Can I massage my chin to drain the fluid from my Kybella injections? 4 days post op.

I recommend following up with your Doctor about their after care protocol following Kybella. It may take a few weeks for swelling to subside and up to 3 months for results with Kybella. I hope this helps. 

Hi there and thanks for your question! Swelling after Kybella is normal and can last up to 2 weeks.  I suggest using ice/cold compresses to help decrease the swelling.  I don't think massaging the submental area will do much.  I suggest following up with your injector for more information. Best of luck! 

Swelling in the first week following Kybella treatment is normal and expected. Depending on the degree of submental fullness... you can expect a series of 2-6 treatments approx. 4 weeks apart. Following each treatment, there is 4-5 days of swelling. Massage will probably not make a difference for the swelling.

For after care, I suggest RF treatment at this time with massage and light therapy. It can take up to 3 months to see results. Keep in mind, a combination approach is needed to get the most improvement with non-invasive options like Kybella. I recommend Kybella with thermage, ultherapy, exilis. VASER liposuction in combination with ThermiRF is an alternative for contouring the chin, if you're a candidate. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist. Best, Dr. Emer

Dear beam195,every plastic surgeon has his own postoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Swelling after treatment with Kybella is normal, expected, and actually desired.  The swelling simply indicates that the fat cells were destroyed and the body is getting rid of them.  You should just let it run it’s course, but ice packs and ibuprofen can help to lessen any discomfort.  I would not recommend using a Clarisonic or any manual massage in an attempt to speed up the process.  

Congratulations on your first Kybella treatment!  The fact that you are swollen is likely a good indicator that you will respond nicely to the treatment.  Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to predict the amount of swelling that a patient can expect to see, but in most cases the swelling subsides within about 5-7 days of the treatment.  For patients with lax skin of this submental region the swelling can linger for longer and may take up to two weeks to resolve completely.  Immediately following a Kybella treatment, I encourage my patients to apply ice packs to the treatment area to help reduce the amount of swelling experienced.  At 4 days post-treatment I am not sure that ice or cold compresses will do much at this point and I do not believe that massage will benefit you.  In any case I do encourage you to discuss this with your PS.  

The inflammatory reaction from fat dissolving injections takes about 6-8 weeks to have the desired effect: namely the breakdown and removal of the fat cells under the chin. The swelling is actually a good sign that the treatment is having the desired effect in killing the fat cells! There is little evidence to suggest that massage can improve the resolution of the swelling, or improve the outcome with regard to loss of fat. Anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided if possible, although paracetamol may be used if the area is tender. Applying ice to the region may be of benefit initially, but more from the point of view of helping with pain. It is unlikely to make the treatment more of less effective. Ultimately, it's just a matter of letting the fat dissolving injection do it's job!

Hello and thanks for the question! The swelling you are experiencing is normal. I do not think the massage device will either promote the resolution of the swelling or make it worse.  If you do try just be attentive to your body.  If it is too uncomfortable just  stop.  Good luck and I hope this helps Dr David 

Thank you for your question.Unfortunately, time is really the only thing that improves the swelling associated with Kybella.  I have found that anti-histamines can sometimes improve the swelling, but not always.  It may be worth a try if you don't have any contraindications to anti-histamines.Best of luck,Dr. Kavali