Doctor said I was not a good Kybella candidate. What can I do?

It’s really hard to give advice without either examining you directly or at least seeing a clear image of your chin area from different angles. If you truly have excessive skin and not palpable fat then yes you aren’t a candidate for Kybella and more of a candidate for skin tightening such as radiofrequency or J/plasma.

Kybella is an injectable treatment for fat in the double chin area.  Kybella is a great option for patients wishing to decrease the fat pocket under the chin.  While Kybella is very effective at eliminating fat, it does not tighten skin.  Assessing the difference between skin laxity and a fat pocket is critical in determining success of Kybella.  If skin laxity is your main concern, you may discuss with your provider pursuing an option that will help tighten skin with radiofrequency heat or another type of device.

I have had good luck using Kybella to tighten loose skin in this area. Kybella is officially indicated for the permanent destruction of fat under the chin but the injection causes a fair amount of controlled inflammation that can also indirectly tighten skin. Of course, fractional CO2 laser like MIXTO could also help or Fraxel. 

Sometimes it's good to seek a second opinion from a specialist (cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon) who can further evaluate/examine the area and give you multiple options. Most 21 year olds have a fullness in the area rather than excess skin, and seeing an experienced dermatologist or plastic surgeon can further evaluate this. But lucky for you there are plenty of options, in addition to Kybella, for fullness/fat including Cool-Sculpting and liposuction. There are also tissue tightening devices that can be used in combination such as Thermi-RF and Ultherapy. Seeing a specialist will help decipher what is best for you. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Hello Chemist1234,
Thank you for your pictures and questions. Based on the picture you submitted it seems as if you would be a great candidate for Ultherapy. Ultherapy is a non-invasive device that uses ultrasound to tighten and tone the skin. I suggest scheduling a consultation with a provider in your area. Best of Luck!

Thank you for your question. We have found some patients who are not a good candidate for Kybella may have success utilizing the Cool Mini.

Hello,Since there is no photo, I would just make general suggestions:Kybella has limited use for people with ONLY double chin and not wanting to have any liposuction.Liposuction is minimally invasive with quick recovery and great results. it also involve jaw line contouring as well since most people have more than just the double chin ( means only under the chin area)At young age, I would mostly consider excess fat tissue rather than extra skin so liposuction may be a good option.All the best -- See an expertDr Ray Bayati, MDSacramento area, California

While a photo would be helpful in this case, here are a couple thoughts. Kybella is best suited for people who have a bit of extra "fullness" under their chin without much skin laxity. Skin laxity doesn't generally improve with kybella so for that reason you would likely be dissatisfied with the results. That being said, there are numerous other potential options to help correct both submental (under the chin) skin laxity and fullness... Noninvasive devices, such as Trusculpt 3D and Exilis ultra, can heat the skin and fat on the inside, causing skin to tighten as well as fat to reduce. Sometimes Botox can be used to decrease the appearance of "platysmal banding", which are the vertical bands that you start seeing as you age.... There are also other devices such as ThermiRF, ulthera, and others that may give some improvement... It is hard to know what would be best for you without a photo, but you do have options. Of course, a neck lift is also possible but it is unlikely that you would need this given your age. Consult with an experienced dermatologist or plastic surgeon for more individualized treatment options. Good luck! 

Hi chemist1234,
 There seems to be little fat, that's true. However, we've seen in practice that lasers and chin liposuction can vastly improve the appearance of your chin. UltraPulse Encore, Thermitight  and Infini are good options as well.
All the best,
Justin Harper M.D.


All the best,
Justin Harper, M.D.