What is the recovery like for Kybella injections?

The first time you try Kybella, I would recommend having a few days off. There are some things that I would recommend to prepare you for the treatment.1. Stop all aspirin, motrin, fish oil etc for two weeks prior to tx2. Limit your salt intake for 3 days prior to the treatment.3. Take some advil 15 min prior to injectionYou can expect some mild discomfort for the first couple of hours, this should not keep you from working. It is very different than BOTOX or fillers. It is actively destroying the fat cells. It creates inflammation(temporary swelling). The first time you have the treatment is probably the most swelling. Generally the amount of swelling decreases with subsequent treatments.

The FDA disclosure is accurate but the effects can vary from patient to patient. On average, minor bruising and swelling persists for a day or two afterwards but is easily concealed. Redness and hardness are less common but may occasionally occur. It is best to avoid aspirin, alcohol  and supplements in advance of a treatment in order to minimize the chance that they can occur. Physically, you will feel like you can tend to your regular day to day activities the next day or two but, socially, you may wish to avoid situations where you are interacting with many people the first 24 hours.

Kybella is an excellent non-surgical treatment for the under-the-chin fat pad. The amount of recovery often depends on the amount of fat being treated. The downtime for a very small fat pad can be minimal to none. However, treatment of a very large fat pad will most likely result in the patient having a bit of swelling, erythema (redness) and discomfort. Those symptoms usually resolve themselves rather quickly but it does take a little longer for patients that are getting treatment of a larger fat pad. Patients should understand this before choosing Kybella, but compared to liposuction the side-effects and recovery from Kybella are relatively minor. Removing fat with an injection? I think Kybella is a wonderful option for people looking to get rid of that double-chin!

There is temporary swelling and risk of bruising with Kybella. For the first few days, numbness is also present below the chin. I have noticed with my patients that recovery time is very much dependent on the amount of Kybella that needs to be injected. The more injections, the longer the recovery time from swelling. Generally,the swelling in patients is unnoticeable within a couple of days. However, a full recovery is considered to take place within 4-6 weeks. 

To some degree most patients will swell after the Kybella procedure. Bruising is also not an uncommon result.  We usually recommend some cold compression under the chin and Arnica pills seem to help. But most importantly, it’s time and individual variances that affect the length of swelling. Remember in general swelling and bruising is temporary.

Great question! Kybella is a simple in office procedure that involves a series on injections to the submental area. The product that is injected is an acid that breaks down the fat cells permanently. During the injections it is common to feel a burning sensation, and this may last for several hours post treatment. I would recommend going home the day of the injections, and returning to work the next day. The area is typically tender to touch, and swollen for about 2 weeks. I recommend doing 3-4 treatments about 6 weeks apart for optimal results. In Good Health,Dr. Ellen Mahony 

Kybella recovery is straightforward. There will be some swelling, numbness, and soreness. In some cases, the swelling can be significant. It is up to the patient whether they need to take off from work or school due to social reasons. Most patients go back to work the same or next day as long as they are okay with having some swelling that is visible. It can take several weeks for the swelling to fully resolve, but is much better within 3-4 days.Be sure to see an expert physician injector who specializes in facial aesthetic procedures for any cosmetic injections.All the best,

Thank you for your question. Kybella is FDA approved for treatment of a "double chin". We inject Kybella, a synthetic version of naturally occurring deoxycholic acid, below the skin. It dissolves and removes the excess fat.  As the fat is dissolved, an inflammatory response occurs and this can take 2-4 weeks to subside. There may be some bruising and redness for up to 1 week but these can easily be covered with makeup. Overall you can return to work immediately and most people would not notice that you have had the procedure.  You’ll see some results after the first treatment, but to get the best results, we recommend two to five treatments.
As always, an in-person consultation with a board certified dermatologist with cosmetic training is the best way to assess your needs and provide medical advice. 

Hello,All good feedback from panel members.  Very important point to make - a significant degree of neck swelling is expected and, as mentioned by panel, a bull frog appearance is common for upwards of one week.  Many consumers complain that they were not prepared for this social downtime prior to their treatment.  Make certain your practitioner reviews risks vs benefits when considering Kybella.

Kybella injections like other injectables can cause bleeding, bruising that can take a few days to resolve. The swelling associated with Kybella can last up to a few weeks, although properly treated the swelling can go down within a week or two. None of these side effects should stop you from doing your daily activities. You may need to wear a scarf for a few days till the swelling goes down.

What I typically tell my Orange County Kybella patients is this:1. Expect 1-2 weeks of swelling, always worst after the first treatment.  Your neck will look fat and sometime huge but a scarf is a great way to hide the swelling.2. Bruising is common but not always visible since its under the chin.3. Hard bumps and numbness are annoying but nothing to worry about and not noticeable to others.4.  All of these things are temporary, so don't worry!  The results are worth it, especially since the results are permanent!