Chin Liposuction: The Ultimate Guide

Benefits of chin liposuction surgery

• Plastic surgeons consider chin liposuction to be the fastest, most effective way to get rid of a double chin and define the border between the chin and neck area.
• It can be performed as an in-office facial contouring surgery under local anesthesia, although some plastic surgeons prefer to perform it under IV sedation (“twilight anesthesia”) or general anesthesia.
• The procedure is quick: as short as 15 minutes.
• Results are long-lasting if you maintain a consistent weight. 
• Chin lipo can be performed in combination with a chin augmentation procedure, like the placement of a silicone chin implant, to create a stronger chin and jawline. Surgeons can insert the implant through the lipo incision (after extending it slightly).
• Patient satisfaction is high. Reviewers on RealSelf give this surgical procedure a 91% Worth It Rating, much higher than they give the nonsurgical double chin treatment options Kybella and CoolMini.

Drawbacks

• Bruising and swelling are common after double chin surgery. Expect to need three to five days off work for recovery. 
• You’ll have to wear a chin strap for up to two weeks or more after the procedure, to help reduce swelling and fluid buildup and “support the healing tissues for optimal results,” says Dr. Vu Ho, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Plano, Texas.
• Chin liposuction is still plastic surgery, and it comes with potential complications like contour irregularities, infection, and temporary numbness. “Nerve injury can be more of a risk when working in the chin area,” Dr. Ho cautions. 
• Not everyone is a good candidate for double chin lipo. Good skin elasticity and minimal laxity is essential, to avoid creating more sagging neck skin after the fat has been removed.
• Chin lipo costs can be significantly higher than nonsurgical treatments for double chin fat.
• Patients who don’t have good skin elasticity may need a combination of chin liposuction and a skin tightening procedure like FaceTite to prevent developing loose skin after the procedure, says Dr. Mesa. This can significantly increase your cost.
• Chin lipo targets only superficial fat and cannot correct other common causes of fullness under the chin, like muscle laxity, ptotic submandibular glands, and deep fat deposits under the platysma. Only deep neck lift surgery can address these structures for a crisper jaw and neckline.
• Some RealSelf members who rated this procedure “Not Worth It” experienced lumps or loose skin afterward.

• Average Cost:
• $3,275

• Range:
• $1,523 - $6,500

Your double chin surgery cost will depend on your provider's level of experience, their practice location, the complexity of your procedure, and a few other key factors.

Elective cosmetic procedures like this one aren’t covered by insurance, but most providers offer payment plans or accept third-party financing options like CareCredit.

See our complete guide to chin lipo costs

The chin liposuction photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Ideal candidates for chin and neck liposuction have excess fat, along with good skin elasticity, so that the skin can bounce back into its newly contoured shape after the unwanted fat is removed. 

At your initial consultation, your surgeon will assess your skin elasticity, recommend a treatment plan, and discuss realistic expectations for your outcome. “In certain cases, we’ll need to point out to patients that if they do liposuction alone, they’re going to be left with loose, wrinkly skin,” Dr. Mesa says. “It’s like sucking out the contents of a grape—you wind up with a raisin.”

If you have modest skin laxity, your provider may pair lipo with a skin-tightening procedure, such as Morpheus8. In cases of more significant laxity, they may recommend a neck lift or lower facelift to remove excess skin.

A double chin liposuction procedure is not recommended for people who are obese. “Chin liposuction only removes superficial fat,” Dr. Mesa says. “But in someone who’s very overweight, there’s a layer of deeper fat [called subplatysmal fat] in the area that chin liposuction doesn’t touch. That will remain after the procedure.” Additional surgery (usually a neck lift with manual fat removal) is the only way to address this deeper fat pocket.

Research shows that people who aren’t within 30% of their ideal body mass index (BMI) are also at greater risk for complications, including hematomas, a pocket of blood that can form if a vessel starts to leak after surgery. 

RealSelf Tip: Wondering about the difference between chin and neck lipo? There really isn’t one, according to doctors on RealSelf: the terms mean the same thing and are used interchangeably.

“The amount and distribution of fat below the jawline varies from person to person,” says Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Santa Monica, California. “Some patients will only need lipo underneath the chin, whereas others need the fat removed to the level of the Adam’s apple.”

This minimally invasive surgery usually takes less than an hour. It can be performed in-office or a private surgery center under local anesthetic, which comes with a lower cost and fewer risks than general anesthesia. “Sometimes sedation medication is given, such as Valium, so patients feel more relaxed and less anxious,” says Dr. Ho. Other surgeons prefer to perform the procedure under IV sedation or twilight anesthesia, but when it’s combined with other procedures, like a facelift, you may be given general anesthesia.

Once you’re comfortable (or fully asleep) and the treatment area is numb, here’s what will happen.

• Your surgeon will make small incisions (about one-eighth of an inch long) under your chin and, possibly, behind your earlobes. 
• They will then insert a cannula, a slim tube attached to a vacuum, through these incisions. 
• They’ll move the cannula through the fat layer under the skin to break up and remove fat, reducing your double chin while contouring your neck and jawline.
• Finally, each incision will be closed with one or two tiny sutures. The stitches are usually dissolvable and fall out after a week to 10 days.
• Afterward, you’ll be sent home with information on how to care for your incisions, as well as a supportive chin strap to hold your skin taut while it heals. You’ll be groggy if you’ve had a sedative, so have someone you trust there to take you home safely.

You shouldn’t feel any pain during a chin liposuction procedure due to the effects of the anesthesia, which usually takes several hours to wear off.

