Tips on Treatments for a Double Chin

By Suzanne J. Friedler, M.D. F.A.A.D

Nearly 7 in 10 adults possess something they really don’t want: a double chin. But this extremely common facial feature – influenced by genes and aging – can be fixed with a wide array of cosmetic treatments and techniques.

Known medically as submental fullness, a double chin typically signifies excess fat in the area under the jaw or around the neck. While weight is often a factor, however, your anatomy or even the position of your airway can determine whether a dreaded double chin is part of your profile.Gravity also takes a toll, even if you’re not overweight, since sagging skin caused by aging can make a double chin more likely. Fortunately, an increasing number of minimally invasive or surgical approaches can minimize or even get rid of a double chin.

 Minimally invasive treatments 

 Recent years have seen a surge in minimally invasive techniques – which require at least one office visit – to target double chins. These options include:

Ultherapy:

Using high-powered ultrasound waves your doctor administers with a hand-held device, Ultherapy’s heat energy causes the skin under your chin and neck to tighten while also triggering collagen to develop. Taking only about an hour, Ultherapy is especially useful for those whose sagging skin is the culprit in creating a double chin, not accumulated fat. Research shows that 9 in 10 patients undergoing Ultherapy reported a tightened jawline.

CoolSculpting Mini: 

By freezing fat cells, which are then reabsorbed into the body over time, CoolSculpting Mini gradually tightens the jawline. A strap holds the device under your chin for about 45 minutes, and some patients require more than one session. Results typically take between 8 and 12 weeks to become apparent.

SmartLipo:

By rupturing and liquifying fat cells with laser-assisted liposuction – which are then suctioned out – this procedure can produce long-lasting results after just one treatment. Less invasive than conventional liposuction, SmartLipo removes fat cells with a small tube called a cannula, which is inserted through a tiny incision in the chin. Patients need to control their weight to maintain long-term chin improvement.

Pixel CO2 Laser:

By aiming a powerful laser beam at the chin area, Pixel CO2 treatment reveals a new layer of skin underneath and drives collagen production that can also firm the jaw. One session can reduce both jowls and double chins, and Pixel also has a lower risk of producing skin discoloration or redness than traditional CO2 lasers.

Kybella:

This highly touted treatment uses a chemical known as deoxycholic acid to melt fat in the chin after it’s injected into the area. Kybella typically requires between 2 and 6 sessions over several week, and it can take time for swelling to lessen as the body reabsorbs melted fat cells. But many patients notice dramatic improvement after 2 sessions, with chin fat eliminated after 6 sessions.

Surgical options 

Plastic surgery is also an option to fix a double chin, offering the advantage of also tackling other facial traits you’d like to tweak.  A neck lift can remove extra skin in the neck and/or tighten neck muscles. A face lift can also soften a double chin. However both of these procedures are invasive and may have extended recovery times.

Both types of surgery . . .

. . . produce temporary swelling and bruising that resolves over weeks, but plastic surgery is the most aggressive way to chisel the chin as well as other facial features.