Priorities
Double chin
Fullness under the chin that doesn't change with weight loss, whether it's fat, loose skin, or both.
Fullness under the chin is often a small pad of fat that stays in place even when your overall weight goes down. Diet and exercise lower total body fat, but they can’t target this one area.
A pinch test helps tell the difference. If the area feels soft and full between your fingers, it’s fat. If it feels loose and thin, it’s skin, which calls for a different approach.
What we'd want you to know
Fat and loose skin need different treatments
If you can pinch a pad and the skin over it snaps back, Kybella is the right tool. It’s deoxycholic acid, FDA-approved for moderate to severe fullness under the chin, injected in a grid by our nurse practitioners. Plan on two to four sessions at least a month apart, with about a week of swelling after each one.
If the fat clears and the skin stays loose, Morpheus8 on the neck can tighten it from underneath once the swelling is gone. For mild laxity, Forma is the gentler option.
Fat or loose skin: finding the right treatment
We’ll take a profile photo, check the area with a pinch test, and have you tilt your head back. That shows us how much is fat, how much is skin, and whether there are platysma bands, which nothing on our menu treats.
A discrete pad with decent skin is a good match for Kybella. The dose is set by the label: 0.2 mL injections 1 centimeter apart, up to 50 per session, and up to six sessions no less than a month apart. In the trials, 59 percent of subjects took all six, and swelling affected 87 percent, bruising 72 percent, and numbness 66 percent, per the prescribing information. Four percent had a temporary crooked smile from the nerve along the jaw, and all of those resolved on their own. That’s why we map the injection grid carefully before treatment begins.
If you have fat plus loosening skin, we’ll start with Kybella, then move to Morpheus8 or Forma on the neck. If it’s skin alone, there’s no need for Kybella. Individual results vary.
People also ask whether semaglutide or tirzepatide would help. We offer medical weight loss at Lincoln Park, and if weight is the larger goal, the same nurse practitioners can discuss it with you. A GLP-1 lowers total body weight but doesn’t target the chin specifically. If you’re lean and have had fullness under the chin for years, Kybella is likely the better fit.
Your questions, answered
How noticeable is the swelling?
Swelling is most visible on days 0 to 3, and a collar or scarf helps cover it. From day 4, it usually looks like a slightly full chin. If you have an event coming up, plan your sessions so the swelling has time to settle before it.
Will losing weight fix it first?
Sometimes. If you’re at a stable weight and the pad is still there, you’re likely a Kybella candidate. If you have a lot of weight to lose, we’d suggest focusing on weight first, because loose skin after a large loss changes the plan. We can discuss medical weight loss at the same consult.
Do you have a fat-freezing device?
No. We don’t offer body-contouring devices at Lincoln Park. We treat a double chin with Kybella, and loose skin over it with Morpheus8 or Forma. For a heavy neck, surgery is usually the more effective option.
Related treatments
Double chin (Kybella)
Deoxycholic acid for your double chin, planned by vial and session
From $599
Skin tightening (Morpheus8)
RF microneedling for jawline laxity, neck skin, and acne scars
From $1,200
Medical weight loss
Semaglutide and tirzepatide, with a nurse practitioner supervising your plan
Priced at your consultFrom the clinic
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