Time frame of swelling after 1st Kybella treatment? (Photo)

Every person’s body responds slightly differently to Kybella or any other treatment. Generally, most people are only swollen for a couple of days. The most I’ve seen in my practice is about 2 weeks. If you are still significantly swollen, it may be because of the amount used. I don’t like to give more than four vials during a treatment session because I want to avoid the “bullfrog effect” — pronounced and puffy-looking swelling. If your swelling doesn’t resolve in the next couple of weeks, consulting a board-certified dermatologist will  help you bring down the puffiness and then you should reduce the dosage of Kybella for your next treatment. 

Swelling and soreness after Kybella injection is very common and usually resolves in 3-5 days. I actually believe that swelling is a good sign and indicates apoptosis (dying and dissolving) of the fat cells. Intermittent ice packs and gentle massage (lymphatic drainage by an aesthetician or self administered) can be very helpful. Rarely I have to prescribe oral steroids for 5 days to bring the swelling down. Ask your practitioner for anti-inflammatories such as Advil or a Medrol pack.

In most people, the swelling is batter in 3 to 5 days. However the results are typically not noticeable with just 1 set of injections. Most patients see a result after two sets of injections, 6 to 8 weeks later. Best wishes, Dr. ALDO 

Thank you for your question. There is significant swelling immediately after Kybella treatments. I recommend frequent icing and a compression chinstrap at night for the first 48 hrs. Most of the swelling will have resolved by 3 days and you should have returned to your pre treatment appearance by 7-10 days. You will begin to see improvement at 3-4 weeks and should see the final result by 6 weeks. Most patients will require 2-4 treatments for optimal benefits. Be sure to consult with an experienced, qualified board certified injector to guide you through treatment and recovery. Best of luck!Dr. Max Polo

It does work, for some.  The study that is the basis for FDA approval of Kybella allowed study doctors to provide up to 6 Kybella treatments at monthly intervals to achieve patient goals.  Sixty percent of patients in the study required all 6 treatments.  At the end of that, 40% were dissatisfied with the outcome.  That is a lot of expensive treatment for such a high dissatisfaction rate. In Beverly Hills, the average cost of Kybella is $1300 per treatment.  You can do the math on what 6 treatments would cost.  In addition, Kybella is very painful and is associated with significant swelling.  For these reasons, many are disappointed with the treatment.  I would encourage you to look into neck liposuction which is a highly effective, minimally invasive method that reliably accomplishes an improved neck.

It takes 6-8 weeks for results with Kybella and most people need a series of treatments. The swelling will gradually resolve within that time. 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 BingoG54,Kybella typically takes 3 to 5 treatments to work. This is why I've stopped carrying Kybella in my office.  I recommend neck liposuction more often then any injectable procedure for the neck now. It provides superior results gives me more control over the area than any injectable. The liposuction can be done under local while awake in the office and recovery is about the same as kybella.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Thank you for the question! The fat is dissolved within 10-15 minutes of the injection, however an inflammatory response is induced that causes swelling that takes approximately 3-4 weeks to subside. The bruising and redness tend to be minor and easily covered by makeup. Some patients have a fairly severe reaction for the first 24-48 hours after the injection, which quickly subsides; others state they look swollen for 1-2 weeks. It can be difficult to predict.

Kybella-related swelling often occurs almost immediately post-injection and increases over the first day or so.  It is most noticeable during the 1-2 weeks but in the official clinical trials, subtle fullness hung around for longer (even 3-4 weeks).  Generally, it does not impact your activity and other people aren't aware of the swelling but don't be alarmed if you still feel puffy up to a month after the first treatment.  In my experience, this resolves, albeit slowly for some patients, and the swelling that occurs from kybella is usually worse after the first session then less pronounced thereafter, because there is less fatty tissue.

The swelling is most intense the first few days and it slowly subsides in a few weeks. In some cases the swelling is barely visible in 7 to 10 days. In other cases it may take longer  to completely go away.