Double Chin Treatment: Cost and Side Effects

Double chin, also known as submental fat, is a common condition that occurs when a layer of fat forms below your chin. The cause of a double chin can be varied and wide. One of the factors responsible for a double chin may be age. A person’s skin may start to lose its elasticity as one starts to age or grow older which leads to saggy skin around the chin area. Being overweight or obese also leads to double chin because of excess accumulation of fat around the chin area.

It can also be caused by your gene that plays a role in double chin formation. The genes decide the shape of the face and the areas of fat deposits. Considering this, double chin will be more noticeable on a round face. Lastly, a person’s poor posture can contribute to weak muscles around the neck and chin. Over time as the skin loses its elasticity when the muscles are not used, a double chin may form.

Although double chin does not pose problem for many people, in rare cases it can lead to health problems like sleep apnea which is characterised by a pause or stop in your breathing during a sleep cycle. Other issues may include hyoid bone that is characterized by the dislocation of the bone in the lower jaw line. This results in food eaten being taken into the windpipe instead of the food pipe.

As double chin is caused by deposition of excess fat around the chin and neck area, it is generally treated by a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. No additional tests are needed to diagnose a double chin as it is very visible on a person’s face. However, your treatment will depend on the severity of your double chin. In most cases a combination of treatment works consisting of face exercises and invasive procedure to eliminate double chin and make your face appear slimmer and structured.

If your double chin is not much visible, then you could try some exercises to reduce the fat. You can try the chewing gum exercise in which the entire jaw portion is involved. Other exercises include straight jaw jut, ball exercise, pucker up, tongue stretch, neck stretch and bottom jaw jut. If your double chin does not go away, then you can go for invasive procedures. Lipolysis or liposculpture uses heat from a laser to melt away the fat around the chin and neck and contour it. The procedure only targets the fat and does not remove excess skin or increase skin elasticity. You may require local anesthetics to numb the area. The other procedure is mesotherapy which is again is minimally invasive as it delivers small amounts of fat-dissolving compounds through a series of injection. Kybella which is deoxycholic acid is used in this process. It is an injectable drug that absorbs the excess fat. It takes around 20 or more injections per treatment to eliminate a double chin and you may require six treatments in total. Also, you must wait at least one month in between treatments.

There are non-invasive procedure that also helps in treating a double chin. These include CoolMini where the fat under and around the neck and chin is frozen, VelaShape 3 which is a suction method and Fat Zapper where a vacuum is set up and a suction is used to break down the fats. You can opt for any one of these procedures to get rid of your double chin.

There are no specific symptoms for double chin as it is just accumulation of fat around the chin and neck region. You either have double chin or you don't and it is pretty visible, then you are eligible for its treatment.

If you have any other skin problems like acne or facial hair, then you will not eligible.

Depending on the type of treatment you are undergoing for your double chin, the side effects keeps on varying. If you are having non-invasive procedures like VelShape 3, you will experience some redness and bruises around your chin and neck area. The skin might waddle for a few weeks before it melts away. In Fat Zapper, you might have red and blotchy appearance around the treated area which can turn into sunburned effect. You also might look bloated and saggy for 24 hours after the treatment. However, you will not experience any side effects for CoolMini treatment.

If you are having an invasive treatment like lipolysis, you can experience side effects like swelling, bruising and pain in the chin and neck area. The other invasive treatment mesotherapy which uses kybella injection, you might have side effects like swelling, bruising, pain, numbness and redness.

There is no definite guidelines for invasive and non-invasive procedures after treatment is done. However, you can make certain lifestyle changes to keep fat from accumulating around the chin and neck portion. You can start by limiting your sugar intake and reducing the intake of processed and junk food. Stay away from sodas and soft drinks as it contains tons of sugar, preservatives and colours. Remember to have a well-balanced diet that will consist of 28 per cent of fat, 18 per cent protein and 54 per cent of carbohydrates. You should consume monosaturated fats like olive oil and oily fishes.

Along with a proper diet, you should continue doing your face exercise and body exercise to maintain your metabolism rate and keep the fat away.

Recovery will depen on the type of treatment you are having. If you are having a non-invasive procedure, then it can range from one to three months, depending on the type of non-inavsive procedure you are undergoing. However, if you have an invasive treatment, then recovery usually takes one to two weeks.

The cost for non-invasive and invasive treatment in Indian for double chin is pretty high and can range from Rs.3000 to Rs.3,00,000. However, if you are following home remedies and face exrcises, then you will incur zero cost.

The results of both the invasive and non-invasive treatments are permanent and gives a fat free chin and neck. However, you have maintain your diet and do regular exercises to keep fat from accumulatimg around the chin and neck area.

If you are looking for some alternative treatment options to invasive and non-invasive procedures, then you can try many home remedies available to reduce the fat around the chin and neck. You can warm or melt cocoa butter and then use it massage your neck and chin. Doing this twice a day will help in the reduction of fat. Wheat germ oil can also be used to massage the neck and chin portion. Leave it overnight to work its magic on the accumulated fat around the chin area. Another excellent fat reduction mask is egg whites. You can use it individually or mix it with milk, honey and lemon juice and apply this around the chin and neck area. Leave it on for 30 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. You can try this home remedies to get rid of the double chin.