I feel more confident in myself

Hello! I am 1 year post-opt after having Chin Liposuction. Initially, I was torn between Kybella and Chin Liposuction. So here’s my journey, my experience with getting Chin Lipo, and how I decided which one to get.
To start: I am a 33 year old female, healthy and active at an average weight and height (5’7, 155 lbs). For as long as I can remember I’ve had a full, round face with a double-chin, no matter how much weight I lost. I was always extremely self-conscience about it.
Kybella vs Chin Lipo:
I was more interested in Kybella at first, because the thought of “having plastic surgery” sounded really scary and too intense and invasive to me - but after extensive research and speaking to several doctors, it seemed like Kybella had less guaranteed results, more swelling and bruising, and would be a longer process overall. For the amount of fat I had under my chin (which to give you an idea of how bad it was - I noticed and always thought was "A LOT" but my friends said they never even thought I had a double chin) I was going to need several rounds (at least 3-4) of Kybella, at about $900-$1200 per round. Each round had to be spaced several months apart, and each round would leave me with 3 weeks of “bullfrog puffy face,” bruising and pain. To get the results I wanted with Kybella seemed like a much longer process (maybe up to a year), with more pain and swelling in the long run. The results also weren’t guaranteed, and that was a big factor for me. It also seemed like a good bit of people experienced “uneven fat lost” in their chin area after Kybella, which made them look lumpy. In contrast, Chin Liposuction could be done in one day, you have some swelling and bruising for a couple weeks but that’s it, and more guaranteed results, and then that’s it! You’re done! I even found that some people had to have Chin Liposuction after Kybella anyways. So that’s why I ultimately opted for Chin Lipo over Kybella. Kybella might have been a little cheaper - but I wanted to do this right and get guaranteed results.
So I had consultations with 3 plastic surgeons in my area (Washington DC). The first surgeon I met with was not board certified, but had good reviews - he was going to make 3 incisions, take an hour and a half to do the procedure, and I would be awake while under local anesthetics. The second surgeon was board certified and kind of a “famous” surgeon in my area - he was going to do SmartLipo just under the chin (not on the sides or jowls), in a procedure that would take 30 min, while I was awake and under local anesthetics. The third surgeon - and the one I ultimately went with - was Dr. Adam Tattlebaum. He is board certified and came with a perfect 5 star customer review at the time, with a high level of education, skill and experience. He was on the higher end, price-wise, of all 3 surgeons - $4,600 total. But it seemed like he was going to be able to get more fat out, because he was going to make one incision under my chin to get the main fat area under the chin, as well as “feather” out the sides a little bit. He also gave me the option to be put under general anesthesia (completely asleep), which I wanted. He was so personable, honest, and gave me a great vibe as a surgeon. I made the appointment to have surgery with him the following week. As someone who gets nervous even having a cavity filled - I’m glad I went completely under anesthesia for the surgery - it was super easy, quick and comfortable, I don’t remember a thing. I was in and out in a few hours. I was on strong pain pills and antibiotics after the surgery. Dr Tattlebaum personally called and checked on me daily to make sure I was recovering ok, and answered any questions I had.
Immediately after surgery, there was a little pain - especially to talk or eat - but really not bad. You just feel super bruised, but I’d say the pain is about a 4 out of 10. Just take your pain pills and you’ll be fine. By day 3 I was off my strong pain pills and functioning normally, with a pain rank of about a 2 out of 10. And I showered and removed my bandages on day 3. I had 1 little stitch at the incision site, which Dr. Tattlebaum removed a few days after surgery for me.
I was given a head compression wrap to wear, and told to sleep elevated. I was very diligent about wearing my head compression wrap constantly. I also slept with my head elevated and iced my chin several times a day. I feel like this really helped with my immediate recovery, because I had basically no bruising and very minimal swelling. I slept with my head elevated for the first 2 weeks after surgery. I also continuously iced my chin for the first 2 weeks after surgery. And I wore my chin compression wrap for a full month after surgery. I think my diligence with the compression wrap and icing really helped my recovery - I did not experience any lumps or bumps like many people do. I did have some numbness under my chin that started about a week after surgery - this lasted several months, but slowly went away. And I did have some tightness right under my chin, that eventually went away. I had one super tiny bump at the incisions sight. At 2 weeks after surgery, I started massaging the location. I did a chin massage every morning and night for the first 3 months after surgery - which helped loosened the skin. The tightness and tiny bump eventually went away after a few months. But overall - I was out with friends and family 2 weeks after surgery, and NO one noticed a thing.
At 6 months post-opt, I was 100% normal and happy with my results! I feel like I continued to get results up to a year after my surgery. I am 1 year post-opt now and everything is completely back to normal, and I feel so much more confident. One weird side-effect - I feel like I sweat differently from my chin and neck now, but it doesn’t bother me.
I’m SOOO glad I decided to do this procedure. It was 1000% worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It didn’t change the way I look to most people - my family didn’t even notice - but I was told by several people that I looked like I lost weight, and overall I just feel more confident in myself. And as my best friend put it - when you see the side-by-side, it’s subtle, but like “oh wow ok she does just look better now.”
I also HIGHLY recommend Dr. Tattlebaum if you’re in the DC area. I would have surgery again with him in a heartbeat. He was so upfront with my pricing and expectations. Dr. Tattlebaum and his staff were so incredibly kind and understanding throughout this entire process. Not only is he incredibly talented and did a fantastic job on my surgery - but he is a very kind, caring surgeon. I called his office several times after surgery with questions, and immediately talked to him or his assistants. Most importantly - he did a great job on my procedure and gave me the results I was looking for.