At a certain point, holding your head just so while you get your picture taken or wearing a turtleneck every day doesn’t cut it anymore. You can’t hide the unfortunate effects of a double chin.

The fat that gathers around the neck buries the clean look of your profile and adds years to your appearance. There comes a time when you can no longer hide it and decide to do something permanent about it.

Dr. Balikian can help. Using the most advanced technology, both the Kybella and the CoolSculpt methods, he can freeze and melt that double chin away.

What Causes a Double Chin?

Everyone carries a subcutaneous stratum of fat around the neck area. But not everyone develops a double chin, officially called sub-mental fat. This condition occurs, in most cases, when an extra layer of fatty tissue gathers under your chin. The usual reasons are carrying too much weight, aging and heredity.

Too much weight. If you are overweight, you carry extra fat all over your body, including under your chin. The more weight you put on, the greater the chance of developing a dreaded double chin. But even with diet and exercise, the double chin can remain in place.

Aging. As your body ages, it loses muscle tone. This causes the muscles in your chin to weaken and your skin to grow loose. The result of this sagging skin is a double chin.

Heredity. In many families, there is a predisposition for double chins. They can be caused by retaining excess water in that area or, more likely, too much fat.

Luckily, modern cosmetic surgery has two effective procedures that can get rid of stubborn under-chin fat. Here is a look at how the Kybella and CoolSculpt procedures can help you get your profile back.

What Is Kybella?

The Kybella method is a medical procedure using an injection that kills the fat cells under the chin. They are then harmlessly discharged from the body via the lymphatic system.

Each treatment takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and up to six are needed to get the job done in most patients. The fat doesn’t come back and the effect is permanent.

This treatment must be done by an experienced cosmetic surgeon, like Dr. Balikian. In unskilled hands, the injections can result is an uneven look to the under-chin area.

What Is CoolSculpt?

CoolSculpt is a new non-invasive treatment for the double chin that freezes the excess fat cells. The body then dispels them through the lymphatic system.

During the procedure, Dr. Balikian places a special applicator, connected to a vacuum suction, in the neck area. This device freezes the fat over the course of a 60-minute period. Usually it takes several treatments to completely remove the excess fat, though patients see positive results after a single appointment.

Because the fat cells are frozen, then expelled, the effect of the procedure is permanent. It is then the patient’s job to follow a healthy nutrition and exercise plan so the fat doesn’t return. If you gain weight after the CoolSculpt procedure, the fat will collect and look disproportional under your chin, with a rolling, almost wavy look to it.

Which Is Best?

Dr. Balikian uses both CoolSculpt and Kybella to treat double chins since both are safe and effective when done by an expert. Studies show that both deliver results that patient are happy with.

Each is non-invasive and has minor side effects. This can show up as minor bruising, soreness or swelling, all of which will dissolve over two to four weeks.

Before working on your double chin, the doctor will check out your neck area and your medical history. He will thoroughly discuss both methods. Together you can decide which is the best approach.

Trust Experience

Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS, has been serving the San Diego and Riverside community for many years. He is one of the elite group of cosmetic surgeons with at least six years of training in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery for the face and neck. He is double board certified:

• American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

Dr. Balikian has taught facial plastic surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine and has authored chapters in textbooks on plastic surgery for the face, neck and head.

Trust your chin to an expert. Call today for an appointment to discuss your options for getting rid of that irritating double chin. Dr. Balikian and his staff are here to help you.