How Can I Get Rid of My Double Chin Without Surgery?

A double chin – it wasn’t there the last time you looked in the mirror, but now, there it is.

Maybe you’ve gained some extra weight, are getting older, or perhaps your family members have had double chins ever since you can remember. Either way, you’ve now got a double chin, and you want to get rid of it.

Here, Dr. Waltzman explains the various reasons people develop double chins and offers actionable advice into how you can say goodbye to yours without a surgical neck lift (although this option does provide incredible, long-lasting results).

What Causes a Double Chin?

A double chin occurs when the body stores excess fat under the chin and around the neck – as such, weight gain is one of the most common causes of the dreaded double chin.

To compound the issue, double chins become more apparent the older we get because our skin begins to lose its elasticity with age.

In our youth, our skin is firm, tight, and sits snugly over our musculature and skeletal frame. Beginning in our 30s, the skin slowly begins to lose these elastic properties, meaning it sags, and fat deposits rest further away from our bones – thus creating the appearance of a double chin.

Finally, for some people, it comes down to their genes. Due to heredity, everyone stores fat in different areas, and some experience fat deposits in the chin and neck.

So, if we are to treat double chins, we need to combat these causes, reduce fat deposits around the chin and neck, and improve the elastic qualities of the skin.

Weight Loss With Nutrition and Exercise

For some individuals, losing 10 to 20 pounds will do wonders for their double chin. With some self-discipline, you can achieve this goal by eating fewer calories than you take in. For many people, eating between 1,500 and 2,000 calories a day will be sufficient for weight loss.

For maximum results, do half an hour of cardio exercise three times a week. Ideally, add some strength and weight training to the program, and in three months, you’ll look and feel fantastic.

For some individuals, however, merely losing weight won’t be enough. If your body stores significant amounts of fat under the chin, in some cases, a diet and fitness regimen will only work to a minor degree. Other treatments, such as targeted fat reduction and skin-tightening spa treatments, will be beneficial in treating a double chin.

Kybella

Kybella is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for reducing a double chin.

Made of a combination of a naturally occurring fat-burning molecule called deoxycholic acid and the anesthetic lidocaine, Kybella is an injectable compound that acts to dissolve and break down fat tissue, which the body then metabolizes.

Kybella treatments are fast. Appointments usually take 15 minutes, require little to no healing and downtime, and patients begin to see results after the first two to three weeks. And the results are worth it.

CoolSculpting

Depending on the shape of your face, CoolSculpting might be an ideal way to address the double chin.

CoolSculpting involves the use of a device that super-cools the fat cells in the desired region, causing them to die and the body to eliminate them. Patients generally see a 20 to 25% reduction in fat in each treated area!

Depending on your situation, Dr. Waltzman may recommend one of the above approaches to fix your double chin. Whatever the case, rest assured that expert plastic surgeon Dr. Josh Waltzman in Long Beach, CA, knows best how to give you the results you desire.

To arrange an appointment, call us at (562) 448-6100 or book your in-person or virtual consultation now.