Is an immediate crooked smile after Kybella normal? (Photo)

Question

I’m only 5 hours out from my first Kybella injection and noticed that I have a crooked smile. Is this normal? Or should I be worrying.

Douglas Wu, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photo. When Kybella is injected correctly underneath the chin to treat submental fat, it should not have any impact on your facial features. It appears your injector hit a facial nerve during your treatment, which caused some damage. The damage is likely to reverse on its own over time, but it may take some time before your smile returns to normal. I would follow up with your injector, or with a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist for an in-person assessment.

Falguni Patel, MD, FACOG · Answer

Hello, it definitely looks like the mandibular nerve is affected a bit.  With most of these treatments, it will eventually rejuvenate.  But the hardest thing will be in how long!  It can be as little as two weeks to as much as 6 months.    Kybella does work, but it is important it is placed within the safe zones.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

For unique cases where a variety of modalities could be used to treat the condition, I would suggest an in-person or virtual consultation to develop a custom and effective treatment plan.  It is difficult to precisely define the best option without collecting the same information. I suggest reaching out to an expert for a consultation with surgical and non-surgical methods to get a comprehensive option. Best, Dr. Emer.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Kybella is one of my most asked for treatments in the office and has great permanent results in reducing fat in the submental area. However, a side effect is if it is injected in the wrong place the submandibular nerve can be affected and you get a droop.  This droop can last for several weeks but should eventually subside.  Please consult an expert in Kybella injections for the best cosmetic results. Best, Dr. Green

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

this represents a lack of function of your mandibular branch of the facial nerve.  If this happened five hours after your treatment then it may take potentially a long time to get back to normal function.  Was your treatment done in the general area or just in the chin area?  That nerve runs right through the jail in that area should not be treated with this product.  It's not FDA approved and anyone who knows the facial anatomy would stay clear of that area.  I am a strong believer that Kybella causes far too many problems to be in appropriate treatment.  I believe someday we will all see the pitfalls with this treatment and stop using it.  I suggest sharing with the real self community what your experience was so others can make better choices. You should also follow up with the person who did the treatment so that they are aware of what happened I won't do it again to other people.  No one can tell you how long it will take to recover. Generally when this happens from liposuction you can take anywhere from a few weeks to six months or longer.  My best guess is around six weeks.  In case you're interested nerves have a fatty coating that's required for nerve conduction to work properly.  Since this treatment destroys fat cells it can also strip the nerve of its necessary fat to function properly. There's a reason this is limited to the chin area only since there are no motor nerves in this area that can be damaged.  Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

Is an immediate crooked smile after Kybella normal? (Photo)

Answers (5)

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