Kybella cheeks. Disaster. What could it be? (photos)

Thank you for your question, Andy8324. Kybella is an FDA-approved treatment only for submental fat. For that reason, Kybella should not be administered in other parts of the face which explains the negative experience you have in your cheeks. Please consult with a board certified physician to ensure that you receive the highest quality treatment that follows the guidelines of each procedure.Best wishes,

Thank you for your question and for sharing your experience and photos with us.  I would recommend that you visit with your surgeon to discuss options such as fat grafting versus dermal fillers to help restore volume in the areas that were treated with Kybella.  Also, I would wait a couple months after your Kybella treatment before making any definitive plan to ensure the effects of Kybella are stable.

Currently, Kybella is only approved for use beneath the chin.  Any use on other parts of the face is considered "off label" use.  If the product was injected in your nasolabial folds then it would make sense that the fat in that area would be removed and therefore the folds appear deeper.  Your options to restore volume in that area of the face would include synthetic fillers like Juvederm or Restylane, or autologous fillers (your own fat cells).  I would suggest talking to the doctor who injected the Kybella to see what options they recommend as well.  Best of luck!

Kybella is an excellent product for the submental fat. It is only FDA approved in that area and is definitely not recommended for other areas of the face or body.  Please consult a board certified dermatologist to see if fat grafts or Voluma can correct the situation.  Best, Dr. Green

Thank you very much for your question.Kybella is approved for the area underneath your chin.  Using the product anywhere else is "off label".  I would talk with your injector about your experience, and see what they recommend.  They may recommend fillers to increase the volume in that area, or fat grafting. Best of luck!

Kybella has been tested and approved for the double chin.  Near the mandible it can bother the mandibular nerve, so the product is injected lower near the nerve to avoid this problem.  Jowl fat has buccal branches of the facial nerve and this would be at risk with a jowl or buccal fat injection.The good news is your nerve function is OK. Kybella only causes temporary nerve problems and there has been no permanent injury.However the jowls space is collecting inflammation and fluid.No great answer to how to treat this.  Firm pressure with your palm may push some of the extracellular fluid back into your system.You need to ask your doctor about subnasal injection and where the product was injected. Fillers such as Juvederm can help the subnasal area and can be dissolved if you are displeased with the results.Fat necrosis presents as hard lumps and you don't mention any lumpiness.You do demonstrate some skin laxity, but Kybella I don't believe alters skin laxity.My recommendation is to keep waiting on the cheeks for several more months and perhaps treat your subnasal area with some JuvedermBest wishes.  This swelling should keep getting better.

HiThanks for the question.  Kybella is currently only FDA approved for treatment of submental fat.  Anything else is off label and has not been researched.  I would consult with your injector directly.  Good Luck

Hello Andy8324,Kybella is currently only approved for the submental fat.  Using it in the cheeks is considered off label use.  If you feel you have lost excess volume you can consider fillers or fat grafting to help restore it.  Depending on how much Kybella was injected, your swelling associated with that would likely have resolved by now.  I'd recommend you follow up with your injector for specific recommendations to improve your concerns.I hope this helps and good luck. 

Off Label KyBella use has risks! Try fat grafts t restore volume or VOLUMA injections, bit are quite expensuve though! 

Kybella it's not FDA approved for anything other then chin treatment.on top of this it's a relatively new product and is still very much in the learning phase both in terms of long-term outcomes and Dr. learning skills.Two months I would simply wait to see what happens over the next six months.at that point I would recommend having a proper assessment by someone who truly understands facial aesthetics.A board-certified plastic surgeon who has a specialty and facial aesthetics surgery can help review different treatment options.at this point I don't think an accurate assessment or treatment plan can be made based on simply looking at your pictures.Best,Mats Hagstrom M.D.