin and may have even had it since childhood.
These conditions create double chins that are not the result of submental fat. Because Kybella works only by targeting fat cells, it will not help people with these conditions. If your double chin is the result of one of these issues, there are still surgical options, including chin and neck lifts or chin implants, available to you that can help alleviate the appearance of a double chin.
Women Who Are Pregnant or May Become Pregnant
It’s not because deoxycholic acid treatments have been proven dangerous to pregnancies that women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should avoid them. It’s simply because not enough research has been done to say that there is definitively no risk. If you are pregnant, you should hold off on undergoing this treatment until your pregnancy has come to term. If you may become pregnant within the next six months, it’s advisable to wait.
10. It’s Proven to Work
A minimally invasive treatment with no downtime that can melt away a double chin faster than diet and exercise might sound too good to be true, but this treatment has been proven to work. It was approved for use by the FDA in 2015, and since then has exploded in popularity around the country. In clinical trials, a whopping 82.4% of people reported improved satisfaction with their appearance after undergoing their final round of treatment.
11. It’s More Affordable Than Most Alternatives
A treatment this quick, easy, and effective might sound like it’s going to be far pricier than other alternatives. This is not the case, however. One deoxycholic acid treatment costs from $1200 to $1800. Compare this with invasive liposuction surgery, which can cost up to $10,000 and requires anesthesia, a lengthy procedure, and days of downtime for recovery, and it’s easy to see why this noninvasive option has become overwhelmingly popular in the past few years.
Try It for Yourself
If you’re one of the millions of people in this country frustrated with their double chin, this treatment offers you a solution that requires just twenty minutes of time each month for up to six months. That’s a small price to pay for boosted confidence and a jawline that can make you look years younger. If you’d like to learn more about Kybella or start planning your treatment, give Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK a call today to schedule your initial consultation!