Kybella

An innovative treatment for submental fullness.

Many patients experience submental fullness, commonly called a “double chin,” regardless of whether they are at an overall healthy weight. This can disrupt the profile they wish they had and cause a poorly-defined chin and jawline. Thankfully, Kybella is available. Kybella is an injectable product specifically designed to treat submental fullness. This product is a unique treatment option for patients of many ages, offering significant and permanent results. At Lewisburg Plastic Surgery, Kybella injections are provided by our board-certified plastic surgeons.

What is submental fullness?

Submental fullness is commonly referred to as a “double chin.” It is a common pattern of fat deposits that affects both men and women of any age group. While submental fullness may be a result of being overweight, it is also commonly the result of genetics or aging. This means that patients at a healthy weight may find that their submental fullness persists. As a result, patients may look older than they actually are or have a poorly-defined jawline.

How Does Kybella Work?

Kybella is a unique injectable and the only FDA-approved non-surgical treatment for submental fullness. The active ingredient is deoxycholic acid, which is a naturally-occurring molecule that breaks down fat. Kybella is injected directly into the area below the chin to destroy fat cells. Once destroyed, the fat cells are naturally metabolized by the body.

Kybella Treatment

After a brief consultation to review your goals and health history, Kybella injections can take place in our office at Lewisburg Plastic Surgery. Some patients may require a topical numbing cream to maintain comfort through the injections, though this is not always necessary. A series of injections are made directly below the chin to precisely target unwanted fat cells.

Kybella treatment takes place in a series of injections; on average, patients require 2-4 total treatment sessions. These injections are typically scheduled about 4-6 weeks apart to allow results to become noticeable and healing to take place.

After Kybella injections

Kybella does not require downtime and side effects are minimal. Some patients choose a short amount of downtime after the first treatment session as some soreness or sensitivity can occur after the injections. Other common side effects include redness, slight swelling, and bruising at the injection site. Patients may also notice that the treatment area feels hard following their injections. Discomfort and swelling can be treated by applying ice or a cold pack or taking over-the-counter pain relievers as needed. During your consultation, aftercare instructions will be provided.

Kybella results are permanent, meaning that maintenance injections are not required after the initial course of treatment. Results are first noticeable beginning about six weeks following injections. At about six weeks following the last injection session, patients will begin to notice their final results. On average, these continue to improve for about six months after the full treatment course as the body continues to metabolize the destroyed fat cells and all residual swelling has dissipated. Because fat cells are permanently destroyed and do not regenerate, the area should be permanently slimmer and more defined.