How to Get Rid of Double Chin

At your age, double chin does not refer to excess skin, loose skin, "turkey wattle," or premature aging. Genetics plays a large role in where and how much fat is deposited in certain areas of the body, and whether or not it is "diet and exercise-resistant."

The fat beneath the chin that gives one a "double chin" is more accurately termed submental fat. There is both superficial or subcutaneous fat (beneath the skin but above the platysma muscle), and deeper fat beneath the platysma, which is the flat, sheet-like muscle along the front surface of the neck. This muscle often causes neck "bands" as we age, and the anatomy of the submental platysma is variable.

Why this is important is that a "double chin" may have some or all of these anatomic factors, and "liposuction under the chin" may not even address the real issue(s) that give you the appearance that you wish to improve.

I have performed thousands of liposuction procedures and taught liposuction for over two decades, so I have extensive experience with this in the neck area. I tell you this because over the years I have found that liposuction alone can give suboptimal results, including lumps, irregularities, and just inadequate improvement. Liposuction cannot be used safely for the sub-platysmal fat, so if this the predominant cause of the neck fullness, this will go unimproved. Another reason for "suboptimal" outcome!

As a solution for these procedural inadequacies I have found that treating the submental area in the same way I treat the neck when I do facelift surgery gives me consistently better results. In other words, with a 2cm submental incision as I do with my facelifts, I can thoroughly and evenly excise the subcutaneous fat under direct vision, carefully cauterize all bleeders, and also take out fat beneath the platysma if necessary or desirable for better results.  I can also suture the front edges of the platysma if necessary (platysmaplasty) to diminish the neck bands, which further smooths and tightens the neck and under-the-chin areas. This takes about 45 minutes (under general anesthesia or IV sedation), and gives my patients a much better result than I previously ever achieved with liposuction (even ultrasonic or smartlipo) alone. The cost is similar, and I have happier patients with better results and fewer re-do surgeries. (The slightly longer scar is just as imperceptible as a shorter scar in the same location--I use only under-the-skin dissolving sutures, and most heal this area beautifully!)

If needed, an anatomic chin implant can be placed via this same incision, tightening and restoring the jawline and filling in the pre-jowl area in patients that would benefit from this. This adds about 30 minutes to the procedure and does not lengthen the recovery, but can significantly enhance the results in appropriate patients!

Liposuction is technically pretty easy, and it's often what patients ask for, but in my humble opinion, it is not really the best, and this area of the body is critical to our appearance and youthfulness. Consider this option and ask your surgeon if he or she is comfortable with this approach. Best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Neck fat can be difficult to lose with diet and exercise because some fat pads are resistant to normal levels of weight loss. It may actually require near-starvation levels of calorie restriction to lose certain fat pads such as the buccal fat pad.

Therefore neck liposuction with or without buccal fat pad removal is a great option for improving your facial appearance without an unnatural or operated look.

educing a double chin or heavy neck is one of the most gratifying procedures that I do because of the impact it can have on the patients appearance and self-esteem. Not to mention, the selfies look great after!

Can this be Combined with other Procedures?

Some patients only neck or chin liposuction to achieve their ideal look. However, it is not uncommon for patients to potentially add one or more of the following to gain maximum results. We are proud to offer a variety of services as part of this Selfie Lift which has plenty of options that can be customized to your specific case. These include:


* Neck Liposuction
* Buccal fat pad removal
* Masseter muscle botox
* Chin augmentation
* Jawline Enhancement with fat injections

These facial slimming procedures can work synergistically to give women and men a more chiseled and desirable facial appearance while still maintaining their femininity or masculinity.

For submental fat that is resistant to healthy diet and exercise, there are alternatives that can significantly improve the neck and chin appearance. To create a beautiful silhouette, I recommend neck liposuction, the gold standard of fat removal. This is accomplished with a procedure that removes the unwanted fat with a tiny cannula, which allows for the most control, and leaving behind a beautifully sculpted neck.  There are also nonsurgical methods available to help.