Double chins have a talent for making people feel insecure about how they look, especially in photographs. There are many reasons a double chin may occur. It can be due to constant weight gain or weight loss, causing looser skin under the chin. It can also form due to the effects of aging.
A double chin (submental fat) is a problem many patients wish to resolve. Fortunately, there are various cosmetic solutions available. But before checking out the different invasive and non-invasive treatment options, let’s take a look at what causes a double chin and how you can help prevent the issue.
What Causes A Double Chin?
There are many reasons people develop excess fat deposits under the chin. Understanding these causes can help you tackle the issue more effectively.
Skin Health
When you enter your twenties, the elasticity of your skin decreases, causing it to sag and giving you a fuller chin that’s not as desirable. Additionally, smoking and sun exposure can speed up this process since they deplete your skin’s natural stores.
The contour of your chin depends on the balance between extra fat pushing the skin outwards and the ability of the skin to hold everything in. The more chin fat you have, the better skin elasticity you need to maintain a good contour.
Excess Fat
If your face has excess fat, it may collect under your chin. This phenomenon can occur even if you are not overweight. However, if you have signs of weight gain, you also might start noticing a double chin over time.
Age Factor
As you grow older, your skin might lose its natural elasticity and start to sag. If the skin under your chin sags, it can look like a double chin.
Poor Posture
Take a cease-scrolling break and watch your neck. It is very possible that you are now in the middle of double-chin territory (and have been this way for the last few minutes). Tilting down at your phone or laptop can be harmful to your neck muscles and chin—particularly to the platysma muscle, which holds them together—and this can lead to a lack of elasticity around your face.
Genetics
If members of your family have double chins, you might have one too. Genetics can significantly affect the way your face looks.
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What Can I Do To Prevent A Double Chin?
The best way to prevent a double chin is to take care of your health and food habits. Fatigue, poor diet, stress, and deteriorating mental health can all lead to excess weight gain and cause a double chin to form.
It is important to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, and quickly address problems like stress and fatigue. To create a healthy diet, there are certain food habits that can help you prevent double chin issues, such as:
- Consuming lean protein like fish and eggs
- Eating vegetables with every meal
- Adding fruit to your daily diet
- Opting for fewer dairy products
- Avoiding processed food
- Switching to whole-grains
- Adding different types of nuts, fruits, and vegetables to your diet for healthy fat
- Staying away from fried foods
Double chin exercises
Working out is the easiest way to tighten your loose skin and reduce the extra fat around your neck and chin – it can even be called facial yoga! To get started, try searching for “facial yoga” online – you’ll find loads of instructions and videos that will help you create a tailored workout routine and add it to your daily activities.
All of the neck exercises can be completed quickly, not taking up too much of your time. One of these is “Kiss the Sky” or “Whistle at the Ceiling,” where you must keep your back straight and tilt your chin up to a ceiling, puckering your lips for about 20 seconds before repeating it 10 times.
Regular exercise not only helps keep the dreaded double chin at bay but also reduces your risk of developing serious health problems such as cancer and diabetes.
Treatment Options For Double Chin Removal
It’s essential to remember that there is nothing wrong with having fat around your neck and a double chin does not mean you have to change it.
Depending on the cause of your condition, double chin removal options might be appropriate for addressing signs of aging. You can opt for invasive procedures such as facelifts, neck lifts, liposuction, and various other procedures depending on your doctor’s suggestion. These can contour saggy skin and tone your chin the way you prefer.
Cosmetic surgery is great for aging skin and can allow you to address more than just your double chin. But if aging isn’t causing your double chin, a non-surgical treatment option may be a better choice. One great choice is Kybella an effective treatment with non-invasive benefits.
Kybella is an FDA-approved, minimally-invasive procedure that involves a series of injections of fat-dissolving deoxycholic acid into the skin. The acid is known to aid the body in absorbing excess chin fat.
Kybella is a well-known drug used in mesotherapy to eliminate the fat cells in a double chin. It should only be administered by an experienced plastic surgeon to ensure safety and excellent results. It is a gradual process that can take several months to complete.
Keep in mind that Kybella treatment is not for everyone. It is ideal for patients with relatively elastic neck skin and not much excess skin or platysmal banding. The Kybella treatment is also not recommended for those with very large necks or those with severe skin laxity or looseness. If you have either of these issues, a surgical procedure may be a better choice.
However, if you have a small amount of excess fat in the area just beneath the chin that is unresponsive to exercise, the Kybella injections may be a good fit.
Does Kybella Work Better Than Surgery For Double Chin Removal?
If you want to remove your double chin with cosmetic treatment and no surgery, Kybella can be the ideal solution. These chin injections have a high rate of success in treating this condition with no downtime. Since it is a non-invasive procedure, you do not need any incisions or sedation for this treatment.
While liposuction continues to be a great choice for double chin removal, many people wish to eliminate this condition with minimal downtime. Kybella uses deoxycholic acid, which is a naturally-occurring substance in the body that functions as a bile salt to break up fats in the intestines.
With this popular injection, the acid breaks up fat cells in the treated area and allows the body to metabolize and excrete the fat through normal metabolic processes. You might need up to six monthly injections for the best results.
Keep in mind that there is some swelling that can occur after each session. However, side effects and pain are minimal and should subside quickly.
Learn More About Kybella Treatments
If you are still wondering ” does Kybella really work? “, call our office at (513) 891-5438 to set up a consultation appointment with the team at Donath Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati, OH. We can help you to decide whether Kybella or another cosmetic injection is right for you!