KYBELLA

Interested in a non-surgical solution to contour your jawline and combat a double chin? Kybella may be the option you've been searching for. Kybella is a synthetic acid (deoxycholic acid, which is produced in the stomach and colon) that specifically targets fat cells and dissolves them. It is currently the only FDA-approved injectable fat dissolution drug approved for treatment of excess areas of fat, specifically in the jaw and face. Kybella can also be used to treat smaller areas of excess fat in the underarms or knees, elbows, and the dreaded "bra fat" that some women experience.

How Does Kybella Kill Fat Cells?
Kybella is a fat dissolving filler that is a synthetically created version of an acid already found in the body, deoxycholic acid. It works by dissolving the cell walls and disintegrating the stored adipose within. This causes a pleasing contour of the chin and jawline and creates visible reductions in the double chin and can, in younger patients, tighten up the skin as well. Kybella treatments typically involve more than one session of injections, spaced between four and six weeks apart. Kybella permanently erases fat cells in the body without the need for surgery, incisions, or other invasive procedures.

Can Kybella Treat Belly Fat, Thunder Thighs, or Love Handles?
Kybella is not recommended as a fat solution treatment for large areas of stored adipose tissue in the body. The drug is designed for small areas like around the neck and chin, small parts of the upper arm, and other areas that can cause distressing visual effects, but do not contain a large amount of fat cells. 

Does It Hurt To Get A Kybella Injection?
Kybella is administered through as many as thirty small injections into the target area. Some patients report a bee-sting sensation for the first minute or two as they feel their fat cells dying, and the injections themselves can be uncomfortable for those not used to dealing with needles. Most providers of Kybella apply a topical numbing agent before the procedure starts to minimize the discomfort. 

Known Side Effects of Kybella
The most common side effects are pain and bruising from the injection process, and what has been described as a "jiggly neck" right after the fat cells start to die, which can take between five and ten days to fully dissipate. It is advised to avoid strenuous exercise, hot tubs and saunas during the first week after the injection as well.

Another side effect is numbness in the area where the injection was administered, which typically fades after three to six weeks.

Very rarely, patients experience a large amount of swelling after their injection, a symptom known as bullfrog neck. This can be uncomfortable and visually unappealing, but fades after about a month. Ice packs and compression neckwear can aid in solving this uncommon issue.

What Is It Like To Get A Kybella Treatment, From Start To Finish?
Once a patient arrives at their appointment, they will meet with an approved medical provider to discuss their goals. The physician will evaluate the patient's individual anatomy and discuss the procedure, often taking a photo and weighing the patient to have more information for follow-up evaluations. 

After that, the numbing agent is usually applied and then the injections take place one the patient has sufficiently numbed. Each injection is quick, and the total process can take anywhere between fifteen and thirty minutes, depending on how much Kybella is needed to achieve the desired outcome. After the injections, a patient should be completely safe to drive home.

Because Kybella typically causes bruising for the first few days after the injection, it is not recommended for patients to get it right before a photo-heavy event like a wedding.

Kybella typically takes between four and six weeks for the effects to become visible, and most often patients require two or three sessions of injections before they achieve their desired result. Most doctor offices will schedule a follow-up four to six weeks after the first series of injections to evaluate if more are needed, and to discuss any potential issues.

After the patient achieves their desired result, no more Kybella treatments are needed: the killing of the fat cells is permanent. However, excessive weight gain after the treatment may cause the double chin to return, and patients over 50 sometimes experience sagging skin once the fat cells are no longer there to pad it out. People with more elastic skin, especially younger patients, usually do not have this issue.