What happens to skin after Kybella injections?

Question

I am a 22 year old, 5'4'', 107lb female who eats well and exercises regularly. However, no matter what I do my double chin remains. I'm interested in getting a Kybella treatment for it, but am wondering what happens to the extra skin. Is it possible that in exchange for less fat a person might get a flab of skin under their neck? Since I'm young, my skin is relatively tight so I don't know if that affects it.

Max Polo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. With any fat contouring procedure, whether it's Kybella, CoolSculpting or liposuction, after reducing the volume of fat the skin will always contract to some degree. The better the quality and elasticity of the skin, the better the amount of contraction. For a 22 year old with your height and weight, unless you have had a large amount of weight loss in the past, I would expect excellent skin quality and optimal contraction of skin around the improved neck contour that should result after Kybella treatments. I recommend that you consult with an experienced, ABMS board certified injector to help determine if Kybella is the best treatment to meet your needs. Best of luck! Dr. Max Polo

J. Jason Wendel, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question about Kybella.  Your questions are all great!
Kybella does permanently melt the existing fat cells, however you produce new fat cells if there is weight gain.  Kybella is made of deoxycholic acid,  and works by dissolving fat cells.  You will immediately see the effects of this fat dissolving action, as your under chin area will begin to feel very "jiggly" and you will have some slight swelling as this chemical reaction takes place. If your skin has good elasticity it is expected that it will retract after the swelling dissipates.  As for downtime, there really isn't much.  You will typically have swelling in the area for a few days, and it is possible to have slight bruising.  The full effect of the treatment isn't typically evident for about 8-10 weeks, and treatments should be scheduled about 8-10 weeks apart.  
To be sure, see two or more experienced, licensed and board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment. I hope this helps.

Jeffrey R. Raval, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

Kybella may help to reduce submental fat under your chin, but an in person exam and evaluation would be needed first. Kybella can destroy fat cells in one or two 15-minute treatments with no down time. At your age, skin has a lot of elasticity and it should tighten up nicely after Kybella treatments.

Peter J. Capizzi, MD · Answer

candidate for Kybella.  We have excellent results!  I and my staff have done hundreds of patients' necks for double chins, upper breast fat, abdomens after liposuction to even out tiny areas, lipomas, bra rolls...and they ALL work.  Kybella does not know where the fat is located.  If you inject it, it will dissolve it.  Expect to have at least 2 treatments.

Steven H. Dayan, MD · Answer

Dear krs256,
Thank you for your question. Kybella is a treatment option targeted to addressing breaking down excess fat under the chin. It is not ideal for patients with sagging chin/neck skin as a prominent issue as well, as this issue may become more pronounced after Kybella therapy. Patients with no or minimal skin laxity typically have good results with Kybella. I recommend you seek a consultation with a facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who can provide a thorough evaluation and then discuss the best treatment options including possibly Kybella to address your concerns.

Elham Jafari, MD · Answer

Hi and thank you for your question! The active ingredient in Kybella works as a detergent that destroys the fat cells and the fat cells will be gradually absorbed. The process will involve some levels of inflammation. Once the fat cells are gone, the skin will gradually readjust itself to the new volume although this varies from patient to patient and the skin of younger patients typically adjust better. Additionally, Kybella itself might have some skin tightening effect. Overall for someone in your age range, there shouldn't be much concern with loosing your skin tightness following Kybella. I hope it helps and good luck!

Alan B. Brackup, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question, you mentioned that you are young, with good skin elasticity to start. With that being said you should have no issues with Kybella leaving any hanging skin. The provider doing the procedure should be able to give you a good idea of what you can expect after a physical examination. After the injection if you did have any loose skin you could always try a non-invasive procedure to lift and tighten (infini, protégé, ulthera). Hope this helps!

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear krs256:Actually, your skin will be likely to tighten up a little, because of the remodeling of connective tissues that occurs after Kybella. You sound like a good candidate for this procedure.Dr. Clark

Annika Crosby, MD · Answer

You sound like the perfect patient for this procedure.  You're young enough that you still have a lot of skin elasticity and you would not get more loose skin.  You would bounce right back to normal.

Kevin Tehrani, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for the detailed question. Kybella only works on the fat cells around the area it is injected causing them to die and be gone forever. The skin that is still there can contract naturally if the patient has good skin elasticity. I recommend going in for a consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to examine you and see if you are a good candidate for Kybella. If after the series of Kybella (usually 3-4 injections about a month a part) treatments you have loose skin, there are lasers that can be used to tighten the skin. Perhaps you and the surgeon will decide that you are a better candidate for laser-assisted liposuction to get rid of the fat and tighten the skin in one procedure. For more information please visit our webpage.

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