What is Turkey neck or double chin?
A sagging jawline and neck can give away your age, even when the rest of your face appears youthful and has sustained only modest signs of aging. Fortunately, you don’t have to live in turtlenecks or with lax skin that adds years to your appearance. Dr. Ron Shelton and his team offer the latest options to restore youthful facial contours by removing submental fullness, better known as the dreaded double chin and some refer to this as a Turkey neck.
What is submental fullness? Or what causes excess fat under chin?
Submental refers to the space between your head and neck. You may experience fullness in this area due to:
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- Aging
- Genetics
- Weight gain
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Youthful skin has an abundance of collagen and elastin. These proteins and fibers maintain skin firmness and elasticity. Your body produces less collagen and elastin as you get older, which contributes to facial sagging in the lower third of the face.
You may be chronologically young and fit, yet still have a poorly defined neckline. Genes play a role in the development of extensive fat under the jawbone. While independent of aging, inherited submental fullness tends to get worse due to age-related changes.
As the metabolism slows and hormones alter how fat is distributed, you may gain weight and excess chin fat appears more noticeable.
View Kybella before / after photo gallery here
Introducing: Kybella™ for submental fullness
Dr. Shelton is skilled in safely injecting proven treatments such as dermal fillers. Kybella™ is among the newest injectable treatments. It is also the first prescription nonsurgical treatment to be approved by the FDA for the improvement of moderate to severe fat below the chin.
Kybella – how does it work?
The active ingredient in Kybella™ is deoxycholic acid. This molecule occurs naturally. Once injected into the subcutaneous tissues in the double chin area, deoxycholic acid aids in the breakdown and absorption of fat.
What are the risks of Kybella?
When safely injected into the submental area by board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Shelton, side effects are limited to the injection site and most commonly include:
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- Swelling
- Bruising
- Discomfort
- Numbness
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The use of a cold compress or a numbing medication such as lidocaine contributes to a comfortable experience. The procedure is generally well tolerated.
Dr. Shelton will determine the number of additional treatment sessions to achieve your desired appearance, based partly on your existing chin profile and goals. Generally, a series of injections will be spaced at least one month apart. Many patients experience a contoured profile within two to four treatment sessions.
Kybella™ is particularly attractive, because the active ingredient in this injectable treatment destroys the fat cells and, once destroyed, fat cannot accumulate in the treatment areas again. Cells in the injection site no longer have the ability to store fat.
Kybella™ is an alternative to surgical options such as liposuction, which requires downtime and may have a limited use for patients with health conditions that can complicate surgery.
Like all treatments, Kybella™ is not for everyone. Zeltiq® Aesthetics debuted an applicator designed to deliver CoolSculpting® treatment safely and effectively to smaller areas. The FDA cleared this CoolMini™ applicator to treat chin fat. Like its predecessor designed to treat excess fat in larger areas such as the thighs and abdomen, CoolMini™ uses cryolipolysis to freeze fat cells in the treated area. Eventually, fat is eliminated from the body as part of a natural process.
While CoolMini™ is new; Dr. Shelton is experienced in its use as his practice was selected as a research site for this treatment and have performed CoolMini for the double chin / turkey neck prior to other doctors learning of it.
What's next?
Are Kybella™ injections the best option to eliminate your unwanted chin fat? You won’t know until a consultation is scheduled with Dr. Shelton in Midtown. For appointments, call (212) 593-1818.
Related FAQ's
- What is Kybella? - Why do I have a double chin?