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

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.

This fat is genetic, persistent and difficult to get rid of without directly taking it out. The good part of that is that it can be used to augment other areas of the face. This will then have a higher likelihood of living in that location. A couple other things that come into play the position of certain bones and muscles. Particularly the hyoid bone has implications about how much the neck can be improved. You would need an examination by a surgeon with a facial analysis for that. Also the platysma muscle has implications in neck definition and some times a platysmaplasty can help with that. I recommend seeing a surgeon who does a lot of neck lipo and sculpting to get an idea of what can be obtained.Hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC 

Thank you for your question! The submental region (area beneath the chin) is a common area for stubborn fat that is resistant to diet and exercise. There are many different treatment options that can be used to address stubborn fat under the chin, from completely non-invasive to minimally invasive. The best way to provide true advice would be an in-person consultation. It is very important that you see an expert provider with significant experience in aesthetic body contouring. Best wishes! Dr. David Amron

Hello and thank-you for sharing your question.

There are multiple factors which can contribute to a double chin. Correction of a double chin can be achieved either though a surgical or non-invasive approaches. Liposuction of the chin and neck produces consistently good results for appropriate candidates. We are very excited with the development of several non-invasive techniques for correction of a double chin. We offer the Cool mini as a non-surgical alternative to liposuction for the right candidate. Generally, two treatments are required separated by 4-6 weeks.  We also offer Kybella which is another non-surgical alternative to liposuction. Generally 3-6 treatments are needed separated by 4-6 weeks.  If there is mild to moderate skin laxity, combining the treatment with Ultherapy is an excellent option. 

I would visit with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area to learn about your options..

Best regards,

While chin liposuction will most likely get you the most dramatic results in a single treatment, over the last year more options have become FDA approved to reduce fat under the chin. These include Kybella, which is an injectable treatment that “melts” chin fat over a series of sessions, and CoolMini from CoolSculpting, which takes the proven effective CoolSculpting “freeze the fat” technology and puts it into an applicator specifically designed to treat small areas of submental fat such as a double chin. Another good option is ThermiTight, which uses radio frequency technology to reduce fat and tighten skin as well. The best thing to do is to visit a board-certified dermatologist who offers all of these options, who can evaluate your concerns in an unbiased manner and work with you to come up with the best treatment plan.

Thank you for your question and for sharing your photos. There are several options for contouring the neck.Non surgical options include: 1) Kybella to dissolve the fatty tissue in the submental area 2) Cool-mini treatment from Coolsculpting to target the same area 3)
Adding a skin tightening device such as Ulthera or Profound to the neck
tissue in conjunction with the one of the above to further tighten the
skin. Surgical options include: 1) Straight liposuction which would reduce the pinchable fat under the chin2)
Anterior neck lift with liposuction which would also allow for
tightening of the platysmal muscles in the midline to allow for tighter
neck contour3) Traditional neck lift which does the same as 2) but also removes some excess skin in the neck.I
would recommend that you visit with a board certified plastic surgeon
who offers the various options above to discuss the pros/cons of each
option and help you decide which is the best for you.

Thanks for sharing. Sometimes certain areas of fat will be difficult to remove despite diet and exercise.  The submental fat area may be one of these areas.  Being only 27 you are a candidate for neck liposuction to remove some of this fat.  Realize liposuction only removes "skin fat" it does not remove the "deeper fat"  Once the fat is removed the skin will contract and tighten up in the areas that are liposuctioned.  Older patients, typically 45 or older would likely need a "neck lift" in addition to neck lipo.  This would involve a platysmaplasty (tightening the neck muscles) and possibly skin excision. Newer methods to remove submental fat include Laser Lipolysis and Kybella.  Laser lipolysis melts fat and stimulates skin contraction and may be combined with traditional liposuction or is a stand alone procedure.  Kybella is a new FDA approved medication that is injected into the submental fat to melt it over time.  These injections are repeated.  

liposuction or liposculpture with fine cannulas are best permanent treatment for double chin.  Recovery is fast and procedure is simple.  

At age 27, a double chin is most likely genetic especially if you have been on a strict diet and exercise regimen for more than a few weeks.  Also, at your age, the heaviness in your neck that you refer to as a double chin, is most likely excess fatty tissue and not extra skin.  If that's the case, you would be a wonderful candidate for chin liposuction.  This procedure takes 20-30 min to perform under sedation with usually a 7 day recovery at your age.  It is a low risk, high yield procedure that we perform commonly.Other options include laser or heat assisted liposculpting with SmartLipo or ThermiRx (among others).  I usually reserve these 2 procedures for those who have a very mild amount of skin laxity and heaviness but are not ready for a necklift.  

Chin implants can increase the size and projection of a chin that does not project in proportion with the forehead, nose and mid-face. A small or recessed chin can also be described as one that seems to disappear into the neck of an individual of normal weight, rather than appearing as a distinct facial feature. A weak chin can also make your nose appear more prominent, an overbite appear more pronounced, a double chin appear worse, or your neck less youthful. I have been able to improve facial balance and harmony through placement of a chin implant. Often, this procedure may be performed at the time of nasal plastic surgery or neck contouring procedures such as face-lift or cervicofacial liposuction.