According to Dr. Mesa, “Local anesthesia could last up to 24 hours, which gives patients post-operative pain control, [therefore] requiring minimal oral pain medication.” 

Any pain during the recovery period is usually mild and should go away within five days or less. You can talk to your doctor about prescribing pain medication, but over-the-counter options are usually enough to stay comfortable.

Your surgeon should give you detailed instructions for post-operative care, but here’s what doctors on RealSelf typically recommend.

• Take 3–5 days off work to rest and heal. 
• You’ll need to wear the chin strap compression garment around the clock for one week, and at night for another one to five weeks (depending on your surgeon’s preference).
• Take it easy for 10 days after your procedure, especially if you have a physically demanding job or strenuous exercise routine. Vigorous activity can create more swelling or even open up the incisions, if you’re not careful. 
• Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina, says that patients have varying degrees of bruising and swelling throughout the healing process. “Swelling can be asymmetrical and feel lumpy at times,” he says. “Be patient. The swelling should resolve, and any loose skin should tighten up on its own.” 
• Bruising can last up to a couple of weeks and be covered with makeup soon after the procedure. 
• Your surgeon may recommend post-surgical lymphatic drainage massages to speed healing and avoid/correct lumps that can appear if the recovery process is prolonged.
• Some doctors suggest sleeping with your head elevated, to reduce swelling, but Dr. Mesa gives his patients the opposite advice. “I recommend that patients sleep flat. Sleeping with the head elevated builds up the swelling under the chin, due to gravity,” he says. “When the patient lies flat—with a small neck pillow for support, if necessary—the swelling goes to the back of the head, helping to expedite the recovery process and avoid the build-up of swelling under the chin.”

RealSelf Tip: Lumps are very common after chin liposuction. The same fluid buildup that causes swelling can contribute to these temporary areas of firmness. Lumps will naturally resolve over time, typically after 8–12 weeks. Wearing your compression garment will help your body absorb the excess fluid. Again, your provider may also recommend professional lymphatic drainage massages to help them subside faster.

You should see a difference right away, but it's common to experience swelling for at least 3 months after the surgery, and it may take up to 6 months for your new, slimmer jawline to fully emerge from the swelling, says Dr. George Bitar, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Fairfax, Virginia.

If you notice loose skin after your procedure, it could mean that your skin didn’t have enough elasticity or you aren’t healing well. Talk to your surgeon about whether you might need a second procedure to firm up loose skin.

Chin lipo results tend to be impressive, consistent, and very long-lasting, according to doctors on RealSelf. If your skin has good elasticity, your results could last for up to 10 years—or as long as you maintain a consistent weight. 

However, the aging process can create new issues in the same area. “Skin laxity does occur with aging, but this process is a slow and gradual one. Living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding obesity are the most important things you can do to forestall this process,” says Dr. Brooke Seckel, board-certified plastic surgeon based in Boston.

Chin liposuction is a low-risk outpatient procedure with few side effects and complications. Temporary bruising and swelling are the most common side effects. 

That said, your surgeon should discuss these potential risks during your initial consultation: 

• There is a slim possibility of facial numbness due to nerve damage from the procedure. The more experienced your provider is with chin liposuction, the lower the chance that this side effect will occur.
• Asymmetry is possible, if the fat is removed unevenly.
• Lipo can make your skin texture look dimpled or puckered if the fat removal is done too aggressively, or if you have too much skin laxity. 

It’s crucial to choose an experienced plastic surgeon who will be able to assess whether you’re a good candidate and perform the procedure with skill. Pay close attention to their patient reviews, find out how many chin lipo procedures they perform each month, and ask to see before and after photos that show patients like you.

This procedure is the most effective double chin plastic surgery option, but your plastic surgeon can advise you on whether you’re a good candidate for any of these alternatives.

	Chin Implant surgical	Neck Lift surgical	SculpSure nonsurgical	Kybella nonsurgical	CoolSculpting nonsurgical
Worth It Rating	87%	92%	62%	50%	68%
Average Cost	$5175	$8675	$1950	$1350	$2275
Downtime	Up to 1 week of downtime	1–2 weeks of downtime	No downtime	Minimal downtime	Minimal downtime
Anesthesia	Local anesthesia with IV sedation	General anesthesia	No anesthesia	No anesthesia	No anesthesia

• A chin implant can turn a recessed chin into a well-defined one, reducing the look of a double chin and better balancing facial features.
• A neck lift is another common surgical option for getting rid of a double chin, tightening sagging skin, and removing excess tissue. A submentoplasty is a less invasive form of neck lift, specifically removing fat under the chin (but not necessarily loose skin).
• Kybella can reduce a double chin with injections of deoxycholic acid. This naturally occurring enzyme permanently dissolves excess fat. While it’s a less invasive procedure than cosmetic surgery, Dr. Mesa says that downtime can actually be much longer with Kybella than with chin lipo. “After each Kybella injection, you have inflammation that lasts one to two weeks. In order to have a good result, you need to do two or three treatments, spaced four weeks apart,” he says. (Some patients need as many as six sessions.) “In a three-month period, you’d have six weeks of significant swelling.”
• CoolMini, a type of CoolSculpting with a smaller applicator, freezes fat cells in order to destroy them. Once the targeted cells have been treated, the body flushes them away. “The downtime is not as bad as with Kybella, but CoolSculpting doesn’t remove all the fat,” so multiple treatments are necessary, says Dr. Mesa. “I always tell my patients, if they want to have the best results and a fast recovery, there are no noninvasive treatments that surpass chin liposuction.”