There are 3 basic causes of the dreaded double chin: Genetics, Age and Excess Weight. You can be affected by one, two or all three of these factors and have that lovely-hard-to-get-rid-of fat roll under your chin. Even if you don’t have a double chin, as you age or if you lose a significant amount of weight, you will inevitably have the loose, droopy skin around your jawline known as jowls.
A sagging jawline, a double chin and “turkey neck” are all very common complaints as you move past your 40’s and into your 50’s and 60’s. Like pretty much everything about aging, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, meaning it’s better to protect your skin, keep your weight at bay and do smaller procedures now, rather than wait until you have a very obvious and much bigger problem later. Big problems require big solutions, so we all want to avoid those if possible.
[if you don’t yet have loose skin or a double chin, but want to know if that’s in your future, just look to your older close relatives, like moms, aunts, grandmothers. Genetics and Environment both play a significant role in how we age, and you can see a good indication of your facial aging in your own family.]
Once you have significant sagging around your lower face, jawline and neck, lifting surgery is really the only fix. That’s why Dermatology Laser & Vein Specialists of the Carolinas (DLVSC) strongly recommend you address your issues early on, even in your 40’s, to keep things tight and trim. How so?
- Do not gain excess weight. Not only does excess fat show up in a double chin, but losing significant weight after 45-50 wreaks havoc on your skin, which no longer has the youthful elasticity to bounce back. It just remains “stretched” and sagging.
- Use sunscreen religiously and avoid too much time in the sun. Nothing prematurely ages your skin inside and outside like sun damage.
- Stimulate youthful collagen and elastin with the Infini treatment at DLVSC
- Consider the Kybella treatment to get rid of a stubborn double chin
Infini
Infini is a great choice for people of all skin types with mild to moderate laxity and wrinkles of the face & neck (it also works well on acne scars). Infini works by fractionally heating beneath the surface of the skin, which causes your skin to produce more collagen & elastin in the area. Collagen and elastin are the basic scaffolding of your skin, which we lose as we age. Adding it back in not only plumps the skin and improves the texture, it tightens it and eliminates some sagging. You can think of Infini as a more aggressive step up from micro-needling, but less invasive with much less recovery needed than some other options like Profound. After treatment you will have some redness and bruising, but should be good to go within 3 to 5 days.
Here’s a video from the Today show with Hoda & Kathy Lee chatting about Infini:
You will likely require several treatments to achieve the desired results ~ this is definitely not a one time thing. Rule of thumb = the more gentle procedure, the greater the number of treatments you’ll need to see significant results. Count on at least two and up to 4 for your first round, with a follow up annually to keep things under control.
Results are usually seen about one week after Infini, but patients continue to see an improvement in their skin with subsequent sessions. The longevity of the results will depend based on your overall skin quality (sun damage, aging skin), however, the newly produced collagen should remain stable for several years post-treatment.
Kybella
Kybella (deoxycholic acid) is an FDA-approved injectable treatment used for reducing submental fat ~ aka a double chin. DLSVC’s Dr. Munavalli served as a principal investigator in the clinical trials for Kybella, and he is one of the most experienced Kybella injectors in the US. Kybella is administered as several (often 20-30) injections, and is a non-nvasive alternative to liposuction or surgery to remove submental fat. It is a synthetic version of a human stomach acid that aids in fat digestion—to destroy fat cells. When injected into your double chin, the drug does the same thing. It basically dissolves submental fat, which over a few weeks gets broken down and excreted from your body as waste.
Most patients require 2 to 4 treatments to address their double chin. Side effects with Kybella are redness, tenderness, swelling, bruising, and/or numbness in the treated areas. More than likely, you’ll experience some degree of swelling that can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and most people have very little downtime after treatment and return to normal daily activities right away.
Here’s a video from Charlotte Today with Dr. Munivalli talking about Kybella.
Contact DLVSC to set up your consultation for treating a double chin or lax jawline with either Infini or Kybella (or both).
Don’t forget to tell them you saw this on scoopcharlotte!
Charlotte Office | Midtown Medical Plaza
1918 Randolph Road
Suite 550
Charlotte, NC 28207
Hours: 8 am – 5 pm (Mon.-Thurs.)
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704.375.6766
Monroe Office | Metro Medical Campus
1663 Campus Park Drive
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Monroe, NC 28112
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