Kybella versus Coolmini (Coolsculpting) for a “Double chin”

Hi I'm Bella whose question you answered about Kybella. I really do appreciate you answering me but my questions wasn't really about it looking uneven now. I trust my doctor to leave me looking good. It was more about the future. He told me that a few years down the line if I gain weight and end up with a new fat deposit under my chin it will rest on the sides where the Kybella wasn't used since it is impossible to end up with fat again in the area where Kybella was used. I imagine that will look stranger than having an run-of-the-mill double chin. I'm wondering if you think this is a concern, and I should therefore stay away from Kybella. I'm sure I will get heavier in the future as much as I diet so the likelihood that I'll end up with new fat under my chin at some point in the future is large.

Solutions for under the chin fat, or a “double chin”

Hmmm…….yes, I see what you are asking. This reader is following up on an answer I gave here. Reader, please remember it takes a full two to three months to see the results of a single treatment. There is no problem with going slowly. Here are the answers to this:

Kybella for a double chin – will it stay even afterwards?

  • If your doctor leaves you looking balanced (good) when you are finished with the series of Kybella treatments, then you will stay even.   This is true even if you gain weight.
  • You will stay even because, as you gain fat, you still have some fat in the area treated by the Kybella. The fat should distribute evenly throughout all areas, like it does now.
  • Even if the fat regains more on the sides, that area can be treated with Kybella later to reduce it.
  • Since we don’t have 10-15 years of experience with Kybella, there are no guarantees.  But, so far, this problem has not been reported with weight gains. I think this is a small concern.

Coolsculpting under the chin (Coolmini) as an alternative to Kybella

  • If you have enough fat under the chin to fit into the adapter head, this may be a better option than Kybella.
  • Why?  You can achieve more in a single treatment most of the time.  And, it’s more comfortable than Kybella.
  • Also, after one or two Coolmini treatments, it is possible to “fine tune” with Kybella, if needed.
  • It also may be more cost effective.  For example, if you need one Coolmini treatment and say, one Kybella treatment to get a good result: this could be less than 3-4 Kybella treatments.  It’s a good idea to do the math.

The good news is that both of these treatments have a lot of consistency in their results, and overall patient satisfaction is high. Be prepared for under chin swelling with both Kybella and Coolmini for a week or two after. Not everyone has a lot of swelling.

Hope this helps, Dr. I

 

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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