03 Mar Kybella Treatments for Double Chin
Goodbye to that stubborn submental fullness, also known as a double chin. This product has been almost 10 years in the making and is a winner! Virtually all injectables have been focused on the upper and mid-facial areas and up until now, we had no way to address the lower face issues of fullness to the neck where one loses that seductive natural curve from the neck to the chin. The only answer was liposuction and even surgery to correct this fullness. Now there is an FDA approved non-surgical means to correct this problem area.
Dr. Steven Swengel has been selected by Kythera, the manufacturer and distributor of Kybella, to be one of the first offices in the country to offer this product. There will be very limited rollout of this product as Kythera is eager to demonstrate the safety and predictability of this treatment prior to more extensive distribution of this product. There will be very strict control of who is able to offer this product, where every injector needs to apply for the privilege to learn and train and demonstrate injector skills prior offering the product in office. Dr. Swengel has been chosen to be among the first to offer Kybella treatments and will be both a spokesperson for Kybella as well as a trainer.
Facts about Kybella
What is Kybella? This was originally labeled ATX-101 during 10 years of research and controlled studies to demonstrates its safety and effectiveness. The chemical is deoxycholase, a naturally occurring product found in bile salts. These bile salts are found in our own digestive tracts to break down and dissolve fats in our diets. Kybella is genetically engineered and produced as a pure product which is not human or animal derived.
How does it work? When injected into our submental fat, Kybella directly breaks down our submental fat cells via a process called adipocytolysis. This occurs almost immediately. Over the next 7 days, this process causes an inflammatory reaction which begins clearing the destroyed fat cells. Over a period of one month, the removal and clean-up of fat cells and the stimulation of fibroblasts will continue to show improvement and smoothing of the fat bulge.
Who is the best candidate for this treatment? Improvement will be seen in virtually every person who has submental fullness. The ideal candidate is someone with moderate fullness and who is still at the age where there is minimal skin laxity and the skin has enough elasticity to recover and pull back into position as the fat disappears.
What does the treatment entail? It all starts with an assessment as to whether you are a good candidate. Photos are taken, the skin is cleaned, prepped and marked for appropriate injection sites. A bit of numbing medication is injected into the treatment site prior to making small local injections into the desired area. In most people, two vials of the product will be used on the first treatment.
How many treatments does it take? For most people, it will take 2-4 treatments spaced about a month to 6 weeks apart. Some make take 6 treatments, but these would be people with more than moderate submental fat. The amount of product used will decrease as the condition improves. Treatment conclusion is when you are satisfied with the degree of improvement. There is 80% long-term satisfaction with the end results over time.
Does it hurt? With the small amount of local anesthesia, the initial lipolytic reaction is pain-free. There is mild to moderate swelling, possible mild bruising and tenderness to the injection site that resolves in a week. This does not limit your activities in any way. NSAIDS, aspirin or other mild pain meds can be taken as needed. Ice compresses can be used the first day and gentle massaging to the area after a couple of days can help with the lymphatic drainage to clear swelling a bit faster.
Is it safe? Kybella has been one of the most extensively studied new products to hit the cosmetic market. It has been 10 years in the making. Proper injection techniques and placement are the most important components of its safety profile. When these are adhered to, it is effective and safe. It is unusual that this product is unique approved for use in the US only where FDA regulations are the most stringent in the world. Applications have been made and are underway in Canada, Switzerland and Australia. Kythera wants to do this right!
How long does it last? Once the proper correction is achieved, the treated fat cells are gone for good. In most cases, no additional treatments are required. You have to do your part too by maintaining proper weight.
Can it be used elsewhere? This is referred to as off-label use. Physicians have the legal right to do so and there are discussions of using on leg fat, lipomas, inner thighs and fat around the knees. We have the better technology here at RefinedMD to address these issues and often at a less expensive price point. Feel free to ask about ‘off-label uses’.