Have some excess fat in the neck/under the chin that is bothering you? Not quite ready for a surgical procedure? Kybella might be the way to go!
What is Kybella?
Kybella is an injection that uses the chemical deoxycholic acid to dissolve fat.
Does it really work?
According the the New York Times:
“The pooled results from both trials found that 68.2 percent of patients who got the drug saw at least a one-grade reduction in fat, compared with 20.5 percent of patients who got sham injections. Grading was determined by clinical examination and answers on a standardized form.
Sixteen percent of patients who received the real injections saw a reduction of two grades in under-chin fat. Only 1.5 percent of the placebo group saw that level of improvement.
M.R.I. scans also showed that under-chin volume had decreased more in treated patients than in ones who received placebos.”
What does that all mean?
In other words, the injection showed at least some improvement in 68.2% of patients, with no improvement in 31.8% of patients. While we would have preferred that the injection showed at least some improvement in a greater majority of patients, the benefits outweighed the risks.
What’s the catch?
The biggest downside to this treatment is that it requires multiple injections into the neck for each session, with at least 2-3 sessions for full treatment. While all of those needle pokes are not great, if a patient is not ready to have liposuction of the neck/under the chin, it is an option to consider.
Are there any other options?
Another non-surgical fat reduction treatment that can treat the neck/under the chin is CoolSculpting. CoolSculpting freezes the fat in the area treated and kills approximately 20-25% of fat cells in that area. The technology has an applicator that is specifically designed for treating the neck/under the chin.
Contact the San Francisco practice of Dr. Jonathan Kaplan today at (415) 923-3005 for more information about Kybella.
