From Elle Magazine, August 13, 2015
Like liposuction in a syringe.
Until recently, surgery was the best option for anyone looking to achieve the Holy Grail of lower-face #goals: a sharper, more chiseled chin.
Enter a game-changing new injectable solution called Kybella.
The first injectable substance that the FDA has approved to treat submental fat (i.e. the jawline, neck, “double chin” area), Kybella is designed to dissolve stubborn under-the-chin fat.
Kybella is deoxycholic acid, a fat-absorbing substance found in our bodies naturally.
When injected, it destroys fat cells under the chin, leaving the skin substantially tighter and the jaw more contoured. More than 20 studies, with thousands of patients, have showed that almost 70% noted both physical and emotional improvement after treatment.
For best results:
Patients should commit to about two to six treatments, spaced about 6 to 8 weeks apart, with anywhere from 12 to 20 little injections per visit. That might sound like hours of pin-prickly pain, but the treatment is actually quicker than a manicure, at about 20 minutes per session. Plus, only a teaspoon of substance is needed to see a difference.
Unlike Botox, which yields results that last for up to six months in as few as four days, Kybella results are noticeable at four to six weeks and last for years, which means that touch-ups shouldn’t be needed.
As for side effects, expect swelling and bruising that start to fade within three days of treatment.
So why not inject Kybella all over the body?
As of right now, it’s indicated only for smaller areas.
But stay tuned; a similar substance may be in the pipeline for use below the neck.
Mona A. Gohara, MD, is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale and an ELLE Beauty Genius.